mantra shabd mantri gupt bhishne dhatu se dham pratyay dvara nishpann hota hai. mantra shabd ach pratyay se bhi siddh hota hai par uska arth hota hai salah (yatha mantri-mantrana-salah). par is mantra ka arth hai rahasya. mantra sada se gopya raha hai.
tantrik paribhasha: tantra shastranusar mantra vah shabdavli hai jo kisi devta ko prasann karne ke liye jap ka vishay banti hai. mukhyatah mantra vyakti ki shakti ka uddipan karte hain athva kisi gurutar shakti se yachna karte hain. manu maharaj kahte hain ki jiska garbhadhan se lekar shmashan tak ka sanskar mantron se hota hai vahi mantra ka adhikari hai. yah bat us jamane ki hai jab varn vyavastha bari karai ke sath lagu thi. fir bhi shastriya maryada ke rup men yah palniya avashya hai. is maryada ke karan dvij se itar jatiyon ke liye mantra upyogi nahin hai- yah bat nahin hai.
siddh sanpraday ne, shakti ki upasna karne vale ‘vam-margiyon’ ne tatha mantra-shastragyaon ne, aise sarl-sugam rup men mantra-shastra ko varna-maryada se upar uthakar sarvajnopyogi rup de diya hai. mantra, tantra aur yantra tatvik rup se bhinn vastu nahin hai balki ek shakti ke tin rup hanai, mantra ka chitratmak rup yantra hai to mantra ke bhautik upkrnon ka anupan evan sthul-padarthashrayta tantra hai. mantra jo karya dhvani aur bhavna ke madhyam se karta hai vahi tantron men aushdhon v itar dravyon se sanpann ho sakta hai. aushdhiyan deh ki vyadhiyon men kam karti hai, ve hi jab sukshm sharir par prabhav dalne ke liye kam men lai jati hain to vashikaran athva uchchatan jaisa kam karti hain. yah un padarthon ke upyog aur vidhi ka parinam hai.
mantra aur devta: mimansa darshan ke anusar mantra devta ka hi svarup hai. jis devta ka jo mantra hai vahi uska svarup hai. mantra se prithak devta ka astitva nahin hai. mantra svatantra aur purn vastu hai, unse bhinn svarup ka devta astitva men nahin hai. isi drishtikon se ahvik tatva kahta hai- manan se tran karta hai islie mantra kaha jata hai, aradhya devta ki puja mantra ke path se hi sanbhav hai, stuti git se nahin. stuti to devta ke pratik ka khand gyan hogi, mantra sanpurn gyan hoga. ved isilie prithk-prithak devtaon ke bhinna-bhinn mantra batlata hai. mantropasna hi sagunopasna hai - sagunopasna ka arth murti pujan matra hi nahin hota hai. sagunopasna ka vastavik arth hai - mantropasna kyonki mantra men akash ki shuddh gunkta hai aur vah akash hai virat ka pratik, purn purush ka arup rup.
shruti, smriti, puran, tantra adi sare shastron men mantron ka ullekh hai, unke apne mantra hain. tantrik mantra shreshth hain - mantron ka mul udgam ved hai. ved aj ke yug men itne duruh ho gaye hain ki un mantron ka arth hi samajh men nahin ata. dusri bat yah hai ki ved mantra jitne adhik shakti sanpann aur pavitra hain, unki sadhna bhi utni hi kashtakar hai. trikal drashta rishiyon ne is yug ki kalpana karke kaliyug ke ved mantron par kil thonk di thi. aj vedokt mantron ke sthan par tantra shastra ke mantra hi adhik prachlit hain, ve hi yuganurup hain. tanu vistare dhatu se nishpann tantra shabd ka arth hai vistar, taknik. samanya bhasha men tantra ka arth sharir ki raksha (tan $trai), mantra ka arth man ki raksha (man $ trai) aur yantra ka arth hai- sadhan, upkrn- is tarah tantra ki vyapkta men pratyaksh rup se mantra, yantra aur yog to ate hi hain.
jin arthon men ‘‘tantra’’ shabd aj prayukt hota hai aur jansadharan men bahudha samjha bhi jata hai- jaise - yantra, mantra, tantra, jadu-tona, vashikaran, maran, uchchatan, siddhi prapti adi jo ki madhyayugin tantrik-sadhna ki visheshta hai, tantra shabd ke vedon se lekar shankar tak upyog aur vyavhar men kahin bhi abhivyakti nahin hoti. mantra ke sanbandh men ek am dharna bani hui hai ki iska sanbandh keval shaiv v shakt sanpradayon se hai. lekin yah uchit nahin hai, kyonki pratyek dharm aur sanpraday ki apni tantrik drishti manovanchit fal prapti ki kamna rahti thin. atharvaved men dher sare mantra hain jinse yathechchit fal prapt kiye ja sakte hain. bauddhon ki tantrik pranali jo vajrayan men viksit hui hai, vahi hindu tantron ki adharshila hai. tantron ki vyavharikta iska mahatvapurn yogdan hai. vyaktigat ya samuhik jivan men manushya ko kai prakar ke kasht ate hain, inko dur karne ke lie tantra-mantra-yantra ki sahayta li jati hai.
jvar utarne, chechak, najar, vish utarne, mannat, vijay prapti, karya men saflta, koi rog dur karne, vashikaran, uchchatan, maran, stanbhan adi mantron ka prayog anek bar kiya jata hai. putra prapti, vyapar-vriddhi, bhut-pret bhay, haran, lakshmiprad, sukh prapti, prasav pira ko harne adi ke lie alg-alag mantra v yantra aur deviyan hain. jab jivan men sadharan atya apne rog-shok se mukti ke avasar dikhai nahin dete hain tab tantra-mantra ka sahara liya jata hai. ismen tantrikon ($mantrikon) ke siddh hone aur mantra-tantra-yantra ki shakti men vishvas hona anivarya hai. jan-sadharan ke alava rajneta bhi ek n ek tantrik ko apna guru banaye huye hain. yah vastav men satya hai ki tantra ka adhar mantra evan yantra bhi hai. inko alag karke dekhna sanbhav hi nahin hai.