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The Tantric religious sects with strange and conspicuous modes of thinking-parallel to the Vedic tradition-are the foundations of the special belief systems or cults devoted to the mother goddess-the archaic universal supreme principle. But still there are numerous attempts to postulate the Vedas as the authentic sources of all the knowledge systems and theoretical speculations which are of a later origin. Scholars supporting this view, opine that the Tantric concept of 艢补办迟颈 was evolved through the entire corpus of Vedic literature i.e., 厂补峁僪颈迟腻蝉, 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉, 膧谤补峁噛补办补蝉 and 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉. 

Sudhendu Kumar Das, strongly endorsing this position, argues that,

The 峁欢惫别诲补, the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 and the 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉 contain at any rate almost all the germs of later theological and philosophical speculations. Although the idea of one supreme 艢补办迟颈 as a distinct and full bodies theological principle evolving the inner and outer worlds of thought and reality in conjunction with a male counter-part either 艢颈惫补 or 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 as in the later schools of Kashmere 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘 or Bengal 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫颈蝉尘 is scarcely conceived in this literature, we can nevertheless trace the first origin of this tendency in the hymns of 峁欢惫别诲补, the contents of 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 and the 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉.^[1]

Further, refuting the suggestion of Earnst Arbman regarding this issue he also observes, 

Doubtless, the ideas of Indian folk religion exertedn, as Earnst Arbman suggests, a great influence in moulding the notion of 鈥榯he motherly divinities of the post-Vedic age especially in their demonic nature (cf. Arbman鈥檚 Rudra Upsala). But to deny altogether any connection of these 鈥榤other goddesses鈥� as Um膩, 顿耻谤驳腻, 笔补谤惫补迟墨, 尝补办峁�m墨 with old Vedic fertility goddesses such as 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨, Pura峁僤hi, Aditi, etc is perhaps equally unjustifiable.^[2]

In 峁欢惫别诲补, there are three similar ideas, which are possibly interconnected with 艢补办迟颈. They are (a) the powers and sharp weapons of the deities, (b) the power providing counterparts of male deities, and (c) the female principles or deities.^[3] All these correspondingly, are found mentioned in various portions of the Vedas. 艢补办迟颈 emerged as an unclear notion indicating the cosmic functions of the deities such as Indra, 痴补谤耻峁嘺 and Agni etc. About a dozen times, the term 艢补办迟颈 is mentioned in 峁欢惫别诲补 mostly related with Indra-the most powerful masculine deity.^[4]

A. McDonnel tells that,

Indra is of vast size, thus is said that he would be equal to the earth even if it were ten times as large as it is. His greatness and power are constantly dwelt on: neither gods nor men have attained to the limit of his might and no one like him is known among the gods.^[5]

It may be noted that the 艢补办迟颈 here does not possess any property belonging to one single deity; rather it was the power-provider of almost all the deities. It is referred to as the energy released by the Soma sacrifices, and also as the power of Soma himself.^[6]

Proclamation by a drunken one to Soma is as follows:

啶むさ 啶む�嵿く啷� 啶膏�嬥�� 啶多�曕�嵿い啶苦き啶苦ぐ啷嵿え啶苦�曕ぞ啶�啶距じ啷� 啶掂た 啶嬥ぃ啷嵿さ啶苦ぐ啷� 啶椸�冟い啷嵿じ啶膏�嵿く 啶掂��啶班ぞ 啶むさ啶膏�� 啶掂た 啶掂�� 啶�啶︵�� 啶掂�溹�嵿ぐ啶� 啶椸�嬥ぎ啶ㄠ�嵿い啶� 啶呧ざ啷嵿さ啶苦え啶� 啶掂た啶掂�曕�嵿し啶膏�� 啷�

tava tye soma 艣aktibhirnik膩m膩so vi 峁涐箛vire g峁泃sasya 惫墨谤腻 tavaso vi vo made 惫补箩谤补峁� 驳辞尘补苍迟补峁� 补艣惫颈苍补峁� 惫颈惫补办峁�a蝉别 |

(O Soma, through the energies of you, the intelligent one, the forceful one, the eager wise ones open the pen rich in livestock and horses. In intoxication this is what I wish to proclaim to you.)^[7]

Certain contexts, which give focus on the usage of 艢补办迟颈 as instruments or sharp weapons equated with Vajra etc. could also be found in 峁欢惫别诲补. 峁欢惫别诲补, X. 134. 3cd, explains about the aids or tools with which Indra killed 痴峁泃谤补. 

艢akvar墨s which are said to have connection with 艢补办迟颈 also are described as the weapon used by Indra;

啶むう啷嵿く啶︵ぞ啶�啶苦ぐ啷嵿さ啷冟い啷嵿ぐ啶�啶多�曕う啷嵿ぇ啶ㄠ�嵿い啷佮�� 啶むじ啷嵿ぎ啶距�氞�嵿�涏�曕�嵿さ啶班�嵿く啶� 啶多�曕�嵿い啶�啷� 啶灌た 啷�

tadyad膩bhirv峁泃rama艣akaddhantu峁� tasm膩cchakvarya岣� 艣aktayo hi |^[8]

In the earlier parts of Vedas, 艢补肠墨, instead of 艢补办迟颈, stands for Indra鈥檚 鈥渕eans鈥� and 鈥渕ate鈥�.^[9] 艢补肠墨pati is one Indraic compound which is most attractive and rarely interpreted as the indication of Indra鈥檚 marriage to 艢补肠墨. The common form of 艢补办迟颈 in 峁欢惫别诲补 is the force related with the Soma sacrifice moving towards Indra.^[10] Whereas in 峁欢惫别诲补 IV. 43. 3, the gods鈥� move towards 艢补办迟颈 rather than 艢补办迟颈鈥檚 movement towards 艢颈惫补 is described.

The sequence of the presentation of 艢补办迟颈 in aforementioned references shows the hierarchical positioning of feminine power in the Vedic stream. To be precise, the term under consideration with the meaning actually intented i. e., the feminine creative power, is found only in the later parts of Vedas. Therefore, there is a way further than the Vedas available about the historical origin of the concept of 艢补办迟颈. It is the well-known path of pre-Vedic tradition where the belief on feminine god was firmly established.

The history of mother goddess worship in India goes back to the pre-historic periods. Scholars are of the firm opinion that the worship of 艢补办迟颈 probably had started from the Indus valley mother worship. It was closely associated with the life of the aboriginal or cultic people rather than the Vedic orthopraxy society appeared in a later time.

Historical evidences-direct and symbolic-ensure the early existence of the divine mother.^[11] Tantrism-being the religion as well as thought, (with its various trends) was famous for the significant role played by 艢补办迟颈. This feminine principle governing and permeating the creation stands in a silently controversial and transcending position as regard to Vedism.^[12] So the appearance of 艢补办迟颈-the power in the feminine creative form-in the later portions (2nd to 9th 惭补峁囜笉补濒补蝉) of 峁欢惫别诲补 could be viewed as inevitable appropriation or forced inclusion of the cultic concept owing to certain social or cultural necessity.^[13]

Moreover, the close examination of the Vedic parallels of 艢补办迟颈 of course is of help to trace out some substantive condition for subsequent developments. But it necessarily tempts to repel back to earlier domains instead of supporting the totally accepted theories.

In spite of these reasonable contrasting claims are available, still the scholars generally are of interest to place Veda as the source 艢补办迟颈 concept. The conventional approach in this matter unvaryingly tries to establish the Vedic origin theory of Tantra, with the help of the later concepts of 艢补办迟颈. Being a Sanskrit form the very term 艢补办迟颈 itself shows a predisposition towards the Vedas. A close examination of the term would reveal that this argument is not tenable for it is construed on feeble reasons. In fact, the etymological study of the term 艢补办迟颈 is definitely of help to ascertain its pre-Vedic origin.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Sudhendu Kumar Das, 艢补办迟颈 or Divine Power, University of Calcutta, 1934, pp.6-7; Notably, Gerald James Larson holds the view that the 艢补办迟颈 is derived from the sources such as 艢补颈惫补 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉 and the 艢补颈惫腻驳补尘补蝉 鈥榯he sacred texts of 艢补颈惫补 tradition鈥�, 鈥淭he Source for 艢补办迟颈 in Abhinavagupta鈥檚 Kashmir 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘: Linguistic and Aesthetic Category鈥�, Philosophy East and West, Vol.24, No.1, 1974, p.45. The most relevant discussion is the interrelation between two parallel traditions called Veda and Tantra. For new conclusions, see Roar. B Jhones, 鈥淰edas and Tantras鈥�, www.integralworld.net, 2014.

[2]:

Sudhendu Kumar Das, Op.cit, p.41.

[3]:

Rosa Ronzitti states that, 鈥淭he 峁歡vedic Sakti appears as a multifaceted gem: ritual energy, Indraic power, means enabling the god and the believers to receive power and gifts respectively. 鈥� In V膩jasaney墨samhit膩, XI.57, 艢补办迟颈 is connected to the great mother Aditi (unanimously believed to be one of the oldest epiphanies of the 艢补办迟颈 in Indian culture.) and to her creative skills.鈥�: 鈥溑毑拱斐倬�: Indo-European Horizons and Indian Peculiarities鈥�, Revista Degli Studi Orientali, Vol.84, No.1- 4, p.327.

[4]:

Ibid., p.330.

[5]:

A. Mc Donell, A Vedic Reader for Students, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 2002, p.42.

[6]:

峁欢惫别诲补, I.83. 3;X. 25.5.

[7]:

Ibid., 25.5, see also Rosa Ronziti, Op.cit, p.333. Apart from the main stream deities, the deities like 惭腻峁囜笉奴办补 also have 艢补办迟颈s:鈥斺赌�yade峁Ｄ乵anyo anyasya 惫腻肠补峁� 艣膩ktasyeva vadati 艣ik峁�am膩峁嘺岣�sarve tade峁Ｄ� sam峁沝heva parva yatsuv膩co vadadhan膩dyapsu鈥� (When one of them repeats the speech of the other, as the learner that of his teacher, all that of them is in union like a lesson that eloquent ye repeat upon the waters.), 峁欢惫别诲补, VII. 103, A. McDonnel, Op.cit, pp.143- 144.

[8]:

Kau峁Ｄ玹ak墨br膩hma峁嘺, XXIII. 5. 23. Among 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉, 艢惫别迟腻艣惫补迟补谤补, is considered as having most prominent discussions on 艢补办迟颈.

[9]:

A. Mc Donnel, Op.cit, p.335.

[10]:

cf. 峁欢惫别诲补, I.83.3.

[11]:

N.N. Bhattacharya, Op. cit., passim.

[12]:

Rosa Ronzitti, Loc. cit.

[13]:

See, Chapter. 4, pp. 122-124 in this study.