HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - Part 72

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HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - WHY DO WE FOLLOW THOSE?

Tantra Tantra is composed of two words, i.e.tan and tra which implies that through sadhana and pooja one can mould nature and God according to one's desires. Tantra is a sadhana, a method, a technique or a path that is available in all religions. Tantras are deeply associated with the mantras. Without mantras tantra cannot be successful. Both are practiced simultaneously to achieve success in tantra. Tantra is not a religion but is a sadhana, a shastra, consisting of religion's treatise compiled by Lord Shiva containing mystical formulae for the attainment of supernatural powers. Mantras are continually whispered by a tantrik while performing the rituals as they help to energise tantras for

specific purposes. The mantras produce appropriate vibrations within a psychic field. Besides mantra the asana is also closely related to tantra. Asana is actually a step by step dissolution of the body into the subtle elements, a process of gradual involution whereby the body is identified with the sense of smell, water with taste, fire with vision, air with touch, ether with sound. These five elements are merged one by one into their sources with potentials of energies and ultimately ego is dissolved into mahat, the great one. Sahkti or pure consciousness is constantly coming down in a shower on human beings, but on account of cosmic bombardment, it is immediately transformed and diffused throught the body. In reuniting Shiva shakti, the adept can reach out and enjoy the benefits falling from the sahastara chakra, the centre of communication directly between the individual and infinite consciousness above. It is also stressed that all the rituals should be performed under the guidance of the Guru. Various kind of initiation by a Guru are mentioned in Tantra sastras. They are sakti, sambhabi, mantri, anabi, kriyabati, barnamoyee, kalatma, bidhanmdya, etc. Despite different kinds of initiation, all produce the same effect and lead to liberation from bondage. The Origin and History of Tantra The word "Tantra" comes from the root tan, to "extend", "continue", multiply". "Tantra" means "what extends knowledge" Some Indian pandits and Western scholars argue that Tantra constitutes the continuation of the original Indian aboriginal tradition (especially the Dravidian), which predates the coming of the Indo-European Aryan invaders and their Vedic religion (2nd millenium b.c.e.). According to this theory, the ritualistic Vedism and the yogic-mystical aboriginal tradition co-existed independently for some time. But the Aryan political takeover, and intermarriage with the native population, resulted in the Dravidian religion being assimilated into the Vedic the result of the merger being the mystical Hinduism of the Upanishads. Growing out of this yogic tradition, Tantra appears in provinces that had not been strongly vedicised: e.g. the Northwest, Bengal , and the South (Eliade, Ibid p.201) in the fourth century of the common era. Within the space of a few centuries it had attained pan-Indian inflence. A number of distinct and independent branches developed, so that one can speak of Mahayana Buddhist tantrism (Tibetan Vajrayana, "adamantine vehicle", and Japanese Shingon "Mantra teaching") Shaivite tantrism (in Kashmir, emphasising the monistic Vedantic perspective), Natha tantrism (a hybrid Shaivite yogic movement), Shakta tantra (in Bengal, emphasising the chakras, kundalini, and occult practices), cosmological tantrism (the Pancharatra movement), Jain tantrism, and even Vaishvana

tantrism (among devotees of Vishnu and Krishna). Division Of Tantra Tantra is a shastra which indicates ways to bring people and situations under one's control through sadhana. Sadhana shastra contains the various methods of sadhana which can be divided into 5 parts. 1. Pattal : This part details the importance, of jaap for desires, homa, mantra and homa articles for a particular Deva or Deity. Use of mantras if any are also indicated in this. 2. Paddati : The methods of sadhana indicated in this part, includes the methods of taking bath from morning to puja jaap mantra, their use and methods of sadhana for particular occassions. 3. Kawach : The method which we adopt to appease each devta through their names and pray for protection is known as kawach. It is a way through which siddhi of devtas is obtained. Kawach is used after japa. Talismans are made through it and clothes etc. can also be infused for use in tantra. 4. Sahastra Nam : It implies to thousand names. The verses contains thousand names of the devta for which pooja is performed. It indicates the various details of different deities, etc. Specific mantras for siddhi of these deities are detailed therein. 5. Stotra : They are the verses of pooja, prayer of deities. Also methods are indicated for use of mantra, method of making yantras, use of medicines, and other details have been provided in the stotras. Yoga And Tantra The yoga comes from the sanskrit word 'Yoj' which means to unite, to synthesise i.e. it's ultimate aim is to join oneself with the universal self. But the self is not gained by a weak body. Hence the principal aim of haath yoga is to build a healthy body and train the mind. Yog being another technique of transformation is an important part of tantra. Yoga used in tantra is based more or less on the haath yog with extra dimension. The bodily attitudes, contractions and pressures which make haath yog are designed to specifically work upon the inner mechanism of the human body. To perform haath yoga without doing inner work on the subtle body is a pointless execise from the tantra point of view, though it may help the outer body's health and stamina. A person practicing haath yoga

will easily recognise the relations between it's pulls, twists, contractions, pressures and various centres of the subtle body. Herbal Plants In Tantra Tantra deals with the medicinal and other uses of plants. This is called 'Kalpa Tantra'.Some of the important plants are Vajara Danti : The plant is well known as its roots are used for cleaning the teeth. It is a herbal plant with a great medicinal and tantric value. If the root or skin is kept between teeth for 21 days, the teeth become strong. If milk of roots is taken in, it increases the semen. If drunk for 21 days, one is cured of all diseases. Flowers of sesame, with lotus flowers and juice of leaves of this plant, in equal quantities should be mixed and warmed in the sesame oil. The oil must be used for 7 days, the hair becomes thick and black. Aam Tari : This plant is found around Dehra Dun and in the Lal Tiba area of Mussorie. It is barely four or five feet in height and has small leaves, which shine during the night. Its leaves dipped in water for three days and then ground to a paste, if applied on the face, hands and body all wrinkles will go and one will look young. Black turmeric : It is known as Kali Haldi and is used in Tantrik Sadhana. This plant is found around the Narbada river in Madhya Pradesh, in Makwan Pur Dist of Nepal , and in the plains of Vastor. Danwantri : The plant is available in Jammu-Kashmir area and being called as Dhanuri by the local people. The plant is about three feet in height and its growth is about two feet. This plant shines and twinkles like a fire during the night. Its leaves are pointed and some thorns are found with its roots. The trunk, leaves and its roots are very valuable and are used to cure many diseases. One does not feel hunger and thirst for 24 hours if one takes just one leaf.Fresh leaves made into a powder if taken with milk cures eye diseases. Its root if mixed in vegetables and cooked removes the blackish hues from the body and face. The powder of its root processed through calcination, if applied as a paste removes the black colour of the body and a new good colour of body appears and one looks beautiful. One becomes lean if its roots are taken, weight is also reduced by this plant. Dry its leaves in the shade and make a powder. This powder when mixed with honey and taken for a week removes sexual incompatibility. For ladies, the plant acts like magic. The powder if taken by them for a month makes them beautiful and the body becomes lean and attractive. If its root is cooked with dal, and taken for 15 days, it clears the skin of blemishes and body becomes attractive. The powder of its root mixed with hair oil and if rubbed on the hair, removes white hair and leads to a luxuriant growth. The juice if applied on the face for three days removes all marks

of small pox and the face becomes clear. Dev Adali :The juice of this plant with an equal amount of amalaka juice and twice the amount of ghee is taken in an iron vessel and slightly heated with dried stems of amalaka. It may be taken twice a day. Milk or milk and rice should be taken. This cures epilepsy, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Rheumatic diseases. If a pinch of Devadali and mustard is taken with ghee and water from Oudumbar (wild Fig tree) diseases of liver and spleen, Fistula, Jaundice and anaemia are cured. If the powder is taken with the powder of aswagandha and ghee,it gives man a long life. Tantra is not for Tantrics only There is a misconception among many that tantra is used by Tantrics only through the medium of sex and other objectionable means. This is not true. Tantra is used in every aspect of Hindu worship. What we see in Tantricism is an extreme form of tantra where the body and the mind are allowed to express themselves freely under the supervision of an enlightened master to come to terms with them and achieve complete mastery over them. But tantra in its milder and normal forms can be seen in action in everyday life. For example the Yoga of Patanjali, is a kind of tantra only, where we aim to achieve bodily control through certain physical postures and mind control techniques. The simple use of tantra in an ordinary householder regular worship include the use of certain bodily postures like prostrating before the deity, the lotus position, & nbsp; the folding of hands in front of the deity, purification of the body through fasting and bathing, concentration of the mind on the image, breathing practices, thought control through inner detachment, detachment of the body and the mind through devotion and so on. In pure devotional forms of worship, the body and the mind are offered to God as an act of supreme sacrifice and inner detachment, thereby allowing the divine forces to descend and do their work of inner purification and transformation. In a complicated Vedic ritual also we can see the use of tantra more or less in a similar & nbsp; manner. A Vedic ritual bears no fruit the body and mind of the performer are not geared to participate in the ritual with the required degree of purity and sincerity. All the chanting of the mantras comes to naught and the divinity or the divinities would remain inactive if these two are not in harmony with the objective of the entire ritual. A Hotr priest or Adhvaryu priests have to maintain utmost purity and observe certain discipline before performing the rituals.

dil se,

 

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