Book Title: Comparative Study of Mantrashastra
Author(s): Mohanlal Bhagwandas Jhaveri
Publisher: Sarabhai Manilal Nawab

Previous | Next

Page 65
________________ 56 INTRODUCTION Woodroffe at page 41 of "Shakti and Shakta" 2nd edition, says: "Thus it (Tantra Shastra) is the storehouse of Indian occultism. This occult side of the Tantras is of scientific importance, the more particularly having regard to the present revived interest in occultist study in the West. "New thought" as it is called and kindred movements are a form of Mantravidyä. Vashikaranam is hypnotism, fascination. There is "Spiritualism" and "Powers" in the Tantras and so forth. For myself, however, the philosophical and religious aspect of the Scripture is more important still. The Main question for the generality of men is not Power (Siddhi). Indeed the study of occultism and its practice has its dangers; and the pursuit of these powers is considered an obstacle to the attainment of that true Siddhi which is the end of every Shastra." Sir John Woodroffe says further that although worship of Shakti is in some of its essential features very ancient, it is yet, in its essentials, and in its developed form as known to-day, harmonious with some of the teachings of modern philosophy and science. It may be noted here that a large number of publications particularly in America and England on 'New Thought', 'Will Power', 'Vitalism', 'Creative Thought', 'Right Thought', 'Self Unfoldment', 'Secret of Achievement', 'Mental Therapeutics' and the like, embody principles which are essentially those of some forms of Shakti Sadhană both higher and lower. There are also books of disguised magic as how to control others (Vashikarana) by making them buy what they do not want, how to secure 'affection' and so forth which are in certain. respects on the same level as Shabara Tantra a lower class of book on Mantras, Shabara meaning Chandala the lowest of men. MAIN OBJECTIONS AGAINST TANTRAS There are two main objections on which it is said that the Tantras are un Vaidic. The first objection is 'Panchatattva' worship or worship with meat, wine, fish, grain and woman. The second is that they contain magic. Taking up the second objection first Sir John Woodroffe says: "Magic is not peculiar to the Tantras. It is to be found in plenty in the Atharvaveda. In fact the definition of Abhichåra is 'the Karma described in the Tantras and Atharvaveda'. Jain Education International 2010_03 For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376