Essay name: Devi Tantra, Mantra, Yantra (study)
Author:
Srider Basudevan Iyer
Affiliation: University of Mumbai / Sanskrit, University Department
This essay studies the history of Devi (the Goddess) in relation with worship using Tantra, Yantra and Mantra. The study explores the concept of the 'Female Principle' or Goddess, examining her role and significance in ancient Indian society.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
9 (of 55)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
chapter 1. Introduction Tr盲nam ca kurute yasm膩t tantram-iti-abhidheyase鲁. 9 This definition has two roots
1) tanto increase and 2) trai = to protect, to save.
* The Mah膩bh膩峁a (1.4.54.) defines tantra as
Ayam tantra-艣abdho-ast-ieva vitane vartate
Tad-yath膩stern膩ma tantram proktam tantram-iti.
Here tantra is used in the sense of holding and stretching.
* In the Caraka-Samhit膩, tantra as a scientific work has the following
equivalents':
滨帽补
Tatra-ayurvedah 艣膩kha vidy膩 s奴tram gnyanam sastram lak峁峁嘺m
tantram-ityan-arthantaram.
* The Kavya-M墨m膩msa of R膩ja艣ekara states that, tantra is one of the
four sastras-
Pauru峁yam tu pur膩峁嘺m anvek峁k墨 m墨m膩ms膩, smrti-tantram-iti catv膩ri
艣腻蝉迟谤腻峁噄.
* Gautama in his Ny膩ya-dar艣ana says,
Tantr盲dhikara峁嘺-abhi-up膩gama-sansthiti siddhanta.
Woodroffe John, Sakti and Sakta Madras-1951; p.55
CS. XXX.39.
