Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c75.s3.14

v2.c75.s3.14

This conception of Vajra too was not of an easy comprehension for the masses and so the position of the priests, the Vajrāchāryas became very much magnified. The Dhāraṇīs were composed for the recitation of the masses to obtain merit. These Dhāraṇīs were later on shortened into mantras and Vajramantras all meaningless to the multitude; but one thing was a solace to them, it was the origination of the manifold deities from these mantras, the Vījamantras. ‘The votaries’ says Bhattacharya, ‘who could not worship their gods in accordance with the prescribed procedure (Sādhanā) were, promised by the gurus perfection only through the muttering of the mantras.’ Later on the falling upon the Tantras, their ritual and practice was a natural consequence which in the hands of these uninitiated and sophisticated priests and the public alike brought the populer Buddhism to the level of very thinly-vield ‘Kāmaśāstra’. With all their faults the Vajrayānists did contribute towards the evolution of a popular Buddhism which has left a legacy of rich, varied and extensive pantheon, on the fascinating foundation of which, Buddhist iconography and its art flourished in India especially in Tibet. The puerly Tāntric gods were invariably accompanied with their Śaktis, who in sculpture take four positions—a separate seat or the same seat or the lap of their consorts or they are in actual embrace. The more sobre amongst the Tāntrikas adopted the first three positions, while the last was the be all and end all of those who stood for thorough-going form of worship of their gods in the embrace, in union with the Śaktis, or as the Tibetans describe it in yab-yum.