cosmos. Transformation of energy, sakti ́ , is an inescapable fact of exis-
tence, and T ̄antric s ̄adhanauses systematic practices to yoke cosmic en-
ergy and manifest it in more sublime ways. Foundational to this is purifi-
cation, explained by Woodroffe in terms of making the pure guÓnacalled
sattva(purity and illumination) predominate by utilizing the guÓna rajas,
the dynamic principle of the two other guÓnas.^8 Classical Yoga, on the
other hand, recommends sattvic or pure activities, foods, and so on, for
supporting the predomination of purity.
The aim of T ̄antric s ̄adhanais reintegration of the consciousness
(which is fragmented by various mental activities) and recovery of one’s
identity with cosmic consciousness, Param Íiva. Eliade identifies two
stages of T ̄antric s ̄adhana: cosmicization of the human being, and tran-
scendence of the cosmos. The preeminent sign of transcendence is the
kuÓnÓdalin ̄ı’s union with Íivain the sahasrara cakra ̄.^9 Yogic disciplines of
dh ̄araÓna ̄ and dhy ̄ana,concentration and meditation, are necessary for the
interiorization of iconography, a universe of symbols that the s ̄adhakaen-
ters and assimilates, incorporating into himself the sacred force sustain-
ing them. The T ̄antric approach to s ̄adhanais illuminated by nyasa ̄ , a
practice related to iconographic meditation. Ny ̄asa(√ny ̄as, ‘to place’) is
‘ritual projection’ of divinities into various parts of the body:
The disciple ‘projects’ the divinities, at the same time touching various
areas of his body; in other words, he homologizes his body with the
T ̄antric pantheon, in order to awaken the sacred forces asleep in the
flesh itself.^10Pragna R. Shah explains the significance of nyasa ̄ as the s ̄adhaka’srealiz-
ing that his body and mind are of the nature of consciousness, and by
spreading the presence of consciousness throughout himself, he grasps
his primordial divinity.^11 Yantraand mantraare important tools of T ̄an-
tric practice, serving as supports for meditative concentration. More than
this, they are emanations of the primordial unity; they embody the cos-
mic manifestation. In the concrete forms of visual-patterns (yantra) and
sound-patterns (mantra), they are assimilable by the sadhaka ̄ for the res-
toration of his own identity with Param Síva. A yantrais a diagram
“drawn or engraved on metal, wood, skin, stone, paper, or simply traced
on the ground or a wall.”^12 The features of a yantrasymbolize the ele-
ments of creation, human faculties, obstacles to progress, the various
breaths, deities, and many other aspects of T ̄antric soteriology.
Ír ̄ı Yantracontains a series of contiguous triangles, the upward ones
representing the masculine Íivaand the downward ones the feminine
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