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Elements of the various Tantra rites are distinelly tracable to the Vedic times, though there is a great controversy among scholars of old as regards the question whether Tantra had a vedic origin or not. It is not only in the Atharvaveda one of the latest of the vedic samhitas that we meet these elements. They are to be found even in the earliest of the vedic works e.g. the Rigveda, also as in other parts of the vedic literature, Tantricism

as a system may not have been developed at that time. But many of the rites that went to constitute the system at a later time are found scattered in different parts of the Vedic literature in their crudest form. Of course many of the practices which were fully developed in the Tantras and Yoga philosophy are absent in the Vedic period. The elaborate rules concerning the regulation of breath and the high importance attached to it in yoga have scarcely any trace in the Vedas. Nor is there any clear reference in the Vedic literature to the various sitting and ritualistic postures mentioned in the Tantras. 17 In the opinion of the great scholar Bhaskaracharya, the Tantras came as a sequel to the upanisad section of the Vedas as the Sauta Sutra and Dharma Samhitas were to 18 the first portion of the vedic literature. The Tantric 19 Upanishads (e.g. Kaula, Rudra etc.) are supposed to maintain the direct connection of the Vedas with the Tantras. According to the Kularnava Tantra (II:10) even Kaula rites, which have been the object of criticism at the hands of various scholars, anfcient or modern, are represented as being the essence of the Vedas. In fact Kaulasastra has been described as Vedatmaka (II:85) or Vedic in spirit Vedio authorities are also cited (II 140-141) in justification of Kaula rites.

151 Attempts have been made to trace tantric mantras consisting of seemingly urmeaning monosyllabic sounds to the Vedas. 20 The practice of worshipping symbolical diagrams (Yantras, Cakras) of the tantras has also been traced in Vedas (e.g. Attha Maveda, Taittiriya Aranyaka) 21 Laksmidhara in his commentary on verse 32 of the Saundarya-Lahari of Sankara has quoted extracts from the Taittiriya Brahmana and Aranyaka and explained them as having reference to Srividya. 22 Even if one feels disinclined to set much value on the above views of the advocates of Tantricism as being biassed it must be admitted that any dis-interested scholar is sure to find at least some traces of tantricism in the Vedas. In fact the ground for the growth of tantricism was almost ready at the time of Vedas. The traces of the monosyllabic and seemingly urmeaning mantras on the importance of which Tantras lay. Definite emphasis are met within the Vedic literature, "The use of harsh words like 'phat', says Keith is mentioned possibly as early as the Rigveda. consists of words like 'khat', 'Phat', 'kat' etc. Phut is also found mentioned in the Vajasaneyi Samhita. 23 The charm The use of liquor for secrificial purposes in vedic times was not unknown. Spiritous liquor was offered in Sautramani sacrifice to Indra, Aswin and Sarasvati. 24

152 It was also used in Vajapeya sacrifice.25 Various were the animals sacrificed in vedic sacrifices. Man, horse, bull, ram and he-goat are mentioned in this connection. Horses were killed in the Asvamedha. It is curious that bulls that were held sacred in later times were not exempted. And these are known to have been sacrificed in the Gomedha and Sulagava. And the meat was taken at least in some cases at the end of the sacrifice. 26 Even provision was made for taking beaf.' Humans are said to have been killed alongwith other animals in the Sarvamed ha or All animals sacrifice. Self immolation was practised in the Sarva-yajna. Phallism is supposed by some as to be old as the Rigveda (vii.21,3,5) where the Asuras are referred to as Sisnadevas or those that regard phallus as deities. But the meaning of the term is not free from doubt.' 27 The beginning of the worship of female dieties the Sakti cult an important characteristic of the Tantra form of worship is also traced to the Vedas. Traces of the Sat-karmas of the Tantras are also distinctly met with in different parts of the Vedic literature. Two hymns of the Rigveda (X,145,159) explicitly refer to the practice of removing co-vives and thereby attaining supreme away over the husband. The Apastambha Grhya Sutra (IX 5-8,9) in explaining the application of these hymns has made this quite clear. Another hymn (Rg. X.162) is nothing but a curative spell intended to drive

153 away disease. Hymns like (1) 191 and (vii) 50 are charms which are intended to serve as antidotes against poison and those like VI: 52 and VII : 104 are charms which aim at putting away demons and have therefore rites of the Tantras. Such practices were also know at the times of the Vajasaneyi Samhita (VII:3), Katyayana Srauta Sutra (IX; 4,39) and Taittiriya Aranyaka (IV:27). The rites of the Atharvaveda more than those of any other veda have in many cases a close and striking similarity to those of the Tantras. The contents of the Atharvaveda are primarily magic, charm and secery, which also form not an insignificant part of the hymns of the Atharvaveda into fourteen classes in accordance with their subject matter, as also the applications of them as noted in the Kausika Sutra, reveal how a large portion of its contents has its analogue in the Tantras. Thus the abhicara, Strikarma, Samanasya, pausika and other sarcery rites which we get references in the Atharvaveda are quite common in the Tantras. The use of protective amulets also seem to have been quite popular at the time of the Atharvaveda (AV,ii 11, viii 5, x.6; Kausika Sutra 19,22-27; 42,22-43.1).