History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.182.2

v7.c92.182.2

The sounds thus produced are called *akṣaras* and when written they are spoken of as *varṇas* (*letters of the alphabet, mātṛkā*, which are 50 from *a* to *kṣa*). The impulse to sound production arising in mūlādhāra-cakra is called 'parā' (vāk),* it is called paśyantī when it reaches 'svādhiṣṭhāna-cakra, madhyamā in the heart and vaikharī in the mouth. Both akṣara and varṇa are Kuṇḍalinī made articulate in speech and visible in writing. All the *mantras* (some say they are nine crores) are evolved from the varṇas of the alphabet that are deemed (by Tāntrikas) to be living conscious sound powers. It is the bīja mantras like hrīm, śrīm, krīm that make visible the form of the Devatā (Mahānirvāṇa V. 18-19).¹⁷⁸³ It is wrong to suppose that mantras are mere letters or words or language. They assume different forms, such as bīja-mantras, kavaca, hṛdaya &c. The bījamantras like Hrīm (representing Tribhuvaneśvarī or Māyā), Śrīm (representing Lakṣmī), Krīm (representing Kālī) cannot possibly be called language, since they convey no meaning to ordinary men. They are the Devatā (Iṣṭadevatā of the *sādhaka*, the worshipper) imparted to the sādhaka by the qualified guru at the time of dīkṣā (initiation). They are not efficacious if merely learnt by reading books. A mantra according to Tāntrik works is the sound body of Śakti charged with the vibrations of the spiritual personality of the original Tāntrika seer of the mantra and endowed with a perpetual store of power by the Tāntrik seer.