📜 Instructions Before You Begin the Aṣṭa-Pāśa Self-Assessment Quiz
Dear Seeker,
Welcome to this inner journey of self-inquiry and subtle awareness through the lens of Aṣṭa-Pāśa—the eight bonds that bind the individual soul (paśu) in this world of illusion (māyā), as revealed in the Kulārṇava Tantra and other great Tantric śāstras.
This quiz is not a test of right or wrong. It is a sacred mirror designed to help you:
Understand the subtle knots (granthi-s) within your mind and emotions
Recognize which attachments and fears may be limiting your sādhana
Reflect on how ancient wisdom maps our inner landscape of bondage and liberation
Aṣṭa-Pāśa are:
Dayā – Misplaced pity
Moha – Delusion
Bhaya – Fear
Lajjā – Shame
Ghr̥ṇā – Aversion
Kula – Family attachment
Śīla – Rigid habit
Varṇa – Social identity or ego
⚠️ Important Guidance from the Śāstra
This quiz is a preliminary self-awareness tool only. According to Tantra-śāstra, true liberation from these pāśa-s is not achieved by self-effort alone but through:
Gurukṛpā (Grace of the Guru)
Mantra-dīkṣā (Initiation into Sacred Mantra)
Abhyāsa (Consistent Inner Practice)
Viveka (Clear Discernment)
Śakti-pāta (Descent of Divine Energy)
Only a true Guru, rooted in Śakti and Śiva consciousness, can show you how to transform each pāśa into a path of realization.
Hence, after completing this quiz:
✅ Take time to reflect in silence.
✅ Journal your insights or emotional reactions.
✅ Approach your Guru, mentor, or spiritual guide with sincerity and humility.
✅ Ask, “What sādhana is best for me now, based on what binds me?”
✅ Surrender to the Divine within, who is Paśupāśa-Vimocinī—the liberator of all bonds.
🕉 “Bandhaḥ karoti iti pāśaḥ — yā śaktiḥ bandhamochinī sā mātā!”
“That which binds is called pāśa. She who unties the knot is the Divine Mother.”
May this quiz serve as a lamp of clarity on your sacred path.
Progress not with ego, but with devotion, truth, and tapas.
With love in Śakti & Śiva,
Sri Shakthi Sumanan Institute
– Dedicated to Ancient Wisdom for Modern Minds