Tantra means

Expressions researched:
"Tantra means"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

sātvata-tantra means books or literature of devotional service. In the Vedas there are different departments, they are divided into three parts-karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa.

Lecture on SB 1.3.8 -- Los Angeles, September 14, 1972: So how from the śūdras a brāhmaṇa can be selected? According to the Vedic system, it is not possible. One, to be accepted as brāhmaṇa, must be son of a brāhmaṇa. That means background of the person must be brahminical culture. But if people are śūdras, where is the background of brahminical culture? Therefore Nārada, he is Vaiṣṇava, he is very compassionate to the fallen souls. He is travelling all over the universe to make Vaiṣṇavas. He made many sons of Dakṣa Mahārāja Vaiṣṇavas. So Dakṣa Mahārāja became very angry upon him, "Nārada, you come and you train my sons as Vaiṣṇavas, and they do not take care of the family affairs. So I curse you. You cannot stay anywhere more than some time." So even a Vaiṣṇava has to face some difficulty while preaching devotional service; even Nārada.

So sātvata-tantra means books or literature of devotional service. In the Vedas there are different departments, they are divided into three parts-karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. Therefore the other name of the Vedas is trayī. Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā: [SB 1.4.25] for women, for śūdras and for dvija-bandhus, sons of the higher class but not properly educated. Bandhu means friend, a man born by a brāhmaṇa father, but he is not qualified as a brāhmaṇa. He will be called a dvija-bandhu, not dvija. Dvija means twice-born; actually he is twice-born. The birds are also called twice-born: one birth is the egg, and the other birth is from the egg, closed. Similarly every human being is born śūdra, without any knowledge. Either he is born by the brāhmaṇa father or a śūdra father, he is born a śūdra, because there is no knowledge.

Brāhmaṇa means knowledge and śūdra means no knowledge, that is the difference.

Tantra means Vedic knowledge expanded.

Lecture on SB 1.3.8 -- Los Angeles, September 14, 1972: So by discharging devotional service, you don't create another body. That means you remain in your pure, spiritual body. Otherwise, karmaṇā: you have to create another body, either human body, cat's body, dog's body, or demigod's body, fish body, tree body, so many-8,400,000 kinds of body. So unless you take to devotional service, you will have to repeat this business of transmigrating from one body to another.

So Nārada Muni compiled these śāstras, tantra. Tantra means expansion. Just like there is notebook. Just like Vedānta-sūtra, the lessons are given in codes. Just like the businessmen, they send code. One word composed of four letters, it has got so many meanings. So those who are using those codes, they can understand, "By this code, this sentence or this paragraph is meant." Similarly, the Vedānta-sūtra is giving Vedic knowledge in codes-athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12)—in this way. This janmādy asya yataḥ code is explained by the whole Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, eighteen thousand verses to explain this one code. Similarly, the Vedic knowledge is expanded, or also contracted. So tantra is expansion, because ordinary men cannot understand Vedic knowledge. Just like Mahābhārata, it is in the form of history, but in it is Vedic instruction. Similarly, in this Nārada-pañcarātra made by Devarṣi Nārada, it is also Vedic.

Just like we are writing these books, English translations, giving purports. This is also Vedic, because our basis is on the Vedic knowledge. We don't take so-called scientists' knowledge or philosophers' knowledge. We derive it from the Vedas. Therefore tantra means which expands the Vedic knowledge.

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro

mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ

avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād

vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ

It is said in the Nārada-pañcarātra that a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become a guru. "A person born or qualified brāhmaṇa and knows all the mantras and tantras, but if he is an impersonalist, then he cannot become guru," avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt, "whereas a person born in a low family, but he is a great devotee, he shall be accepted as a devotee, he shall be accepted as a guru." Tantra means Vedic knowledge expanded. So by discharging devotional service, we become freed from the cycle of birth and death and go back home, back to Godhead. This tantra was compiled by Nārada Ṛṣi.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Tantra means they want to derive pleasure through the senses. So is that spiritual?

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Young man: I have been here for about three months. I am trying to lead the practices and the sādhana of the people here and trying to set up a unit here.

Prabhupāda: So you follow Vedic principle?

Young man: We follow Tantric principle.

Prabhupāda: Tantric. Tantra, there are two kinds of tantras, sattvata, and there are sattvic, rajasic, anything. So your activity is on the material platform or spiritual?

Young man: It's actually... Our motive is, our objective is ātmā mokṣa (Sanskrit).

Prabhupāda: Ātmā...?

Young man: (Sanskrit). Self-realization and selfless service to humanity. So that's our principles. That's the objective of Ananda-mārga philosophy. So that's a subjective approach to objective adjustment, both, side by side.

Prabhupāda: What is that ānanda?

Young man: Ānanda means bliss, infinite happiness.

Prabhupāda: Infinite. But what is the platform of that ānanda, material or spiritual?

Young man: Of course, ānanda means very much spiritual aspect.

Prabhupāda: But if somebody wants to derive ānanda by sense pleasure, is that spiritual?

Young man: Our practices has...

Prabhupāda: Tantra means they want to derive pleasure through the senses. So is that spiritual?

Young man: Our gurudeva says that not only do we do vidyā-tantra but both the Tantric practices avidyā and vidyā has to be practiced. So one has to go beyond...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is spiritual.

Young man: Even after vidyā and avidyā, you have to be beyond that stage. So our gurudeva teaches both the practices. When the time is proper, he says he will also teach avidyā-tantra, avidyā sara.(?)

Prabhupāda: Abhidheya.

Young man: Avidyā