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MANTRAYANA VAJRAYANA EARLIER AND LATER TANTRISM
borne on the crown of another deity as one of five Dhyani Buddhas he may rightly infer that the particular deity is Buddhist. But one should not jump to such a conclusion merely because one deity bears another deity on the crown. The obvious reason is that in Jain pantheon also Lord Parshvanatha is borne on the crown by Padmavati in many representations and images. There is one other statement of Dr. B. Bhattacharyya in his Introduction to Sadhanamālā (page 33) which we think is unwarranted. For his statement that the Jains borrowed to a certain extent the worthless and immoral practices enjoined in the Tantras (i. e. Buddhist Tantras) and that they could not throw them off even when Buddhism was stamped out of India, the learned writer has not cited any authority. We have already mentioned that Jain Tantrism always remained free from Panchatattva worship. The learned writer proceeds further to attack all Sampradayas calling them organisations for feeding worthless and idle priesthood, and outcome of superstitious belief. He explains that it was so because the Tantric practices were attractive and the Indian people by nature superstitious. Elsewhere in his said article "Jain Iconography a brief survey" (published in 1936) he has stated:
"Such a varied and rich pantheon must necessarily presuppose the existence of widespread Tantric practices amongst the Jains."
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It would appear therefore that his said statement in Sadhanamālā about Jains borrowing worthless and immoral practices must be only a presumption. There being no such practices prevalent at any time amongst Jains, there is no question of their not being able to throw them off.
EARLIER AND LATER TANTRISM
In Sadhanamālā (Vol. I pp. 247 ff.) we would like to note there are Sadhanas of Janguli* for removing the effects of or preventing serpent-bites, which are in Dharani and Sangīti forms and ascribed
*
See Vividha Tirthakalpa, Śrävasti Nagarikalpa p. 70:-See Ibid p. 85.
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