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INTRODUCTION
आथर्वणे महावेदे चार्वाक गारुडेऽपि च ॥ इत्येतदागमोक्तं च वक्त्राद्वक्त्रण यच्छ्रतम् ।। तत्सर्व समुद्धत्य दध्नो घृतमिवादरात् ।
साधकानां हितार्थाय मन्त्रखण्डमिहोच्यते ॥ If the work Kakşapuța said to have been composed by Nāgārjuna is the same as the one published and there is none other known-the evidence seems to be conclusive as to the priority of Hindu Tāntrikas and the indebtedness of Buddhist Tāntrikas to the former,
MANJUŚRİMÜLAKALPA Even stronger evidence is furnished by Manjūshrimülakalpa of the ancientness of the Hindu Tantras and Mantras.
Dr. B. Bhattachāryya says about this work in his Introduction to Guhyasamāja that it treats of the Māntric texts of Manjushri Kumārabhūta several times designated therein as Kārttikeya. He is introduced with several Saiva but non-Tântric deities'. It contains practices for obtaining long life, health and happiness and all desired objects. It is in the form of a Sangiti and includes dialogues between Sākyamuni and Kumāra Manjushrī interspersed with querries by the Assembly of the Faithful. He further says: "This work is very important for the history of the development of Tântric ideals, tenets and practices, and provides a landmark in the process of their developments. In this work which has been rightly styled by Dr. Winternitz as a Tântric work we find mention of a large number of gods and goddesses, several ancient works...... a large number of Mudrās, and descriptions of Mandalas with special directions for painting them and innumerable rites for attaining Siddhis or perfections."
"The names of Amitāyus, Amitābha, Locană, Ratnaketu, Vajrapāņi, Avalokiteśvara, Māmaki, Ratnapāņi, etc. are mentioned but not in a systematic form,"
He considers the date of this work to be cir. 200 A. D. It is the earliest available work of Buddhist Mantrayāna.
We do not know why the Saiva deities found in the work are said to be non-Tántric. Kārttikeya alias Skanda himself is a Tāntric deity and so is Siva.
Further there are specific references to Saiva Vaişņava and
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