Tantra: 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 Lord Brahma created the Vedas, Lord Shiva created the science of tantra. In today’s commercial world, when man is turning totally materialistic and therefore, becoming hollow from inside, leadingto a feeling of restlessness and lack of peace, he finds himself losing his potency. Even in youth, he is afflicted by diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure and depression. Herein enters Tantra, which has a solution for all types of modern- day woes. Tantra has an answer for all maladies as long as one follows the right path. 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 fulfill evil intentions. Mantra (chants) and yantra (instruments) hold distinct place in Tantra. It is possible to recite a mantra without the practice oftantra, but tantra cannot be practiced without a mantra. Yantra (instrument) is also associated with tantra. Therefore, yantra,mantra and tantra being interrelated, one could say that if mantra is seen as the very soul of the gods, yantra constitutes thebody 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. Today, 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. Misuse includes making a man unable to concentrate on completing his task, and good use is to make someone averse to evil company. Stambhan Karma: Stambhan signifies constraining or obstructing someone’s progress or activities. You must have often 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 employing this. It can also be mischievously used to cause misunderstanding or 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.Having pursued the lines printed above, you must have surely concluded that Tantra is meant to fulfill sagacious ends and not evil designs: it serves positive purposes and not negative intentions .Tantra meant for the good of someone yields good results. In the current times, the spells prescribed in the tantra system are supposed to be beneficial to the human good and are purported to yield rapid progress of one’s good work. They are the best for worship and yagnas (holy sacrifice).Hence ‘Tantra’ has found favor with many and has become famous in the recent times. Exactly the Ganges is the holiest of all rivers, the ocean is the most profound of all water bodies, as the Himalaya is the humblest of all mountains, tantra shastra is in comparison with other scripture, the one that fulfills all our wishes and is widely acclaimed. Viewed from the Vedic angle Tantra is just another part of the Vedas. It’s one of the sub-veda of arthrava Veda which is one of the four Vedas.