History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.194

v7.c92.194

The Śāradātilaka divides mantras into male, female and neuter; masculine mantras end in 'hum' and 'phaṭ', female mantras in 'svāhā' and neuter mantras end with 'namaḥ'. This is stretched further so as to apply to letters viz. the vowels ṛ r̄, ḷ l̄ are said to be neither and the rest are said to be not neuter but only short and long (Śāradātilaka, VI. 3 and Rāghavabhaṭṭa thereon). Śāradātilaka (from chap. VII to XXIII) is devoted to mantras of Sarasvatī, Lakṣmī, Bhuvanēśvarī, Tvaritā and others, Durgā,¹⁷⁸⁹ Tripurā, Gaṇapati, Candramas. Many of the mantras are to be repeated thousands of times or *lakhs* of times in order to secure full effect. For example, in X. 105-107 the Śāradātilaka prescribes that a certain mantra should be repeated five lakhs of times and then fifty thousand āhutis of ghee should be made and worship of the Devī with the procedure prescribed should be performed. The worshipper then secures whatever he may desire and can make kings sub-servient to his will Another noticeable feature is that the mantras are treated like the mantras of the Veda and mention is made in the manner of the Anukramaṇīs of the sage, the metre, the deity and the viniyoga (or purpose for which it is to be used or employed). Though the Śāradātilaka is a sober work free from the sexual practices of Vāmamārga, still it does contain mantras for magical purposes such as bringing women under control (IX. 103-104, X. 76),¹⁷⁹⁰ bringing about the paralysing or the death of an enemy by mantras (XI. 60-124, XXI. 95 XXII. 1 ff).