Srividya in Vedic tradition

SrIvidyA in Vedic Tradition

TheSamayachara Traditionabides by theVedic doctrines and, as such, the principles followed by the upasakas are of the Veda.EkaM sadviprA bahudhA vadaMti | (Learned sages speak the One Only in many a names). (Rk Veda)

Sa AtmA, aMgAnyAnyA dEvatA | He is the Self of all, AtmA (the soul), all gods are His limbs. (Taittiriya Upanishat)

SarIra kaMcukitaH SivOjIvaH | niSkaMcukaH paraSivaH || “God garbed in the body is Self; disrobed He is the God Supreme.” (Kalpasutra).

Each God has a special and distinct function to perform in the universe, has a distinct field of activity and presides over a particular realm in the cosmic kingdom.

There exist several worlds and universes in serried sequences spreading over a rising tier of consciousness and planes.

There is one Supreme Deity who presides over all other Gods and worlds; and, the subordinate gods function according to the powers delegated to them. Thus there is delegation of powers with a hierarchy, gradation, names and forms of personalities and emanations as devata. The numerous Devatas help man in his spiritual pursuits, aid him in his uphill task of reaching the summit, the Supreme Deity.(Rk Veda)

All Gods reside in ‘parame vyoman’, the Akasha (Supreme Ether), also known as KaM Brahma. All Devatas, their Mantra and the seed-letters live here.  These sounds descend to the last step which is the human speech on this earth.

The Akasha is the imperishable Brahman (vast and deep with no beginning or end). It is the eternal source of all sounds, the sonorous rhythms, that issue from the heights to form the realms or planes and build the worlds and also to function by casting harmonic spells for their sustenance. (The Vak and the Veda by Kapali Sastriar: “Light on the Ancients”) 

The Vak itself is the vehicle on which the gods come inresponse to the prayer of the Rishi.

The Rishi contacts with the power of consciousness through Mantra, the supernal Ether and in the Ether, the particular frequency of the sound symbol. Thus, the Rishi is a drushtara who sees the Devata with the help of a mantra and sees the mantra-devata and hears at least one mantra from the Devata.

The Mantra is the sound-body of the deity, while the Yantra is its form-pattern. The nameless and the formless has become this world of names and forms

The Tantra teaches that through the name and the form one should sense the nameless and the formless.

Mantra is the name, Yantra, the form, are the keys of the devotee with his name and form is one in identity with the deity that is nameless and formless.Standing on the threshold of, the sadhaka is the Maya as well as the Brahman. He is the Light that glows brightening inward as well as outward.

The Mantra Shastra is a tantra acclaimed as a great Sadhana Shastra. The tantra affirms the existence of the universe as the manifestation of the Divine. It affirms the existence of a Transcendental Absolute Brahman. One can visualize Brahman with the help of a mantra (Chandas) and Devata.

Tantra Shastra has no objection in treating the Devi as Maya as long She is considered the Divine Mother- the source of all creation.

Vak, the creative word of the Veda becomes the Nada (subtle sound), the Adya Spanda (primeval throb or vibration), which develops into the Bijakshara (seed-letter) of the mantra). The original throb is in the form of Light.