A.

What is Tantra :
Desire of pleasure and removal of pain was and still is the human tendency. Like
other communities of the world, Hindus also believed that they were surrounded by
supernatural powers which they considered as the cause of their pleasure and pain.
For the benign influence of power and removal of the evil impact, they gave them a
status of deity and worshipped them through Mantras. The important occasions which
start from the conception of womb to the cremation ground, according to the
oriental view, they are sixteen in number, known as Sod&s Samskaras, the human
subject is protected from the evil influences through the proounciation of Mantras
as a part of certain ritualistic pattern of tradition.
Physical disorders and mental ailments also were considered as wrath of
supernatural power. For this they have worked out Mantric therapy, in which Mantra
is considered as having healing power. Does Mantra really contain such power ?
Apparently it looks as a collection of syllabus but in reality they are highly
potent but their prtency is latent. One has to charge the Mantra with his own inner
power for the desired results. But howto charge ? Or how to awaken the inner latent
power ? As we have seen both in the preface and in the introduction that Tantra
shows the way of expansion of inner power. But what Tantra is ? One may have
question . This chapter is chiefly devoted for the exposition of the Subtle and
sound meaning of Tantra and its related notions.
1. Lexica! and esoteric meaning of Tantra :
Many definitions have been give for the term 'Tantra', In the Samskrit lexicon the
term Tantra has used in many senses. This term is derived from the rooKtan means
'to spread out'.1 Bat what is to be spread out? It is the spreading out the
expansion of worldly and other worldly knowledge.2 Esoterically, the meaning.
expansion also represents the cultivation of latent physical and mental powers.
Now let us penetrate deeper into the very term and see what it represents ? The
term Tantra is a combination of two world namely, Tanoti and Trayate which stand
for expansion and liberation respectively. But what is to be expanded and what is
to be liberated ? Here it is an expansion of mind and liberation of energy. Let us
iliustrate this point.
Mind functions within a specific circle or limit, it work through the date give by
senses. We can see only those thgings which our optic system allows us to see. We
can not see behind the wall with naked eyes.There are also minute objects in the
world which we can not see through eyes because of its limitations. Like wise, we
can hear only those voices which come from the specific range. Same is the case
with all senses. This indicates that mind is dependent on sense stimuli and because
of this its experiences are very limited.
If we break the boundaries of mind, it can have infinite experiences of varied
types. Just now it is a slave of senses. If it comes out of the clutches of sense
organs, it can fiow every where and can enjoy desired experiences. This can happen
only after the expansion or liberation of mind from the clutches of sense organs.
Simultaneously, the modification of the powers of sense or the transformation of
senses through certain practice also expands the area of the functions of mind
infinitely.
How Tantra help in this regards ? Tantra sheds light on the way of expansion though
techniques (One of the meaning of Tantra is also technique). Tantra says that allow
your mind to move every where. Expand the area of mind.3 Mantra helps in this
regards. Its a vehicle for awakening the deeper forces lying within one self. A
sound is a wave which carries electrical vibration of en- ergy.The pronounciation
of Mantra gives a new dimension to consciousness which penetrates deeper into inner
recesses of mind.
For this, Tantra has also prescribed unique types of method of meditation. Tantra
is also meditation, but it is a meditation though symbols. These may be linguistic
syllables (Mantra) or geographical
figures (Yantra). Tantric way of dealing with mind is that, in which one has to
attend each and every thought as a mere witness or seer and not to suppress the
thought Give total independence one can come out from the boundaries of mind and
can expand the arena of mind because only unconditioned mind and can realise the
infinite. The observations of Dr. Lalan Prasad also leads us to this fact. In his
own words, Tantra Sadhana therefore means a spiritual path which leads to the
expansion of ones mental objectivity. Meanxs the arena of mental projection is
also increased. When a Sadhaka attains the projection of mental arena of 360. he
becomes one with the cosmic mind.4
This is about the former portion of the term Tantra, that is Tanyate. Now something
about the later portion of the term, that is Trayate. As we have seen, Trayate
stands for the meaning "liberation, We can liberate oniy those things which are in
bondage. ForTantra, Kundalini, the cosmic universal energy, lying dormant in human
body in the pelvic region orthe Muladhara cakra in coiled form is to be liberated.
If once the Sadhaka (practitioner) liberates this energy, he becomes the master of
all manifestations of energy because he has gripped the very source of energy. The
way of liberation is the very core of Tantra Sadhana.
The other meaning of Tantra is that which saves or protects.5 It saves the Sadhaka
from the wordly bondage by the constant meditation (Manana) of the Highest Reality
in the form of Mantra.6 It also protects Sadhaka trcm physical and mental ailments.
Thus it works as a Therapy. The Sabdakai padrum, a Samskrit dictionary also gives
the meaning of the term Tantra in which it declares Tantra as medicine and
doctrine.7
So Tantra saves Sadhaka both as knowledge and as therapy With the lamp of knowledge
it saves Sadhaka from the darkness of nescience and with the healing process it
protects him from physical and mental disorders. Hence it saves Sadhaka from both,
spiritual as well as psycho-somatic calamities. It is rightly remarked by Hastings
in the encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics That, it has been estimated that two-
thirds of Hindu religions and one-third of Hindu medicine is Tantric.3
In the meanings of Tantra, give by the Sabdakalpadruma, we have seen that, term
tantra also signifies the doctrine or system, (Siddhanta). So any philosophy can be
called Tantra. For instance, Samkhya tantra, Gautamiya Tantra etc. The great
vedantist Sree Samkaracharya has also used the term Vainasika Tantra for the
ksanabhangavada of the Buddhists.9
The term Agama is the synonyme of Tantra,10 The definition give by vhe Param
Samhita, a Vaisnava Tantra includes all Siva, Sakti and Visnu aspects. According to
it, Agama is that which comes from Siva goes to Parvati and is approved by
Vasudeva,11
With the help of such information, without having any hesitation, we can say that
Tantra is not a cheap literature of ghost and globin or a cult of black magic and
sorceries as it is so considered. Tantra is a process or method which leads Sadhaka
to the self-realization though the cultivation of inner forces. Here we close this
point with the mystic definition of Tantra given by Dr. Lalan Prasad Singh. "The
mystic definition of Tantra is that it is a spiritual cult which liberates from the
bondage of crudenessand ignorance.The word ta is the bija-Mantra {acoustic root) or
crudness. Tantra is a process of Sadhana which relieves one from the fetters of
crudeness (ta). Thus , Tantra is an intuitional science which stands for the
progressive realization of the Divine. It liberates one from the Cimmerian darkness
and leads into the divine effulgence. It is a path of Salvation. It is a science of
the soul. The authoritative definition of the Tantra, is that which brings
emancipation from the bondage of Maya (tatra ya ay at trayet yastu sa tantra
parikirtitah),"12
After having been acquainted with the meaning of Tantra one may be eager to know
about its antiquity or tradition. Now let us glance over its tradition.