New History Of Tantric Lieterature In India

SR No.: 269595
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong
Total Pages: 23
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 3 MB

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J. W. de Jong ter I of the Pañcakrama. Another commentary, the Vajrajapatika. does not explain the verses quoted in chapter 1 from the Samdhivyakaranatantra, but only explains the mantra syllables om, aḥ and hūm (cf. Pañcakrama I, 42—43). The original text of the first chapter of the Pancakrama must have been expanded later by several quotations from the Samdhivyakaranatantra (12—13), the Vajramalatantra (16-18 and 24), the Advayasamatāvijaya (59—66), etc., The 68th chapter of the Vajramālatantra must have been composed after the Pancakrama. Although the Ākhyānatantras are generally considered more authoritative than sadhana-s and commentaries, this example shows how an Akhyanatantra is fabricated in order to legitimise the teachings of an already existing sadhana text.
In the next subsection (IV. 3. 5) M. examines the relation of the Vajrajnanasamuccayatantra (V.) with the Pancakrama and the Pradipoddyotana. In explaining the three jñana-s, V. is less complete than the Pañcakrama and does not mention all the original forms (praksti) found in the Pañcakrama. However, this does not mean that V. is later than the Pancakrama. The author of V. must have known the complete system of the Pancakrama. He mentions only some representative prakrti-s and refers to the others by adding 'etc.'. The second chapter of the Pancakrama deals with the three jñāna-s but does not quote V. V. must have been composed after the Pancakraта.
The Pradipoddyotana is based upon the sādhana system of the Phags-lugs as found in the Piņņikstasādhana, the Pancakrama, etc. It was therefore composed in a later period. The main theme of the Pradipoddyotana is the group of seven alamkara-s. In the first half of V., the most important of these seven, the third and fourth, are explained, and the names of all seven and their subdivisions are found in the second half of y. However, V. is never quoted by name in the Pradipodd yotana. V. is a very brief text containing only four and a half leaves. The explanations of the third and fourth alamkara-s in the first half of V. are found to be incomplete when compared with the explanations found in the Pradipoddyotana. The second half of V. is more detailed than the Pradipoddyotana with regard to the names of the seven alamhara-s and their subdivisions. The first chapter of V. has no colophon but the second chapter contains a colophon. The second chapter must have been added later, which lead to the omission of the colophon of the first chapter. It is obvious that the first half of V. was composed before the Pradipodd yotana. However, the first half of V. did not contain a detailed explanation of the seven alamkara-s, and for this reason the second half was later added. This part must have been composed after the Pradipoddyotana was written. The first half of V. was composed not long before the Pradipoddyotana and this ex