What is the origin of Dakṣiṇācāra and Vāmācāra?

 

The popular notions about Dakṣiṇācāra and Vāmācāra are as follows:

Dakṣiṇācāra "right-hand path" - refers not only to orthodox sects but to modes of spirituality that engage in spiritual practices that accord with Vedic injunction and are generally agreeable to the status quo.

Vāmācāra is used to describe a particular mode of worship or sadhana (spiritual practice) that uses heterodox things to sublimate for spiritual growth.

The following explantions are also available.

Vāma means "pleasant, lovable, agreeable" and dakṣiṇa means "south". Facing the rising sun towards east, dakṣiṇa would be the right side. For this reason, the term vāmācāra is often translated "left-hand path", while dakṣiṇamārga is translated as "right-hand path".

An alternate etymology is that it is possible that the first word of the expression vāmācāra is not vāma or 'left', but vāmā or 'woman'. N. N. Bhattacharyya notes that a main feature of the tantras is respect for the status of women as a representation of Adi Shakti, and that if this was the original conception underlying vāmācāra, the opposing term dakṣiṇācara may have been a later development.

The Brahma Yamala, a right-handed Vaishnava tantric text, says there are three currents of tradition:

dakshina, vama, and madhyama. These are characterized by the predominance of each of the three gunas: sattva, rajas, and tamas. According to this text, dakshina is characterized by sattva, and is pure; madhyama, characterized by rajas, is mixed; and vama, characterized by tamas, is impure. The tantras of each class follow a particular line of spiritual practice.

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Whatever may be the explanations offered by various texts (tantra and others) and scholars with regard to Dakṣiṇācāra and Vāmācāra, I have found that the earliest reference to both these practices is available in Valmiki Ramayana.

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The seed for the fight between Shri Rama and Ravana was not sown in the episode of banishment of Shri Rama to the Forest by Kaikeyi, as commonly believed. It is true that Shri Rama was sent to the Forest in that episode, but no direct enmity arose between Shri Rama and Ravana, till the arrival of Śūrpaṇakhā -शूर्पणखा, sister of Ravana.

Śūrpaṇakhā -शूर्पणखा was introduced by Sage Valmiki after completion 13 years of exile period, while Shri Rama was residing at Panchavati, on the banks of river Godavari. It was then the seed for the fight between Shri Rama and Ravana was sown.

Sage Valmiki says Shri Rama was Dakṣiṇa , while Śūrpaṇakhā was Vāma - तरुणम् दारुणा वृद्धा दक्षिणम् वाम भाषिणी , in the episode of defacing of Śūrpaṇakhā by Lakshmana.

This was explained in detail in the another post of mine, the link for which is provided below.

(https://sriramayanakandukuri.blogspot.com/2024/11/was-lakshmana-justified-in-defacing.html)

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In fact, the fight between Shri Rama and Ravana is not a fight between Aryan and Anaryan/Dravidian cultures or between North Indian and South Indian cultures.

It is a fight between Dakṣiṇācāra (represented by Shri Rama, Shri Hanuman and others) Vs Vāmācāra (represented by Ravana, Indrajit and others).

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Consider the following.

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Here, the words Dakṣiṇa and Vāma used by Sage Valmiki require an explanation.

According Ramayana, Dakṣiṇa and Vāma do not indicate specific methods  of worship as being propagated in different texts, but they indicate the brought up, the way of thinking, living and goals of an individual. .

In Ramayana, the word Dakṣiṇa is used for Shri Rama as well as Shri Hanuman, indicating the vedic way of life, with an ultimate aim of attaining the SUPREME TRUTH/KNOWLEDGE.

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The way of thinking of Vāmācāris vis-à-vis Dakṣiṇācāris is narrated in Yuddha Kanda of Ramayana.

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Indrajit had enimity towards Sri Rama and Lakshmana only, but Indrajit employed Brahmastra - missile of Brahma, by which Sixty seven crores of Vanaras were struck down.

सप्तषष्टिर्हताः कोट्यो वानराणां तरस्विनाम् |
अह्नः पञ्चमशेषेण वल्लभेन स्वयम्भुवः || (Yuddha Kanda 74 Sarga 12 Sloka)

Sixty seven crores of powerful Vanaras were struck down by the cherished missile of Brahma (ब्रह्मास्त्र), the self-born creator, in the fifth and last period of the day.

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After the above episode, Shri Hanuman brings a mountain containing living saving herbs, from Himalaya. Thereafter, the war resumes and Indrajit again attacks Shri Rama and Lakshmana, being invisible. 

Lakshmana gets angry and proposes to use missile of Brahma (ब्रह्मास्त्र), for the purpose of killing all the demons.

लक्ष्मणस्तु सुसङ्क्रुद्धो भ्रातरं वाक्यमब्रवीत् |
ब्राह्ममस्त्रं प्रयोक्ष्यामि वधार्थं सर्वरक्षसाम् || ६-८०-३७

Then, Lakshmana for his part was enraged and told his brother that he would employ the missile presided over by Brahma (ब्रह्मास्त्र) for the purpose of killing all the demons.

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However, Shri Rama stops him stating that just for the sake of one demon, all demons should not be killed.

मुवाच ततो रामो लक्ष्मणं शुभलक्षणम् |
नैकस्य हेतो रक्षांसि पृथिव्यां हन्तुमर्हसि || ६-८०-३८

Then, Rama spoke to that Lakshmana, who was endowed with auspicious bodily marks as follows: "You ought not to kill all the demons on earth, merely for the sake of a single demon."

अयुध्यमानं प्रच्छन्नं प्राञ्जलिं शरणागतम् |
पलायन्तं प्रमत्तं वा न त्वं हन्तुमिहार्हसि || ६-८०-३९

"You ought not to kill on this earth one who is not fighting or one who is hiding or one who seeks refuge with joined palms or is fleeing or is intoxicated."

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Now, a question arises as to where the word Dakṣiṇa (दक्षिण) was first used and in what context?

It was used in the Rig Veda, from where all types of spiritual ideas were taken, used and expanded in the subsequent texts, ie., Brāhmaṇas, Upaniṣads, Ramayana, Puranas, etc.

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Rig Veda 2.27.1 mentions about 6 Ādityās, the sons of the all pervading Aditi. One among them is Dakṣa.

According to Shri Aurobindo, Dakṣa indicates the ability/power of discernment, in spiritual sense. And, the Feminine form is called Dakṣiṇa (दक्षिण).

Rig Veda 3.39.6

इन्द्रो मधु सम्भृतमुस्रियायां पद्वद्विवेद शफवन्नमे गोः ।

गुहा हितं गुह्यं गूळ्हमप्सु हस्ते दधे दक्षिणे दक्षिणावान् ॥

“He having Dakshina with him held in his right hand (dakṣiṇe dakṣiṇāvān ) the secret thing that is placed in the secret cave and concealed in the waters.

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Dakṣiṇa (दक्षिण) gives to the spiritual seeker the power to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.

Hence, the meanings of Dakṣiṇācāra and Vāmācāra, as per Ramayana are:

Those with this power Dakṣiṇa (दक्षिण), and are in the PATH OF TRUTH, as Shri Rama and Shri Hanuman were in, are Dakṣiṇācāris. They cannot do harm to others unnecessarily.

Those without this power Dakṣiṇa (दक्षिण), and are not in the PATH OF TRUTH are susceptible to the power of Illusion that they are all powerful and invincible (Ravana, Indrajit, etc) are ie., Vāmācāris. Thus, they may prone to do harm to others, unnecessarily.

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The Vedic way of life.