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 gives tantrapāla 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@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


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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 of some of my favorite simple guided meditations.)

Author: Illness and Immortality: mantra, maṇḍala, and meditation in the Netra Tantra

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