Shakti and Shâkta : essays and addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra

PRESS NOTICES

Introduction is like that to his translation of the Mahgnirvana—a very remarkable piece of work.’’—The Theosophist (Dr. F. O, Schrader),

“Mr, Arthur Avalon has rendered an unique service to humanity generally and the Indian people, in particular, in editing the Tantric Text series and in translating some thought provoking works on Tantra —For truly there is no more marvellous form of mystic Hinduism than the practical creed of the Tantric, ... English reader interested in mystic Hinduism will, we doubt not for a moment, cordially thank the translator and editor of the work for the intellectual and spiritual treasure associated therein for the first time. ... Mr. Avalon appears to have evidently been well acquainted with some of the best Tantrik Sadhakas of the day and has used his best endeavours to study his subject through the Indian eye of wisdom until his own has been trained to its angle of vision,’ —Kalpa,

“The merit of Mr. Avalon’s timely publication has become widely known by this time in India and outside: Nobody can deny that -his works have dispelled a mass of gloom that was hitherto enshrouding the Tautrik lore in the minds of the outside world and scholars have come to realise now that the religious history of the land would but be partially understood if no proper study be made of the Tantrik literature. ., Tantra embues this Power of Nature 7,e,, Nature Herself with a conscious soul and thus transfigures the whole life and creation as a manifestation of a living Power, self-conscious and self-sufficient. Unlike Vedanta, Tantra never views Maya or Prakriti as something separate and yet not separate from Brahman. It asserts that Brahman and its Shakti are one and the same when viewed from the standpoint of creation, It makes no hair splitting difference between Maya and Mayin. Making too much of this distinction without a difference has led to the degeneracy of the Vedantic cult in some quarters, Punjabi Vedanta has become a termof reproach, Such extreme view in the case of unfit persons cuts them away from the natural and safe moorings of worship and leaves them adrift in the chaos of Vichjra,”’

“The most curious of absurdities is the opinion which the Western Orientalist holds about Tantra. Devoid of all traditional culture of the land; untaught and unaided by any teacher; often in stupendous ignorance about the inner life of the people with a bit of sprattling knowledge of Sanskrit and the dry spirit of research, the Western Orientalist makes bold to open the treasure-house of the Hindu scriptures with the help of his premature science of philology. No wonder that he often puts in the wrong key and commits egregious blunders, And there are some in our

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