Tantric tradition and Greater India

Dr Uday Dokras
History of tantra
It is difficult to trace the history of tantra which is mostly obscure as in case of the history of
religions. Many tantras offer mythical explanations for their origins, often setting themselves
as the given word of either Siva or a goddess such as Devi. Scholarly depictions of their
origins are often as varied, ascribing tantras to pre-Aryan, Indus Valley civilizations or
similar aboriginal, tribal groups or as integral part of an Indian cultural fabric.

Hindu tantra
Tantra exists in Vaisnava, Shaiva, and Shakta forms, among others. Extolled as a short-cut to
self-realization and spiritual enlightenment by some, left-hand tantric rites are often rejected
as dangerous by most orthodox Hindus. The popular perception of tantra among Hindus
espoused in Indian journalism, equates it with black magic.
Some tantric aspirants simply feel the union is accomplished internally and with spiritual
entities of various kinds. For this reason, almost all tantric writing has a gross, higher and
subtle meaning. This tripartite system of understanding readily obscures the true purport of
many passages for those without the necessary background or deeper understandings so
crucial to tantra. Thus, a 'union' could mean the actual act of sexual intercourse, ritual uniting
of concepts through chanting and sacrifice, or realization of one's true self in the cosmic
joining of the divine principles of Shiva and Shakti in Para Shiva.

Tantrism, which appears in both Buddhism and Hinduism, influenced

many religious trends and movements from the 5th century CE, but some
of it was meant for esoteric circles. Claiming to show in times of religious
decadence a new way to the highest goal, Tantrism bases itself upon
mystic speculations concerning divine creative energy (shakti). Tantrism
is thought to be a method of conquering transcendent powers and
realizing oneness with the highest principle by Yogic and ritual means—
in part magical and orgiastic—which are also supposed to achieve other
supranormal goals.

Tantrists take for granted that all factors in the macrocosm and the
microcosm are closely connected. The adept (sadhaka) has to perform
the relevant rites on his own body, transforming its normal, chaotic state
into a “cosmos.” The macrocosm is conceived as a complex system of
powers that by means of ritual-psychological techniques can be activated
and organized within the individual body of the adept. Contrary to
the ascetic emancipation methods of other groups, the Tantrists
emphasize the activation and sublimation of the possibilities of their own
body, without which salvation is believed to be beyond reach.

The Tantrists of the Vamchara (“the left-hand practice”) sought to

intensify their own sense impressions by making enjoyment, or sensuality
(bhoga), their principal concern: the adept pursued his spiritual objective
through his natural functions and inclinations, which
were sublimated and then gratified in rituals in order to disintegrate his
normal personality. This implies that cultic life was largely interiorized
and that the whole world was given a new and esoteric meaning.

Concentration on the body: Tantrikas generally see the body as a microcosm; thus in the
Kaulajnana-nirnaya, for example, the practitioner meditates on the head as the moon, the
heart as the sun and the genitals as fire. Many groups hold that the body contains a series of
energy centers (chakra - "wheel"), which may be associated with elements, planets or occult
powers (siddhi). The phenomenon of kundalini, a flow of energy through the chakras, is
controversial; most writers see it as essential to Tantra, while others regard it as unimportant
or as an abreaction. As it is, kundalini is nothing but the flow of the central sushumna nadi, a
spiritual current, that, when moving, opens chakras, and is fundamental to the siddhi concept
that forms a part of all tantra, including hatha yoga.
 Sahasrara
 Ajna
 Vishuddha
 Anahata
 Manipura
 Swadhisthana
 Muladhara
 Bindu

Tantric practices
Because of the wide range of groups covered by the term "tantra," it is hard to describe tantric
practices definitively. The basic practice, the Hindu image-worship known as "puja" may
include any of the elements below.

Mantra and Yantra: As in all of Hindu and Buddhist yogas, mantras play an important part
in Tantra for focusing the mind, often through the conduit of specific Hindu gods like Shiva,
Ma Kali (mother Kali, another form of Shakti) and even Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of
wisdom (refer to the Ganesha Upanishad). Similarly, puja will often involve concentrating on
a yantra or mandala.

Identification with deities: Tantra, being a development of early Hindu-Vedic thought

embraced the Hindu gods and goddesses, especially Shiva and Shakti, along the Advaita
(nondualist Vedic) philosophy that each represents an aspect of the ultimate Para Shiva, or
Brahman. These deities may be worshipped externally (with flowers, incense etc.) but, more
importantly, are used as objects of meditation, where the practitioner imagines him- or herself
to be experiencing the darshan or 'vision' of the deity in question. The ancient devadasi
tradition of sacred temple-dance, seen in the contemporary Bharata Natyam is an example of
such meditation in movement. The divine love is expressed in Sringara and Bhakti.

Taboo-breaking: The act of breaking taboos is the definitive feature of left-hand Tantra.
While the breaking of sexual taboos is perhaps the most recognized of tantric practices, it is
not considered generally beneficial. All tantras state that there are specific levels of
preparation required for breaking taboos. Tantras practiced by inadequately prepared
individuals are considered harmful rather than beneficial to the practitioner. The normal state
of human preparation is referred to as pasu-bhava (animal disposition). A person in the state
of pasu-bhava is one who regularly eats meat and indulges in intoxication. They are
considered dishonest, promiscuous, greedy and violent. A fundamental requirement of all
tantras is the initial transcendence beyond this base state.

Tantras prescribe a strict regimen of penance, meditation, sensory control, cleansing the self
of negative thoughts and seeking truth and justice before an individual can hope to transcend
from her or his natural state. An individual who successfully practices these tasks may
eventually take a vow of viravrata (a hero's vow) to be of vira-bhava (heroic disposition). The
demarcation vira is potentially transient as it is considered a state of being free of desires.
In the Kaula and Vamachara schools of tantra the pañca makara (5 M's)
ritually/sacramentally broken in order to free the practitioner from binding convention are:
 madya (wine)
 mamsa (meat)
 matsya (fish)
 mudra (parched grain)
 maithuna (sex

The "sacramental" or ritual breaking was only for

the vira practitioner, not the divya or pasu. The pasu would misunderstand and get caught up
in the literal act while the divya will have already progressed beyond and not need the literal
act to understand the inner meaning.
There also exist tantric schools that substitute innocuous items for the taboo substances and
acts, claiming that literal interpretations of the pañca makara miss the inner truth of the rite.
The esoteric part of Tantric worship (puja) is complicated and in many respects different
from the ceremonies that it has influenced. Tantric devotees interpret their texts by means of
an ambiguous “twilight” language and distinguish between the texts’ “external” and their
esoteric meaning. Tantrists describe states of consciousness with erotic terminology and
describe physiological processes with cosmological terminology. They proceed from
“external” to “internal” worship and adore the Goddess mentally, offering their hearts as her
throne and their self-renunciation as “flowers.”
According to Tantrism, concentration is intended to evoke an internal image of the deity and
to resuscitate the powers inherent in it so that the symbol changes into mental experience.
This “symbolic ambiguity” is also much in evidence in the esoteric interpretation of ritual
acts performed in connection with images, flowers, and other cult objects and is intended to
bring about a transfiguration in the mind of the adept.

The mantras (sacred utterances, such as hum, hrim, and kleem) are believed to be
indispensable means of entering into contact with the power they bear and
of transcending mundane existence. Most potent are the monosyllabic, bija (“seed”) mantras,
which constitute the main element of longer formulas and embody the essence of divine
power as the eternal, indestructible prototypes from which anything phenomenal derives its
existence. The cosmos itself owes its very structure and harmony to them. Also important is
the introduction of spiritual qualities or divine power into the body (nyasa) by placing a
finger on the relevant spot (accompanied by a mantra).
Tantrists who follow the “right-hand path” attach much value to the Yoga that developed
under their influence and to bhakti and aspire to union with the Supreme by emotional-
dynamic means. For them, Yoga is a self-abnegation in order to reach a state of ecstatic
blissfulness in which the passive soul is lifted up by divine grace.

There is also a
Tantric mantra-yoga (discipline through spells), which operates with formulas, and a hatha-
yoga, (Sanskrit: “union of force”). Hatha-yoga incorporates normal Yogic practices such as
abstinences; observances; bodily postures; breath control; withdrawal of the mind from
external objects; concentration, contemplation, and identification with the aid of mudras (i.e.,
ritual intertwining of fingers or gestures expressing the metaphysical aspect of the ceremonies
or the transformation effected by the mantras); and muscular contractions. It also consists of
internal purifications (e.g., washing out stomach and bowels), shaking the abdomen, and
some forms of self-torture. The whole process is intended to “control the ‘gross body’ in
order to free the ‘subtle body.’”
Some Tantrists employ laya-yoga (“reintegration by mergence”), in which the female nature-
energy (representing the shakti), which is said to remain dormant and coiled in the form of a
serpent (kundalini) representing the uncreated, is awakened and made to rise
through the six centres (chakras) of the body, which are located along
the central artery of the subtle body, from the root centre to the lotus of
a thousand petals at the top of the head, where it merges into
the Purusha, the male Supreme Being. Once the union of shakti and
Purusha has become permanent, according to this doctrine, wonderful
visions and powers come to the adept, who then is emancipated. Some of
the Tantric texts also pursue worldly objectives involving magic or
medicine.
Tantric and Shakta views of nature, humanity, and the sacred

The Tantric movement is sometimes inextricably interwoven

with Shaktism, which assumes the existence of one or more shaktis.
These are “creative energies” that are inherent in and proceed from God
and are also capable of being imagined as female deities. Shakti is the
deciding factor in the salvation of the individual and in the processes of
the universe because God acts only through his energy—which,
personified as a goddess, is his spouse. Her role is very different in the
various systems: she may be considered the central figure in a
philosophically established doctrine, the dynamic aspect of brahman,
producing the universe through her maya, or mysterious power of
illusion; a capricious demonic ruler of nature in its destructive aspects;
a benign mother goddess; or the queen of a celestial court. One form of
Shaktism identifies the goddess (usually Durga) with brahman and
worships her as the ruler of the universe by virtue of whom
even Shiva exists. As Mahayogini (“Great Mistress of Yoga”), she
produces, maintains, and reabsorbs the world. As the Eternal Mother,
she is exalted in the Devimahatmya (“Glorification of the Goddess”)
section of the Markandeya-purana (an important Shakta encyclopaedic
text). In the Bengal cult of the goddess Kali, she demands bloody
sacrifices from her worshipers lest her creative potency fail her. This cult
also propounds the belief that birth and death are inseparable, that joy
and grief spring from the same source, and that the
frightening manifestations of the divine should be faced calmly.

In all of his incarnations Vishnu is united with his consort, Lakshmi. The
sacred tales of his various relations with her manifestations led his
worshipers to view human devotion as parallel to divine love and hence
as universal, eternal, and sanctified. In Vaishnava Tantrism, Lakshmi
plays an important part as God’s shakti. In his supreme state, Vishnu and
his shakti are indissolubly associated with one another and thus
constitute the personal manifestation of the supreme brahman, also
called Lakshmi-Narayana. In visual imagery, Lakshmi never leaves
Vishnu’s bosom. In the first stage of creation, she awakens in her dual
aspect of action-and-becoming, in which she is the instrumental and
material cause of the universe; Vishnu himself is the efficient cause. In
the second stage, her “becoming” aspect is manifested in the grosser
forms of the souls and the power of maya, which is the immaterial source
of the universe. In displaying her power, she takes into consideration the
accumulated karma of the beings, judging mundane existence as merit
and demerit. Presented in myth as God’s wife and the queen of the
universe.

Pancharatra Vaishnavism emphasizes that Lakshmi—who in the

mythological sphere intercedes with her husband for the preservation of
the world—spontaneously and by virtue of her own
power differentiates herself from Vishnu because she has in view the
liberation of the souls. This current of thought complicated its
explanation of the relation between God and the universe—which was at
the same time an attempt at assigning to God’s manifestations a place in
a harmonious theological and cosmological system—with an evolutionist
theory of successive creations. God is assumed to manifest himself also in
three other figures, mythologically his brothers, who, each with his own
responsibility, have not only a creative but also an ethical function, by
which they assist those who seek to achieve final emancipation.
Tantric ritual and magical practices

The ritual of the left-hand Tantrists was one in which all of the taboos of
conventional Hinduism were conscientiously violated. Thus, in place of
the traditional five elements (tattvas) of the Hindu cosmos, these
Tantrists used the five m’s: mamsa (flesh,
meat), matsya (fish), madya (fermented grapes,
wine), mudra (frumentum, cereal, parched grain, or gestures),
and maithuna (sexual union). This latter element was made particularly
antinomian through the involvement of forbidden women—such as the
wife of another man or a low-caste woman—who was identified with the
Goddess. Menstrual blood, strictly taboo in conventional Hinduism, was
also used in Tantric rites. Such rituals, which are described in Tantric
texts and in tracts against Tantrists, made the Tantrists notorious. It is
likely, however, that the rituals were not regularly performed except by a
small group of highly trained adepts; the usual Tantric ceremony was
purely symbolic and even more fastidious than the pujas in Hindu
temples.
The cult of the Shaktas is based on the principle of the ritual sublimation
of natural impulses to maintain and reproduce life. Shakta adepts are
trained to direct all their energies toward the conquest of the Eternal.
The sexual act and the consumption of consecrated meat or liquor are
esoterically significant means of realizing the unity of flesh and spirit, of
the human and the divine. They are considered not sinful acts but
effective means of salvation. Ritual union—which may also be
accomplished symbolically—is, for both partners, a form of sacralization,
the act being a participation in cosmic and divine processes. The
experience of transcending space and time, of surpassing the
phenomenal duality of spirit and matter, of recovering the primeval unity,
the realization of the identity of God and his Shakti, and of
the manifested and unmanifested aspects of the All, constitute the very
mystery of Shaktism.

The interpretation of doctrines and ritual practice is varied. Extreme

Shakta communities, for example, are said to perform the secret
nocturnal rites of the shrichakra (“wheel of radiance,” described in
the Kularnava-tantra), in which they avail themselves of the natural
and esoteric symbolic properties of colours, sounds, and perfumes to
intensify their sensual experiences. Most Tantrists, however, eliminate all
but the verbal ritual.

Individual and collective Yoga and worship, conducted daily, fortnightly,

and monthly “for the delectation of the deity,” are of special importance.
After elaborate purifications, the worshipers—who must be initiated, full
of devotion toward the guru and God, have control over themselves, be
well prepared and pure of heart, know the mysteries of the scriptures,
and look forward to the adoration with eagerness—make the prescribed
offerings, worship the power of the Divine Mother, and recite the
relevant mantras. Having become aware of their own state of divinity,
they are qualified to unite sexually with the Goddess. If a woman is, in
certain rituals, made the object of sexual worship, the Goddess is
first invoked into her; the worshiper is not to cohabit with her until his
mind is free from impurity and he has risen to divine status. Union with a
low-caste woman helps to transcend all opposites. Union with a woman
who belongs to another man is often preferred because it is harder to
obtain, nothing is certain in it, and the longing stemming from the
separation of lover and beloved is more intense; it is pure preman (divine
love). Adoration of a girl of age 16 aims at securing the completeness and
perfection of which this number is said to be the expression. However,
the texts reiterate how dangerous these rites are for those who are not
initiated; those who perform such ritual acts without merging their minds
in the Supreme are likely to go to one of the hells.

The esoteric Vaishnava-Sahajiya cult,

which arose in Bengal in the 16th century, was another emotional
attempt at reconciling the spirit and the flesh. Disregarding social
opinion, its adherents, using the natural (sahaja, “born with”) qualities of
the senses and stressing the sexual symbolism of Bengal Vaishnavism,
reinterpreted the Radha-Krishna legend and sought for the perpetual
experience of divine joy. Based on this understanding of the legend,
members of the Vaishnava-Sahajiya cult held that, after arduous training,
the realization of love can be experienced, because Krishna’s nature is
love and the giving of love and because man is identical with Krishna.
Women, as the embodiment of a theological principle, could even become
spiritual guides, like Radha, conducting the worshipers in their search
for realization. After reaching this state, a devotee remains in eternal
bliss and can dispense with guru and ritual and be completely indifferent
to the world, “steadfast amidst the dance of maya.”
Tantric and Shakta ethical and social doctrines

These ethical and social principles, though fundamentally the same as

those promulgated in the classical dharma works, breathe a spirit of
liberality: much value is set upon family life and respect for women (the
image of the Goddess); no ban is placed on traveling (conventionally
regarded as bringing about ritual pollution) or on the remarriage of
widows. Although Tantric and Shakta traditions did not oblige their
followers to deviate in a socially visible way from the established order,
they provided a ritual and a way of life for those who, because of sex
or caste, could not participate satisfyingly in the conventional rites.

The ancient Tantric tradition, based on the esoteric tantra literature, has
become so interwoven with orthodox Hinduism that it is difficult to define
precisely. Although it recognizes an identity between the soul and the
cosmos, it emphasizes the internalization of the cosmos rather than the
release of the soul to its natural state of unity. The body is the
microcosm, and the ultimate state is not only omniscience but total
realization of all universal and eternal forces. The body is real, not
because it is the function or creation of a real deity but because it
contains the deity, together with the rest of the universe. The individual
soul does not unite with the One—it is the One, and the body is its
function.

Tantrism, though not always in its full esoteric form, is a feature of much
modern mystical thought. In Tantrism the consciousness is spoken of as
moving—driven by repetition of the mantra and by other disciplines—
from gross awareness of the material world to realization of the ultimate
unity. The image is of a serpent, coiled and dormant, awakened and
driven upward in the body through various stages of enlightenment until
it reaches the brain, the highest awareness. The 19th-century
mystic Ramakrishna describes the process, which is also what many
Hindus seek in their quest for a spiritual experience:
When [the serpent] is awakened, it passes gradually through [various
stages], and comes to rest in the heart. Then the mind moves away from
[the gross physical senses]; there is perception, and a great brilliance is
seen. The worshiper, when he sees this brilliance, is struck with wonder.
The [serpent] moves thus through six stages, and coming to [the highest
one], is united with it. Then there is samadhi.…When [the serpent] rises
to the sixth stage, the form of God is seen. But a slight veil remains; it is
as if one sees a light within a lantern, and thinks that the light itself can
be touched, but the glass intervenes.…In samadhi, nothing external
remains. One cannot even take care of his body any more; if milk is put
into his mouth, he cannot swallow. If he remains for twenty-one days in
this condition, he is dead. The ship puts out to sea, and returns no mo
Tantric Hindu traditions have also influenced other Eastern religious traditions such
as Jainism, the Tibetan Bön tradition, Daoism, and the Japanese Shintō tradition.
Certain modes of non-Vedic worship such as Puja are considered tantric in their conception
and rituals. Hindu temple building also generally conforms to the iconography of
tantra. Hindu texts describing these topics are called Tantras, Āgamas or Samhitās. Rituals
are most commonly associated with spiritual or religious activities and are considered an
important part of that tradition. A ritual is a ceremony consisting of a series of actions
performed by an ordained leader and according to a prescribed order. Weddings, funerals,
birthdays, coming of age rites, mass, baptisms, communion and religious holidays are just a
few examples of rituals that many of us are familiar with and can relate to. Essentially they
mark important moments and serve as an initiation or a change in status.

Tantric rituals are a spectacular science stemming from the Indian tradition which have been
known to produce supernatural phenomenon and provide a direct link to universal energies
for participants. That is of course if the ritual is of the authentic kind. In order to benefit from
the imprint tantric rituals can impart there are a few key elements that are necessary in order
to receive this sacred rite of passage. What are these elements? Read further and learn
more…
 “Tantra is that Asian body of beliefs and
practices which, working from the principle
that the universe we experience is nothing
other than the concrete manifestation of the
divine energy of the godhead that creates
and maintains the universe, seeks to ritually
appropriate and channel that energy, within
the human microcosm, in creative and
emancipatory.ways.”

David Gordon White

Tantric art. Clockwise from upper

left: Vajrayogini (Buddhist), Sri
Yantra (Hindu), Chakra illustration, Tibet
deity Vajradhara (Holder of the Thunderbolt)
in maithuna, Kalachakra Mandala, Dakini.

A temple relief, from Madya Pradesh in central India, showing the Tantric goddess Chamunda dancing on a corpse, 9th century AD.
Sandstone. Size: 89 x 61x 21cm © Trustees of the British Museum

The science of tantric rituals

Tantra is the science and study of energy and there are countless different types of energy in
the universe that can be controlled and utilized for spiritual gains. For every universal energy
that exists there are various tantric rituals that train solely with that energy.Tantric rituals can
be extremely potent if the right ingredients are involved and the knowledge is genuine. The
secrecy of this occult science therefore preserves its integrity and esoteric nature.
 There does not exist a ritual manual, so to speak, outlining and detailing all of the various
rituals and accompanying effects. This is why it becomes more important than ever that such
knowledge is transmitted via a lineage and ideally by an experienced master.

The statue of Harihara,

the god amalgamation of Shiva and Vishnu, as the
mortuary deified portrayal of Sculpture of Raktayamari in union with Vajravetali, Tibet, 16th-
King Kertarajasa of Majapahit. Revering the king 17th century. Bronze with turquoise, gold, and pigment.Size:
as god incarnated on earth is the concept of 21.8 x 15.8 x 11.4cm. © The Trustees of the British Museum
devaraja.

Tantric ritual and magical practices

The ritual of the left-hand Tantrists was one in which all of the taboos of conventional Hinduism
were conscientiously violated. Thus, in place of the traditional five elements (tattvas) of the Hindu
cosmos, these Tantrists used the five m’s: mamsa (flesh, meat), matsya (fish), madya (fermented
grapes, wine), mudra (frumentum, cereal, parched grain, or gestures), and maithuna (sexual union).
This latter element was made particularly antinomian through the involvement of forbidden women
—such as the wife of another man or a low-caste woman—who was identified with the Goddess.
Menstrual blood, strictly taboo in conventional Hinduism, was also used in Tantric rites. Such
rituals, which are described in Tantric texts and in tracts against Tantrists, made the
Tantrists notorious. It is likely, however, that the rituals were not regularly performed except by a
small group of highly trained adepts; the usual Tantric ceremony was purely symbolic and even
more fastidious than the pujas in Hindu temples.
 Adi Shankaracharya/ Coronation of Thai King

The cult of the Shaktas is based on the principle of the ritual sublimation of natural impulses to
maintain and reproduce life. Shakta adepts are trained to direct all their energies toward the conquest
of the Eternal. The sexual act and the consumption of consecrated meat or liquor are esoterically
significant means of realizing the unity of flesh and spirit, of the human and the divine. They are
considered not sinful acts but effective means of salvation. Ritual union—which may also be
accomplished symbolically—is, for both partners, a form of sacralization, the act being a
participation in cosmic and divine processes. The experience of transcending space and time, of
surpassing the phenomenal duality of spirit and matter, of recovering the primeval unity, the
realization of the identity of God and his Shakti, and of the manifested and unmanifested aspects of
the All, constitute the very mystery of Shaktism.

The interpretation of doctrines and ritual practice is varied. Extreme Shakta communities, for
example, are said to perform the secret nocturnal rites of the shrichakra (“wheel of radiance,”
described in the Kularnava-tantra), in which they avail themselves of the natural
and esoteric symbolic properties of colours, sounds, and perfumes to intensify their sensual
experiences. Most Tantrists, however, eliminate all but the verbal ritual.

Individual and collective Yoga and worship, conducted daily, fortnightly, and monthly “for the
delectation of the deity,” are of special importance. After elaborate purifications, the worshipers—
who must be initiated, full of devotion toward the guru and God, have control over themselves, be
well prepared and pure of heart, know the mysteries of the scriptures, and look forward to the
adoration with eagerness—make the prescribed offerings, worship the power of the Divine Mother,
and recite the relevant mantras. Having become aware of their own state of divinity, they are
qualified to unite sexually with the Goddess. If a woman is, in certain rituals, made the object of
sexual worship, the Goddess is first invoked into her; the worshiper is not to cohabit with her until
his mind is free from impurity and he has risen to divine status. Union with a low-caste woman helps
to transcend all opposites. Union with a woman who belongs to another man is often preferred
because it is harder to obtain, nothing is certain in it, and the longing stemming from the separation
of lover and beloved is more intense; it is pure preman (divine love). Adoration of a girl of age 16
aims at securing the completeness and perfection of which this number is said to be the expression.
However, the texts reiterate how dangerous these rites are for those who are not initiated; those who
perform such ritual acts without merging their minds in the Supreme are likely to go to one of
the hells.

The esoteric Vaishnava-Sahajiya cult, which arose in Bengal in the 16th century, was another
emotional attempt at reconciling the spirit and the flesh. Disregarding social opinion, its adherents,
using the natural (sahaja, “born with”) qualities of the senses and stressing the sexual symbolism of
Bengal Vaishnavism, reinterpreted the Radha-Krishna legend and sought for the perpetual
experience of divine joy. Based on this understanding of the legend, members of the Vaishnava-
Sahajiya cult held that, after arduous training, the realization of love can be experienced,
because Krishna’s nature is love and the giving of love and because man is identical with Krishna.
Women, as the embodiment of a theological principle, could even become spiritual guides,
like Radha, conducting the worshipers in their search for realization. After reaching this state, a
devotee remains in eternal bliss and can dispense with guru and ritual and be completely indifferent
to the world, “steadfast amidst the dance of maya.”

Tantric and Shakta ethical and social doctrines

These ethical and social principles, though fundamentally the same as those promulgated in the
classical dharma works, breathe a spirit of liberality: much value is set upon family life and respect
for women (the image of the Goddess); no ban is placed on traveling (conventionally regarded as
bringing about ritual pollution) or on the remarriage of widows. Although Tantric and Shakta
traditions did not oblige their followers to deviate in a socially visible way from the established
order, they provided a ritual and a way of life for those who, because of sex or caste, could not
participate satisfyingly in the conventional rites.

The ancient Tantric tradition, based on the esoteric tantra literature, has become so interwoven
with orthodox Hinduism that it is difficult to define precisely. Although it recognizes an identity
between the soul and the cosmos, it emphasizes the internalization of the cosmos rather than the
release of the soul to its natural state of unity. The body is the microcosm, and the ultimate state is
not only omniscience but total realization of all universal and eternal forces. The body is real, not
because it is the function or creation of a real deity but because it contains the deity, together with
the rest of the universe. The individual soul does not unite with the One—it is the One, and the body
is its function.

Tantrism, though not always in its full esoteric form, is a feature of much modern mystical thought.
In Tantrism the consciousness is spoken of as moving—driven by repetition of the mantra and by
other disciplines—from gross awareness of the material world to realization of the ultimate unity.
The image is of a serpent, coiled and dormant, awakened and driven upward in the body through
various stages of enlightenment until it reaches the brain, the highest awareness. The 19th-century
mystic Ramakrishna describes the process, which is also what many Hindus seek in their quest for a
spiritual experience:
When [the serpent] is awakened, it passes gradually through [various stages], and comes to rest in
the heart. Then the mind moves away from [the gross physical senses]; there is perception, and a
great brilliance is seen. The worshiper, when he sees this brilliance, is struck with wonder. The
[serpent] moves thus through six stages, and coming to [the highest one], is united with it. Then
there is samadhi.…When [the serpent] rises to the sixth stage, the form of God is seen. But a slight
veil remains; it is as if one sees a light within a lantern, and thinks that the light itself can be
touched, but the glass intervenes.…In samadhi, nothing external remains. One cannot even take
care of his body any more; if milk is put into his mouth, he cannot swallow. If he remains for twenty-
one days in this condition, he is dead. The ship puts out to sea, and returns no more.

Tantric Hinduism already had a significant presence in India by the middle of the first millennium
CE, when scriptural texts (tantras) began to be compiled. “Tantras (texts) clearly state that scripture
is the necessary complement to the oral teachings one receives from the mouth of one’s guru.” Little
has been written about Khmer Tantric Hinduism, although tantrikas (practitioners) were already
present in Cambodia by the medieval period. Unfortunately, no Khmer liturgical texts have survived
to enlighten us as to what role Khmer Tantric Hindusim may have specifically played in the Khmer
world, but a few tantalizing clues have resulted in surprising revelations. In the Khmer environment,
there is an inherent minimization of the sexual in art, whether it is Tantric Buddhist or Hindu, and
this kind of imagery seldom appears in the Khmer world. 1
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1.Tantric Hinduism in Khmer Culture

by Emma C. Bunker, Asian Department, Denver Art Museum,
https://www.asianart.com/articles/bunker/index.html

Shivaji left //// Jayavarman II, a Khmer Monarch pays homage to Lord Shiva while his personal priest pours offering of melted

ghee and lotus.

The Janapadas ( 1500–600 BCE) from where Hiranyadarma was invited/ brought were
the realms, republics (ganapada) and kingdoms (saamarajya) of the Vedic period on
the Indian subcontinent. The Vedic period reaches from the late Bronze Age into the Iron
Age: from about 1500 BCE to the 6th century BCE. With the rise of
sixteen Mahajanapadas ("great janapadas"), most of the states were annexed by more
powerful neighbours, although some remained independent.
 Tantricism and Magic of the Janapadas
The Sanskrit term janapada is a tatpurusha compound term, composed of two
words: janas and pada. Jana means "people" or "subject. The word pada means "foot" from
its earliest attestation, the word has had a double meaning of "realm, territory" and "subject
population" pedan, "place."Sanskrit padám, usually taken to mean "footprint, trail", diverges
in accent from the PIE reconstruction. For the sense of "population of the land", padasya
janas, the inverted padajana would be expected. A primary meaning of "place of the people,"
janasya padam, would not explain why the compound is of masculine gender. An
original dvandva "land and people" is conceivable, but a dual inflection would be expected.
Literary evidence suggests that the janapadas flourished between 1500 BCE and 500
BCE. The earliest mention of the term "janapada" occurs in the Aitareya (8.14.4)
and Shatapatha (13.4.2.17) Brahmana texts.
Sanskrit epics
The Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata mentions around 230 janapadas, while
the Ramayana mentions only a few of these. Unlike the Puranas, the Mahabharata does not
specify any geographical divisions of ancient India, but does support the classification of
certain janapadas as southern or northern India.

Whether the term devaraja refers to a central cult object, such as a Siva linga on one of
Angkor's numerous pyramidal monuments, or to the ritual as such, and argues that the views
advanced by such authorities as G. Coedes are commonly unsatisfactory or inconsistent.
Tantra Sanskrit: तन्त्र, meaning to weave, warp' are the esoteric traditions
of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed in India from the middle of the 1st millennium CE
onwards. The term tantra, in the Indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly
applicable "text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice." Starting in the
early centuries of the common era, newly revealed Tantras centering
on Vishnu, Shiva or Shakti emerged. There are tantric lineages in all main forms of modern
Hinduism, such as the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition, the Shakta sect of Sri-Vidya, the Kaula,
and Kashmir Shaivism.

CHENLA
Tonle CHAMPA
Sap
Oc Eo Mekong River
Delta

Area of
map

Java