A Religious Ritual As Well As A Science

What is the meaning of the word tantra? The word is composed of two words, tan (body) and tra (to control). It effectively means subjugating a person or element to one’s advantage.The Sanskrit verse tanyate gyan manain iti tantram defines tantra as a scripture whose study will enhance one’s knowledge. It’s a science propagated by the sages of yore for the overall benefit of mankind. Just as Brahma created the Vedas, Shiva created tantra.The science of tantra consists of two methods: rightist and leftist. The rightist is a method that entails simple and pure actions and is followed for the success of good intentions, whereas the leftist is employed to fulfil evil intentions.Mantra or chants and yantra (instruments) hold distinct place in tantra. It is possible to recite a mantra without the practice of tantra, but tantra cannot be practised without a mantra. Yantra (instrument) is also associated with tantra. Therefore, yantra, mantra and tantra are interrelated. If mantra is the very soul of the gods, yantra constitutes the body of the gods. Yantra comprises an amalgamation of various figures, lines, points, numerals and characters.Tantra consists of shat karma, or the six ritualistic acts: It consists of Akarshan karma (attraction), Vashikaran karma (hypnosis), Uchchatan karma (causing aversion), Stambhan karma (obstructing), Vidveshan karma (causing conflict) and Maran karma (obliterating).Akarshan Karma: It means to fascinate and to attract. It is widely used to infatuate the opposite sex with sinful design. In ancient times, this spell was used for purposes such as calling forth a lost horse belonging to a king or persuading someone who has run away from home, to return.Vashikaran Karma: It means to subject someone else to one’s own will. This karma is wrongly used to overpower someone and to influence him mentally, whereas positive uses include reforming a person who has gone astray.Uchchatan Karma: This karma causes aversion in a human being. It can be misused by making a man unable to concentrate on completing his task. It also helps in making someone averse to bad company.Stambhan Karma: Stambhan signifies constraining or obstructing someone’s progress or activities. You must have heard people say that they have been hedged in and that their efforts have been thwarted. This is a negative example of this karma whereas the same can be harnessed to curb a fire from spreading or to contain the flow of flooding water.Vidveshan Karma: As the name suggests, this karma aims at causing friction between two partners. The negative aspect of this karma is that if someone is jealous of a couple’s amity, they can cause friction between the couple by using this ritual. It can also be mischievously used to cause misunderstanding or for creating discord between two business partners for one’s own selfish ends. Positively used, this karma can be employed to reform a child and bring him back to good company if he has gone astray.Maran Karma: As the name suggests, this karma is used to kill someone. In modern times, this ritual is strictly prohibited. But in ancient times, it was deployed during wars.Follow Chamunda Swami on speakingtree.in