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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00090 Apr 2003

 
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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






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