Aryans and Dravidians

[R.Mayer at ukc.ac.uk]

Ganesh's comments are very useful. Tantrism does not exist
per se, but as a style of some other tradition, eg Saiva,
Bauddha,etc. I agree that we are talking about themes of
subtle physiology, initiation, etc, not about a separate
religious tradition. These themes became important at a
cetain time in India and many different traditions
took them up in their own way. 
The connection with the AV is surely not direct, but
many AV categories resurface in Tantric literature, so
much so that Goudriaan devotes a whole chapter to this,
if I remeber rightly. There are interesting sociological
parallels between the AV and Tantra: both are connected
with power and the Purohit, both are seen with some 
ambivalence by the pure and the conventional priests.
The Tantric lineages claimed AV connections, but 
direct historical continuity seems unlikely, as
far as I know. More a strategy of legitimation?
What fascinates me is how the AV and the tantras
both combine pragmatic magic with the deepest
metaphysics. In general, I feel the tantras can
claim some degree of descent from the spiritual
legacy of the AV, even if no direct historical
descent.
Rob