Shakti and Shâkta : essays and addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra

SHAKTI AND SHAKTA

term but call themselves Shaktas, Shaivas and the like, of - whatever Sampradaya they happen to be.

Again Tantra is the name of only one class of Scripture followed by “ Tantriks.” There are others, namely, Nigamas, Agamas, Yamalas, Damaras, Uddishas, Kakshapfitas and so forth. None of these names are used to describe the adherents of these Shastras except, so far as I am aware, Agama in the use of the term Agamavadin, and Agamanta in the decriptive name of Agamanta Shaiva. I give later a list of these Scriptures as contained in the various Agamas. If we summarise them shortly under the term Tantra Shastra, or preferably Agama, then we have four main classes of Indian Scripture, namely, Veda (Samhita, Brahmana. Upanishad), Agama or Tantra Shastra, Purana, Smriti. Of these Shastras the authority of the Agama or Tantra Shastra has been denied in modern times. This view may be shown to be erroneous by reference to Shastras of admitted authority. It is spoken of as the Fifth Veda. Kulluka Bhatta the celebrated commentator on Manu says: “Shruti is twofold, Vaidik and Tantrik” (Vaidiki tantriki chaiva dvividha shrutih kirtita). This refers to the Mantra portion of the Agamas. In the Great Vaishnava Shastra, the Shrimad Bhagavata, Bhagavan says: “ My worship of the three kinds—Vaidik, Tantrik and Mixed (Mishra) and that, in Kaliyuga, Keshava is to be worshipped according to the injunction of Tantra.” The Devibhagavata speaks of the Tantra Shastra asa Vedanga. It is cited as authority in the Ashtavingshati Tattva of Raghunandana who prescribe for the worship of Durg& as before him had done Shridatta, Harinatha, Vidyadhara and many others. Some of these and other references are given in Mahamahopadhyaya Y4Adaveshvara Tarkaratna’s Tantrer Prachinatva in the Sahitya Samhita of Aswin 1317. The Tarapradipa and other Tantrik works say that in the Kaliyuga the Tantrika and not the Vaidika Dharma is to be followed. This objection about the late character and therefore