Vedic Predecessors of One Type of Tantric Ritual

Verses 9–16 of the Parātriṃśikā prescribe a ritual application of the hr̥ dayabīja mantra ‘sauḥ’. In this case the mantra ‘sauḥ’ has different effects according to durations of the mental recitation of it. This is a very simple example of one type of tantric ritual where a limited number of mantras of a certain deity are used in different ways to accomplish a variety of efficacy by changing ritual elements of them. In Hindu tantric texts we find more similar cases. In the newest layer of Vedic texts such as the Ṛgvidhāna, Sāmavidhāna Brāhmaṇa and the Atharvavedapariśiṣṭa there are some similar examples of this kind. The Taittirīyasaṃhitā describes in two succeeding chapters various applications of two mantras called rāṣṭrabhr̥ t and devikāhavis respectively. In this paper I examine more Vedic examples and elucidate the basic idea underlying this type of ritual.