History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.68.1

v7.c92.68.1

The Hindu Tantra works present two sides, one philosophical and spiritual, the other popular, practical and more or less magical, which relies on mantras, mudrās, mandalas, *nyāsas*, *cakras* and *yantras* as physical means to realize one's identity with the Supreme Power or Energy by concentration and as conferring extraordinary powers on the devotee. This may be illustrated by reference to two typical tantras, the Śāradātilaka and the Mahānirvāṇa-tantra. The Mahānirvāṇa-tantra, though it speaks of the five makāras as means of *upāsanā* and though it states that when the great Tantra is understood, the Vedas, Purānas and śāstras are hardly¹⁷⁰⁶ of any use, puts forward the striking conception in IV. 34-47 that Parameśvara is one and to be described as *sat*, *cit* and *ānanda*, that He is one without a second, is beyond the *gunas* and is to be known from the Vedānta texts. It further on says that the best mantra is 'om sac-cidekam brahma' (III. 14), that those who perform the upāsanā of the Highest Brahma do not require other means of worship (sādhanā); by sticking to this mantra man becomes *brahma*. In the 4th chap. however, the Mahāparinirvāṇa starts by saying that Durgā is the highest prakrti of Paramātmā, she has various names such as Kālī, Bhuvaneśvarī, Bagalā, Bhairavī, Chhinnamastakā, that she is Sarasvatī, Laksmī and Śakti, that she assumes various forms for securing the purpose of her devotees and for the destruction of demons.