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Tantra and Yantra are familiar words in Sanskrit. In my opinion Tantra is science and Yantra is an art. The former a knowledge鈥攁 艢腻蝉迟谤补, the latter a mechanical achievement, both are of hoary antiquity. While so many Tantras are available, the Yantras, as charts which stored up within their confines spiritual power, are also there in esoteric worship, but the Yantras鈥攖he mechanical contrivances are extinct altogether.

In the traditional list of sixty-four arts (vide commentary on 碍腻尘补蝉奴迟谤补 by 驰补艣辞诲丑补谤补) there is mentioned also a 碍补濒腻, called Yantra-尘腻迟谤颈办腻 on which the commentary says:

鈥淪aj墨v膩n膩m nirj墨v膩n膩m yantra峁嘺m, Y膩nodaka-sa峁噂r膩m膩rtham 艣膩stram, 痴颈艣惫补办补谤尘补-辫谤辞办迟补尘鈥�.

Dr. Acharya (H. A. I. and A. page 15) says (cf. 53. Yantra-尘腻迟谤颈办腻):

鈥淭he art of making monograms, logographs and diagrams. 驰补艣辞诲丑补谤补 attributes this to 痴颈艣惫补办补谤尘腻 and calls 骋丑补峁璦苍腻-艣膩stra (science of accidents)鈥�.

With due respect to the learned Doctor, I may submit my interpretation: The Yantras admit the three principal classes鈥攆irstly, the 驰腻苍补-yantras, conveyances like 痴颈尘腻苍补蝉 and chariots, secondly, the Udaka-yantra, water machines, pipes and showers technically called 痴腻谤颈-yantra and 顿丑腻谤腻-测补苍迟谤补 and thirdly, the machines of warfare (Sa峁単r膩m膩rtha). This interpretation fully fits with the broad categories of Yantras, the 厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补 has described, as we shall presently see.

Yantra-惫颈诲测腻 was applied art of Dhanur-惫颈诲测腻. Some of the weapons could not have been used without some mechanism attached to them. We know four classes of 艢补蝉迟谤补蝉鈥�Mukta, Amukta, 惭耻办迟腻尘耻办迟补 and Yantramukta. In the 厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补 weapons such as 颁腻辫补蝉 etc. 艢补迟补驳丑苍墨蝉 etc. U峁ａ弓ragr墨vas etc. are said to be operated upon by a Yantra only (厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补 31-108). The species of arrows like 狈补濒颈办腻 and B峁沨annalik膩 were also used by some mechanism akin to that of the modern guns. The science of Archery is full of such details.

In the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 there are clear and vivid descriptions of a good number of Yantras. e.g., 艢补蝉迟谤补蝉 (defending weapons), 腻蝉迟谤补蝉 (throwing weapons), bows and arrows equally terrible as the modern weapons e.g.:鈥�

The Astras 濒颈办别:鈥�

1. 膧驳苍别测腻蝉迟谤补鈥�(Fire-vomitter)
2. 滨苍诲谤腻蝉迟谤补鈥�(Anti-膧驳苍别测补鈥�rain-produccr).
3. Varu峁嚹乻tra鈥�(Producing terrible and violent storms),

And 艢补蝉迟谤补蝉 like 叠丑耻峁�u峁囜笉颈, 艢补迟补驳丑苍墨 and Sahasraghn墨, akin to the modern machine-guns, sten-guns and tanks, together with Yantras like Candrama峁噄 by the help of which water could be produced on the deserts鈥攃an not be under-estimated.

All this speaks of a great advancement in the science of warfare as well as the general advanced condition of the scientific knowledge in the times of 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补.

The mechanical achievements of the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, however, did shadow the Indians for a long time. There are innumerable references in the literature which speak of an unbroken chain of the mechanical skill in this country. All these references to the different and manifold varieties of Yantras have been ably worked out and presented in his 鈥榊antras or Mechanical Contrivances in Ancient India鈥� by Dr. V. Raghavan.

When the recorded literature speaks of the glorious heritage of these secular achievements, it must have undoubtedly formed the subject matter of discourse and discussion as well as enunciation of the norms and guiding principles for the artisans. Hence the 艢腻蝉迟谤补 and its Practice both must have been flourishing in those bygone days.

A good many works and the references thereof have been found and on their basis some hypothesis of glorious scientific heritage can be imagined. Moreover, some of the monuments, e.g., Iron Pillar of 础艣辞办补 near Kutub-Minar is a mystery even today. How without an aid, mechanical operation and device thereof, such a huge and weighty iron pillar could be made stand up and what was that mechanism in that simple age that even after more than two thousand years this has not contracted with rust.

Samar膩峁単a峁嘺鈥檚 chapter on Yantra is remarkable, not only for its treatment, but also for the help it gives, in formulating some opinion about this branch of knowledge. It hints at the unbroken tradition of the Yantra-gha峁璦n膩鈥攁 traditional skill (cf. 31.87) and remarks that the traditional training of this art is a matter not of record, but of oral transmission from generation to generation through the unbroken chain of the masters and the disciples. Moreover, like the spiritual Yantras, these Yantras should also be kept secret and unfolded only to the real 闯颈箩帽腻蝉耻, otherwise they do not bear fruition (31.79-80).