[INDOLOGY] Tantrapāla

[Christian Ferstl]

Dear Martin,

is the meaning 'army' for tantra (and 'soldier' for tantrin) explainable 
on historical or etymological grounds, or is it even explained by 
Sanskrit commentators?

Christian

Am 04.07.2022 05:52, schrieb Martin Gansten via INDOLOGY:
> Thank you, Patricia, that's one place I hadn't looked. The meaning
> 'commander of (a subdvision of) an army', particularly the infantry,
> was also suggested privately by Walter Slaje and is almost certainly
> correct. The meaning 'army' for tantra (and 'soldier' for tantrin) is
> found in most dictionaries, but Walter tells me it is very common in
> the Rājataraṅgiṇīs of Kalhaṇa, Jonarāja, Śrīvara and Śuka,
> the first of which is roughly right for the period and geographic area
> that I'm interested in. Thanks to all who replied to my query!
> 
> Best wishes,
> Martin
> 
> Den 2022-07-04 kl. 03:17, skrev Patricia Sauthoff:
> 
>> The Indian Epigraphical Glossary [1] gives tantrapāla [2] as "chief
>> of the army" and other high level positions of protector of kings,
>> which seems to fit your verse.
>> 
>> On Sun, Jul 3, 2022 at 1:40 AM Martin Gansten via INDOLOGY
>> <indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>> 
>>> I wonder if anyone knowledgeable about (north)western India
>>> around the 13th century might have an idea about how the epithet
>>> tantrapāla should be understood in that context? I am looking at
>>> these two verses from an astrological text:
>>> 
>>> kasya samīpe candro ravimuthaśilage nṛpatipārśve |
>>> śaninā ca muthaśile ’smin nīcānām ijyamuthaśile ca satām
>>> ||
>>> śukreṇa ca yuvatīnāṃ jñena vyavahāripaṇḍitānāṃ ca
>>> |
>>> bhaumena <ca> śatrūṇāṃ krūreśānāṃ ca tantrapālānām
>>> ||
>>> 
>>> 'In whose company is the moon? If it forms a _muthaśila _[Ar.
>>> _muttaṣil_, applying aspect] with the sun, [the querent travels]
>>> at the side of the king; if it has a _muthaśila _with Saturn, [at
>>> the side] of low people, and if a _muthaśila _with Jupiter, of
>>> good people; with Venus, of women; with Mercury, with merchants
>>> and scholars; with Mars, of his enemies, cruel lords and
>>> _tantrapālas_.'
>>> 
>>> The standard dictionaries failling me, I did a simple web search,
>>> which turned up some suggestions; but the present context seems to
>>> call for something more warlike, violent and/or sinister than just
>>> 'high official' or 'secretary of council'.
>>> 
>>> Thanks in advance for any thoughts,
>>> 
>>> Martin Gansten
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> INDOLOGY mailing list
>>> INDOLOGY at list.indology.info
>>> https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
>> 
>> --
>> 
>> Patricia Sauthoff, PhD
>> 
>> Assistant Lecturer
>> Department of History, Classics, and Religion
>> University of Alberta
>> 
>> Edmonton, Canada
>> 
>> (I will respond as quickly as I can. In the meantime, here is a pdf
>> [3] of some of my favorite simple guided meditations.)
>> 
>> Author: Illness and Immortality: mantra, maṇḍala, and meditation
>> in the Netra Tantra [4]
>> 
>> UAlberta resources
>> Sexual assault centre: sexualassaultcentre at ualberta.ca
>> Office of Safe Disclosure and Human Rights: osdhr at ualberta.ca The
>> Landing: thelanding at su.ualberta.ca
> 
> 
> 
> Links:
> ------
> [1] 
> https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/IEGScan/2020/web/webtc/indexcaller.php
> [2] 
> https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/csl-apidev/servepdf.php?dict=IEG&page=337
> [3] https://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/med-guided2.pdf
> [4] 
> https://global.oup.com/academic/product/illness-and-immortality-9780197553268?cc=us&lang=en&#:~:text=Patricia%20Sauthoff%20examines%20the%20role,to%20alleviate%20illness%20and%20death.&text=It%20asks%20how%20ritual%20alleviates,rites%20described%20within%20the%20text.
> 
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