What's the source, and context of this verse - 'vāmā bhūtvā yajet param (वामा भूत्वा यजेत् परम्)'?

Question

In some articles I encountered this -

वामा भूत्वा यजेत् परम्

vāmā bhūtvā yajet param

If I understand this correctly, this basically means -

Every aspirant has to realise the 'latent female principle' within himself, and only by becoming a female he's entitled to worship the Supreme Being.

What's the source and complete context of this verse?

I'm guessing this might be from Shakta Tantras.

Is this a valid doctrine in any Hinduism sect? And what's the complete explanation behind this, if any?

Answer 1

There is no easy way to explain it. Thus quotaing from the brief overview given by Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharyya, M.A. Proffecer of Sanskrit, Hoogly Mohsin college, Bengal. on the Sarvollāsatantram of Shri-Sarvananda (A), He writes,

The special Forte of Sarvananda's work, as stated by himself, was a consideration of the three fold Bhava (भाव) and the corresponding Acharas (आचार)- one of the most knotty problems of tantra. The subject is broached (in Ullhasa VII) with an well judged emphasis on the peculiar provision specially of the Shaktitantras- that undefinable state of religious consciousness (भाव) which alone secures everything and without which all worship is utterly futile.

साधन भावमात्रं हि भावेन भाव्यवान्‌ भवेत्‌ । आचारेण बिना भावं कदाचिन्नैव जायते ॥ ३ ॥

The medium is only Bhava, by Bhava he is "Blessed" (Bhagyawan), but Bhava cannot form without its corresponding Acharas.

Thus the verse, "वामा भूत्वा यजेत् परम्" occurs in the "Vamachari Shakta Lakshanm" of Sarvollāsatantram (Ulhasa LI) taken from the Samayachar tantra, which describes the Bhava of Vamachara itself, where the use of real panchatatva just begins.

Here is what he writes,

The दक्षिणाचार alone covers half of the book (ullhasa XVIII - XLVII) and derives its name from the peculiar भाव underlying it– " शिवो भूत्वा यजेत् परां" (ullhasa XVIII and XLVII). In the next step the भाव changes to "वामा भूत्वा यजेत् परम्" (ullhasa LI) whence the term वामाचार arose*.

_{** *वामे प्रकृतिरूपा च दक्षिणे पुरूषाकृतिः । ** A}