Fwd: [sv-rituals] Difference between Mantram and Tantram

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI Murthy:

 

You had asked about " the differences

between Manthram and Tanthram " and

the vedic sanctions for the use of Tantric

rites at Kerala temples. Nigama (vedam )

and Aagama/Tanthra are allied .

 

Here are some abbreviated inputs on this subject of

interest to you:

 

There are three topics : Mantram, Yantram and Tantram .

You have mentioned Mantram and Tantram . Usually , Tantram

is linked up with Aagamam. Aagamam and Tantram are synonymous

to many practioners .

 

This subject is VAST . Hence I will comment only

very briefly:

 

** Mantra is the sound form of the God , who is being

invoked during Saadhana /UpAsana. The name originates from

the root " Mann " to think or reflect . Mantra is therfore

a thought based expression of the Lord's power & glory

through DhyAnam /Japam. One has to be initiated in to appropriate

ManthrAs by a SadAchAryan. For VaishNavAs , Moola

Manthram (AshtAkshari) and Dhvayam are the most crucial.

Gayathri Manthram is another powerful manthram for

worshipping/meditating Gayathri Devi during SandhyAs .

NrusimhAnushtup is for invoking Lord Narasimhan.

Every manthra is made up of AksharAs or BheejAksharAs

( letters or seed alphabets) arranged in a particular

sequence and often recited with a Vedic Chandas .Manthra

Japam lifts one to higher and higher planes leading up to

infinite bliss and salvation ultimately.Manthrams are

used to perform Yaj~nams and Homams .Sudarsana Homam

is a classic case of Homam that uses powerful

Manthrams including Sudarsana Manthram.

 

** Atharva Vedam is the original source book for

all Mantra texts such as Prapancha Saara , Saradaa Tilakam

and Mantra MahOdadhi.

 

** YantrA is the diagramatic representation of

the manthra for the BhAhyA aarAdhanam (External

worship ).Manthra SaasthrAs describe the way to

draw the YanthrAs . At temples , you will find

specific YanthrAs drawn on copper plates and placed

inside the sanctum sanctorium. Yanthrams can be

represented in two dimensional form and occasionally

in the three dimensional form .

 

** Tantra and Aagama as mentioned before are linked

in usage. Aagama and Nigama (Vedams) are cited often as

the two pillars of Hindu religion. Aagama and Tantra are

closely linked to VedAs. Both Aagama and Tantra deal with

temple worship ( of deities) , consecration of deities,

construction of the temple , conductance of Uthsavams ,

the making of the deities, the daily routine of worship

at the temples , the Hastha MudrAs in offering UpachAram,

the types of musical instruments during the different

stages of worship et al. For VaishNavAs , there are two Aagamams :

PaancharAthra and VaikAnasa . Both are equal in importance .

The most famous temples using VaikAnasa Aaagamam are

Thirumala, ThiruviNNagar, ThiruvahIndhrapuram .

The most famous temples following PaancharAthra Aagamam are

SrIrangam , Kaanchi VaradarAja temple.

 

To practise Vaikaanasa aagama , one must be born in to

a VaikAnasa family.This strictness does not apply to

PaancharAthram.Once a temple and its deities are consecrated

in PaancharAthra aagamam ,it is not permitted to shift

the worship to VaikAnasam and vice versa.

 

In some USA temples , this rule is not observed over time .

Most of them however maintain the worship with the same aagamam

that was used during the time of consecration.The Pomona

Temple for Lord RanganAtha follows the PaancharAthra Aagamic worship.

 

** KeraLa temples typically use Taantric method of worship.

Tantra has been defined as " that which gives a lot of

attainments with meaningful practises and spells and

that which affords emancipation " . If VedAs and Upanishads

instruct us on UpAsana of Brahman , the TantrAs and AagamAs

provide the details of the practise of that UpAsana.

 

** In KeraLa , Bhagavathi worship is common and many times

one finds the statue of Bhagavathi even inside tmany VishNu

temples. One can speculate whether the adaptation of tantric

form of worship originated from popular Bhagavathi worship.

 

** The contents of TantrA or Aagama work has 7 parts:

(1) Srushti /Creation (2) PraLaya (Deluge) (3)AarAdhana/

worship (4)Saadhana/Practise (5)Purascharya/process ,

(6)Shatkarma saadhana/six fold performance and (7) DhyAna/

meditation.The tantrAs and AagamAs thus deal with practises ,

processes , mantrAs , mudhrAs, rituals associated with

the worship of ArchA Moorthys.There is also a four way

classification of the AagamAs : Charya, Kriya, Yogam and

Jn~Anam.

 

** There are VishNavite AagamAs (2) Siva AagamAs(28),

Saakta Aagamaas/TantrAs(64) et al. For worship at

VaishNavite homes and temples , PaancharAthra and

VaikAnasa Aagamams are exclusively used except in

the case of VishNu Temples of KeraLa , where tantric

rites are used (GuruvAyoor et al ).

 

We are in the middle of creating a special Web site for

VaikAnasa Aagamic rites with the active particpation of

a senior VaikAnasa Aaagama Scholar . Hopefully , it will come

in to being before the end of the year 2003 as part of

the ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam and

the Updating of our Thirumala Web pages .

 

NamO NaarAyaNAya,

V.Sadagopan

 

 

 

 

 

At 08:26 AM 4/24/03 -0000, you wrote:

>Dear Divine Souls,

>

>I know here people are highly intellectuals. I beg you to answer my

>query. What is the difference between Mantram and Tantram. We all

>know when we do chant Mantrams many Keralites follow Tantram system.

>Is there any major difference. How it was determined in Vedas that

>some people should follow Mantra and some people should follow Tantra.

>

>Kindly clarify

>

>Murthy