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Mantra marga is one of the two main sects of Shaivism while the other one is being "Atimarga". [1] Although it is believed that Atimarga precedes Mantramarga, there are so many contemporary evidences available for both sects. Mantra marga became more popular than ATI marga in its nature which focuses on social and worldwide temporal philosophy. [2]
The term Mantra marga means the entire Tantric paradigm of ritual worship and meditation. Clear evidences say that Mantra marga became popular in the end of the 6th century CE. [3] South Indian Agamas are believed to be composed no later than 5th century CE. [4] "Nisvasa" series of Agamas has been composed initially in the Mantra margic treatise between 450 - 500 CE. [3]
Mantra margic texts describe the construction of temples, ruling of the countries in Shaivite supervising, and social and spiritual responsibility in Shaivite perspectives. They swear reciting mantras can be used to control the thread of enemies and natural catastrophes. Mantra marga spread vigorously until the 11th century CE and cause the establishment of great empires even in south-east Asia such as Anghor and Majapahit. [5]
Mantra marga is classified into two schools, Saiddhantika and Non - saiddhantika respectively. Saiddhantika sect is South Indian Tamil Siddhantism. It praises Sadasiva as its supreme deity. Kirana, Kalottara and Mrigendra are the few agamas that emerged from North India though several sivagamas including Karana, Kamika has been produced in South land. The ritual for royal coronation explained in the siddhantic agamas indicate their significance among kings. [3]
Non - saiddhantika is a group of many sects worshiping Bhairava as their supreme deity. These sects are mostly identified today with Kashmir Shaivism. [6] Researchers assume with the liturgical testimonies that the Shaktism could be developed from Non - saiddhantic mantra marga. [7] [8] Following list gives a brief introduction on Non - saiddhantika schools of Mantra margic Shaivism.
Sinchini Tantra explains that the last four sects are Shaktist branches. But Kubjika and Trika are considered as Shaivite sects nowadays. [4]
Tantra are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed in India from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term tantra, in the Indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly applicable "text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice". A key feature of these traditions is the use of mantras, and thus they are commonly referred to as Mantramārga in Hinduism or Mantrayāna and Guhyamantra in Buddhism.
Vajrayāna along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism are names referring to Buddhist traditions associated with Tantra and "Secret Mantra", which developed in the medieval Indian subcontinent and spread to Tibet, East Asia, Mongolia and other Himalayan states.
Shaivism is one of the major Hindu traditions that worships Shiva, also called Rudra, as the Supreme Being. Shiva is the most popular god among Hindus followed by Hanuman, Ganesha and Rama. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga-oriented monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism. It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology.
Tantras refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. The religious culture of the Tantras is essentially Hindu, and Buddhist Tantric material can be shown to have been derived from Hindu sources. And although Hindu and Buddhist Tantra have many similarities from the outside, they do have some clear distinctions. The rest of this article deals with Hindu Tantra. Buddhist Tantras are described in the article on Buddhist Tantras.
Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite deity worshiped by Hindus. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system Bhairava represents Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman. Generally in Hinduism, Bhairava is also called Dandapani, as he holds a rod or Danda to punish sinners, and Swaswa, meaning "whose vehicle is a dog". In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is considered a fierce emanation of boddhisatva Mañjuśrī, and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava, and Yamantaka.
Abhinavagupta was a philosopher, mystic and aesthetician from Kashmir. He was also considered an influential musician, poet, dramatist, exegete, theologian, and logician – a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture.
Parashakti or Parā is one of the three chief goddesses in Trika system of Kashmir Shaivism along with Aparā and Parparā. In Siddhantic perspective, Parashakti is the counterpart of Paramshiva. Paramshiva is used to describe the ultimate form of Shiva. Parashakti is the power of this primordial Shiva, who is emanated by Paramshiva. Adi Parashakti is used to describe the ultimate form of Parvati. Parashakti is all-pervasive, pure consciousness, power and primal substance of all that exists and it has Mahamaya-form unlike Parashiva which is formless. A Parashakti as the supreme being of puranic Shaktism and of Sri Vidya obtained the name Adi Parashakti and Maheshvari-Devi.
Kashmir Shaivism, or Trika Shaivism, is a nondualist tradition of Shaiva-Shakta Tantra which originated sometime after 850 CE. Since this tradition originated in Kashmir it is often called "Kashmiri Shaivism". It later went on to become a pan-Indian movement termed "Trika" by its great exegete, Abhinavagupta, and particularly flourished in Orissa and Maharashtra. Defining features of the Trika tradition are its idealistic and monistic Pratyabhijna ("Recognition") philosophical system, propounded by Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, and the centrality of the three goddesses Parā, Parāparā, and Aparā.
The Cakrasaṃvara Tantra is an influential Buddhist Tantra. It is roughly dated to the late eight or early ninth century by David B. Gray. The full title in the Sanskrit manuscript used by Gray's translation is: Great King of Yoginī Tantras called the Śrī Cakrasaṃvara (Śrīcakrasaṃvara-nāma-mahayoginī-tantra-rāja). The text is also called the Discourse of Śrī Heruka (Śrīherukābhidhāna) and the Samvara Light (Laghusaṃvara).
Pancharatra was a religious movement in Hinduism that originated in late 3rd-century BCE around the ideas of Narayana and the various avatars of Vishnu as their central deities. The movement later merged with the ancient Bhagavata tradition and contributed to the development of Vaishnavism. The Pancharatra movement created numerous literary treatises in Sanskrit called the Pancharatra Samhitas, and these have been influential Agamic texts within the theistic Vaishnava movements.
Padmāvatī is the protective goddess or śāsana devī (शासनदेवी) of Pārśvanātha, the twenty-third Jain tīrthāṅkara, complimenting Parshwa yaksha, the shasan deva. She is a yakshi of Parshwanatha.
The Kāpālika tradition was a Tantric, non-Puranic form of Shaivism in India. The word is derived from kapāla, meaning "skull", and Kāpālika means the "skull-men". The Kāpālikas were an extinct sect of Shaivite ascetics devoted to the Hindu god Shiva dating back to the 8th century CE, which traditionally carried a skull-topped trident (khatvanga) and an empty skull as a begging bowl. Other attributes associated with Kāpālikas were that they revered the fierce Bhairava form of Shiva by emulating his behavior and characteristics, smeared their body with ashes from the cremation grounds, wore their hair long and matted, and engaged in rituals with blood, meat, alcohol.
Vaishnavism is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Vaishnavites are the largest Hindu sect, constituting about 641 million or 67.6% of Hindus. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, ie Mahavishnu. Its followers are called Vaishnavites or Vaishnavas, and it includes sub-sects like Krishnaism and Ramaism, which consider Krishna and Rama as the supreme beings respectively.
Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson is an indologist and Emeritus Fellow of All Souls College at the University of Oxford.
Kaula, also known as Kula,, and, is a religious tradition in Tantric Shaktism and Shaivism characterised by distinctive rituals and symbolism connected with the worship of Shiva and Shakti. It flourished in ancient India primarily in the 1st millennium CE.
A kapala is a skull cup used as a ritual implement (bowl) in both Hindu Tantra and Buddhist Tantra (Vajrayana). Especially in Tibet, they are often carved or elaborately mounted with precious metals and jewels.
The Agamas are a collection of several Tantric literature and scriptures of Hindu schools. The term literally means tradition or "that which has come down", and the Agama texts describe cosmology, epistemology, philosophical doctrines, precepts on meditation and practices, four kinds of yoga, mantras, temple construction, deity worship and ways to attain sixfold desires. These canonical texts are in Tamil and Sanskrit. Agamas were predominant in South India but Sanskritized later.
Hindu denominations, sampradayas, traditions, movements, and sects are traditions and sub-traditions within Hinduism centered on one or more gods or goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and so on. The term sampradaya is used for branches with a particular founder-guru with a particular philosophy.
kubjika is the primary deity of Kubjikamata, a sect of non -siddhāntika mantra marga sect. The worship of Kubjika as one of the main aspect of Adishakti was in its peak in 12th century CE. She is still praised in tantric practices that are followed in Kaula tradition.
Netra Tantra is a Tantra text attributed to non-Saiddhantika Mantra margic sect of Shaivism produced between circa 700 - 850 CE in Kashmir. It was commented on by the Kashmiri Saivite Pratyabhijñā philosopher Kshemaraja and it was connected with royalty and used in the courts by Śaiva officiants in the role of royal priest (Rājapurohita).
Media related to Mantra marga at Wikimedia Commons