Visnuism is one of the chief religions of the Hindu and the Pancaratra is the oldest surviving Visnuite sect. The influence of its tenets on later Visnuism has undoubtedly been great, but has never been thoroughly explored. Despite change and corruption the ritual worship described in the old Pancaratra texts is still performed today in many of the famous temples in southern India and in some in the North. A deeper insight into the historical development of the Visnuite sects, into their ritual, occultism and building of temples and images can only be obtained from the scientific study of these ancient Pancaratra texts which formulate the relevant basic concepts.
The theological and ritualistic aspects of the Pancaratra system have attracted scholars form some time past 1 and a number of texts have been edited 2. Some of these publications are of a high standard and include illuminating introductions. Amongst these, Professor F. O. Schrader's Introduction to the Pancaratra still ranks as the most comprehensive. So far only one Pancaratra text has been translated into English, 3 but the omission of Explanatory notes on the meaning of special terms detracts from its usefulness to the layman. In recent years valuable work in this field is being done by H. Daniel Smith.4
The reason why I have chosen to translate the text of the Laksmi Tantra is because its philosophical pronouncements incorporate many of the sect's earlier traditions. I shall elaborate on this point later on. A second reason is because of its occultism, which throws light on an aspect of the Pancaratra system that is not dealt with in any other known text. Since however the size of this book has grown to be quite alarming, I have here been obliged to refrain from discussing the interesting topic of ritualistic esoterism1.
Before starting on my apologetics, certain preliminary explanations about my method of work are briefly called for. My translation is based entirely on the Sanskrit text edited by Pandit V. Krishnamacharya and published in the Adyar Library Series, No. 87. I have not used any manuscript of the Laksmi Tantra. Therefore, whenever I mention the text or the editor's commentary on it, I refer to Krishnamacharya's edition. Although I have studied the only other publication of this text, printed in Telugu and published at Mysore in 1988, I have not based my translation upon it since Krishnamacharya has utilized it in his edition.
I have aimed at accuracy in my translation - often unfortunately at the expense of style - and when explanation is needed, it is supplied in a footnote or inserted in parenthesis in the of my translation. I have used parenthesis also to distinguish English words I have used in my translation to make a sentence complete. However the reader must not expect to find that every Sanskrit word has been translated consistently by the same English term. As words are affected by the context in which they are used, I have used alternative meanings when and as the sense required. Despite care, some irregularities may still persist in transcription of Sanskrit words. These are unintentional.
From chapter XXXIII onwards I have not translated the clues given for constructing the mantras, but have confined myself to supply the constructed the mantras only. My translation of the first ten verses of chapter XXXII should, I think, suffice to demonstrate how the mantras are construed.
Amongst the vast number of Pancaratra Agamas, 2 the Laksmi Tantra stand out because of its almost exclusive treatment of the Visnuite mother-goddess Laksmi, the Sakti of Visnu-Narayana. The text not only glorifies Laksmi, but also women in general as beings created in the cherished form of Laksmi, and it advocates their worship. Moreover it alludes to the particular sadhana of the left-handed Tantras that requires a female partner 1. Our text is somewhat reticent about the details of that practice, perhaps because it was apprehensive about how the majority of Pancaratra followers would react. It even launches into a lengthy discourse upon its ethics and the cautionary measures to be taken. Nevertheless at the end of this discussion it asserts that, though not free from the moral danger involved in disregarding strict convention, the practice is not sinful since the participants are lifted to a supra-mundane level 2. Undoubtedly this reveals the text's sympathy with left-handed Tantric practices, which is not at all surprising considering how prevalent the worship of Sakti was in India. Later scholars of Saktism, such as Bhaskararaya, the commentator of the Lalitasahasranamam, Nagesa Bhatta, the commentator of the Durgasaptasati and Appaya Diksita, the commentator of the Candrakalastuti, not only mention the Laksmi Tantra but cite it 3. Obviously by that time, i.e. the sixteenth century, the text had gained firm recognition as a standard Sakta Agama. Inspite of its predominantly Pancaratra Character, its undivided concentration on the worship of Sakti and its assertion that Durga, Bhadrakali and Yogamaya are merely other names for Mahalaksmi, who is Visnu's dynamic power, 4 enabled out text to overcome sectarian boundaries.
The Laksmi Tantra deals mainly with Pancaratra philosophy and cosmogony (which are inseparable in texts of this kind), and with the mantra-sastra ('linguistic occultism'). A minimum is said about the ritualistic side of worship, and iconography is discussed only in the form of the dhyanas of the most important deities, such as Laksmi-Narayana, the Vyuhas, the main emanations of Laksmi, her retinue etc. Temple architecture and temple worship are totally omitted. The text also ignores public festivals, sraddha - dharma (death rites) and expiratory rites. This silence about rites connected with society and its conventions indicates that the Laksmi Tantra concern itself with the individual adept, who desires to be released from the miseries of worldly existence. This can be achieved by practising yogic sadhana (worship of God and meditation visualizing Him as the personification of a mantra accompanied by the repetition of that mantras), which enables the initiate to receive divine grace, without which salvation is not possible.
In from, the Laksmi Tantra follows the tradition of both the Sattvata and Jayakhya Samhitas. It deals exhaustively with the Vyuha theory. In that connection, it not only mentions the Sattvata Samhita but proceeds to elaborate on its philosophy. Thus the concept of Visakhayupa - only briefly referred to in the Sattvata - is explained in detail in the Laksmi Tantra. The metaphysical implications of the Vyuha theory and their bearing on the mantra - sastra are put very clearly 1. The basic need supplied by these concepts of divine manifestations is to provide the devotee with an object he can worship in accordance with his spiritual capacity and meditate upon whilst repeating the relevant mantra. This is the most important topic in the Sattvata Samhita, which is classified amongst the texts known as Agama-siddhanta 2. But in regard to the ritualistic aspect of worship, the Laksmi Tantra follows the tradition of the Jayakhya Samhita, which accords a central position to the worship of Visnu and His consort Laksmi. Texts of this nature, advocating the worship of a single deity, are called Tantra-siddhanta. Indeed the Laksmi Tantra depends so largely on the Jayakhya Samhita that it frequently quotes lengthy passages of it. And moreover one is often obliged to consult the Jayakhya Samhita in order to clarify many of the actual procedures of worship described in the Laksmi Tantra. For example, the description of the mystic diagram called 'nava-padma-mandala'1 is so terse and obscure that, without recourse to the Jayakhya Samhita, it is incomprehensible. But the Laksmi Tantra's point of departure from the Jayakhya Samhita is the emphasis it lays on the worship of Laksmi, rather than on that of Visnu. It is her retinue that is described and only the Tara-mantra is prescribed for almost all the various rites included in the full programme of worship. The text admits no ambiguity on this point. For instance, in chapter XVI it is said that the way to obtain liberation from the bondage of the material of the world is to worship Laksmi, the Visnu-sakti. One should abandon all others activity and concentrate solely on propitiating the goddess either directly, or indirectly through Visnu, in order to obtain spiritual release. Our of compassion she then comes to the devotee and liberates him by removing all his impurities.
The most striking feature of the Laksmi Tantra is its treatment of Pancaratra Philosophy. Like most texts of this nature, ours is also basically eclectic. This point is accentuated by its preoccupation with establishing Sakti as the supreme metaphysical principle. At the same time, it attempts to make a synthesis out of all the various concept current in the Pancaratra and Tantric milieu. It does not always succeed in blending all these notion smoothly. Sometimes contradictory ideas, such as Samkhya realism and radical monism (Advaitavedanta), are presented side by side 3.Nevertheless at least some degree of harmonization has been achieved, particularly in the delineation of the cosmogony. This has given the Laksmi Tantra a revered position amongst the Pancaratra Agamas.
Date
The next important question is when and where did this text originate. The Laksmi Tantra mentions the Sattvata Samhita by name and quotes extensively from the Jayakhya Samhita. It also bears a close resemblance to the Ahirbudhnya Samhita. But none of these Samhitas has been precisely dated. Seeking information from sources other than the Agamas, we find in the Laksmi Tantra one list of divine incarnations which are Joint manifestations of Laksmi and Narayana. In that list the Buddha and Tara (otherwise called Dhara) are mentioned as one these joint incarnations. It is generally conceded that the inclusion of the Buddha's name in a list of Visnu's incarnation appeared fairly late in history. The other interesting point is that the text records the worship of Tara as the Buddha's Sakti and, at the same time. Identifies her with Dhara or Vasudhara, another Buddhist female deity representing the earth. It is true that in the usual list of Vyuha, Vibhava etc, of the pure creation, the Buddha is not mentioned. But when no loyalty to Pancaratra tradition is involved and purely tantric notion are discussed, the Buddha appears together with his Sakti Tara. This point is significant for purposes of assessing the date of our text. In its present form the Laksmi Tantra cannot claim to be a very early text. In fact according to E. Conze, 2 the Buddhistic Tara worship was not openly practised before 500 or 600 A.D. The acceptance of the Buddha as an incarnation of Visnu is prominent in the Bhagavata Purana. If the ninth century A. D. is accepted as the date of this last mentioned text, 3 then the date of the Laksmi Tantra cannot be much earlier.
The first author to quote the Laksmi Tantra was Vedanta Desika. This celebrated Sri-vaisnava preceptor lived in the latter half of the thirteenth century 4. It seems that although he attributed some importance to our text, in his view it had not yet attained the status of a fully recognized Agama. However, by the time of Bhaskararaya and other commentators previously mentioned it had acquired that status, and we find it mentioned alongside the Markandeya Purana1. Hence, at latest it probably dates from the twelfth century. Since it is impossible to fix more than an approximate date for texts of this nature, we may assume that the Laksmi Tantra was compiled at some time between the ninth and twelfth centuries.
Place of Origin
The geographical problem of locating the origin of the Laksmi Tantra presents still greater difficulty. Although the text recommends that the bark of the Himalayan birch tree (bhurja-patra) should be used for scribbling mantras on in order to endow amulets with magical properties, we have no evidence that the complier ever actually saw that tree. Mention of bhurja-patra as a material which can be written on, crops up so frequently in Sanskrit literature 2 that he may have only read about it. It is quite possible that this quaint bark was popularly thought to be suitable for magical purposes. Hence we cannot be sure that the text originated in the tree's natural region of growth. Since however Vedanta Desika mentions the Laksmi Tantra by name, it is plausible to presume that in his day the text was available to devotees in his homeland, which was South India. The text also mentions the Malaya range situated in the South, which may be a later addition. (cf.ch. I, 19.) But whether or not it was actually complied there still remains as open question.
Topics Covered in Laksmi Tantra -
In structure the Laksmi Tantra attempts to follow the classical pattern of four divisions, jnana, kriya, yoga and carya. In fact however, the kriya section has been omitted altogether and the carya section has been reduced to a minimum. A curious sidelight explaining this omission can possibly by traced to the Appendix (ch. LIII), where the world kriya pada is used in the unusual sense of the ritualistic performance of upasana and aradhana, as met with in Buddhistic Tantras 3. The Jnana pada, or theological section, occupies almost one third of the entire treatise, which opens with the traditional introductory chapter and then passes on to discuss the jnana pada until well into the eighteenth chapter. But within these chapters other topics often creep in, and likewise theology crops up rather persistently in chapters dealing with other subjects.
After theology, the mantra-sastra (the science of 'linguistic occultism') figures next in importance. Third in importance come upasana or the yoga pada, and a short description of aradhana (the ritual worship of God) or the carya pada. The only part of the kriya pada that is mentioned is the rite of installing of image to be worshipped privately by the initiate 1. Pancaratra ritual requires the devotee to worship the deity in four places, viz. in the image, in the water pitcher, on the mystic diagram and in the sacrificial fire-pit. The text briefly touches on these points and describes the daily religious duties of an initiate. These observations help to explain the nature of Laksmi Tantra as predominantly a Sakta Tantra. It has two objectives in view: Firstly, to establish the supremacy of Laksmi as a philosophical principle ranking, if not higher than Visnu, then at least as equal to Him. This is achieved by emphasizing the mystic tenet of unity in duality, the two-in-one accepted by the Sakta sects 2. Laksmi as an integral part of Narayana, the supreme Being, is the embodiment of His sovereign will and the instrumental cause of all creation. The Laksmi Tantra presents a systematic exposition of Pancaratra theology, which is firmly embedded in its description of the cosmogony with Laksmi at the head of it.
The second objective is to set down a full record of exclusive Sakti-upasana within the frame-work of the Pancaratra religion. On these grounds it has to be admitted that the Laksmi Tantra can scarcely claim to be a full-fledged Pancaratra Agama in the usual sense of the term, because all four categories of the Pancaratra Agamas (viz. Agama-siddhanta etc.) share the common characteristic of worshipping Narayana in a single or multiple form. This istic of worshipping Narayana in a single or multiple form. This may explain why the text is sometimes classified in the list of secondary books. As in the Adyar Library catalogue and in Dr. Satyavrata Singh's list 1. Nevertheless its exclusive nature did not diminish its value to the Pancaratrins, who always showed a leaning towards Tantrism. Their rivals, the Vaikhanasas, directed Pancaratra worshippers to practise their special type of Visnu worship in some solitary and secluded place 2.
Philosophical Postulates -
As pointed out, the main contribution of the Laksmi Tantra to Pancaratra theology and cosmogony lies in its systematic treatment of these subjects. There are thirty-five Sattvata realities 3. (Brahman of course transcends al these realities). Starting from the highest these are Bhagavan (God), the absolute void, Purusa (the Person), sakti, niyati, kala, sattva, rajas and tamas, maya, prasuti, prakrti, the three component parts of the inner organ (buddhi, manas and ahamkara), the ten cognitive and conative organs, the five subtle and the five gross elements. These represent the basic stags of the creation generally accepted by Agama tradition. Among these, the term Bhagavan includes all divine emanations. The absolute void is the paramam dhaman, where God lives and with which He is identical 4. This is also a transcendental category not influenced by the limitation of time. Purusa is the collective Man (i.e. living being) 5 and his sakti is Mahalaksmi, the kriyasakti or the active aspect of God 6. Niyati is Mahavidya, who represents the cosmic wisdom recorded in the Vedas and who control law and order in the universe 7. Kala is Mahakali, who is in fact primordial nature or the material source of creation. The further realities are variations of the Samkhya categories. The subtle distinctions in the stages of primordial nature from kala to prakrti enable the Pancaratra system to achieve some degree of consistency in incorporating the Puranic concept of creation.
The cosmogony of the Lakshmi Tantra coordinates various streams of ideas which were prevalent in the diverse religious traditions.
Some of these are: the Vedic concept of the anthropomorphic creator God Purusa of the Purusa-sukta; the mythological con
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