Tantric mantra

Tantra is from the root tanu vistare: to expand. All the tantric practices are having this
goal  of  expansion  of  individual  consciousness  to  the  total  consciousness  or  Unity
consciousness.
Tantra is a rebel child of Vedic tradition. The reason for this was that Vedic tradition in
course of time  became more and more  rigid in its practices and also was  not allowing
many  practices to women and certain categories  of the communities.  In reality Vedas
are very liberal in their outlook. But certain people in power started misinterpreting and
they abused their privilege. This lead to the raise of tantras. Tantras have tantra, mantra
and yantra as its accessories. Tantra is the ritualistic portion, mantras may contain one
or more than one syllable, while yantra is a diagrammatic representation of the deity of
worship drawn on a copper, brass, golden or on a pancha loha plate (five metals).
Tantric mantras and practices are esoteric in nature. They are very popular, for they are
believed to give quick results.
An example of a tantric mantra is Om Im Hrim Shrim Shree Matre Namaha.
Another one is Ka Ye E La Hrim Ha Sa Ka La Hrim Sa Ka La Hrim Shrim. This is the
famous Shodashakshari Mantra (16 lettered mantra). If the last Shrim is dropped then it
is  called  Panchadashakshari Mantra  (15  lettered  mantra).  There are  innumerable
mantras  in tantra,  given  for  different  purposes. Mantras  are  handed down  in tradition
from person to person and not taken from books. They need to be practiced at least for
some time  by that individual. The  bija’s are considered as living  only if taken  from a
living person  and  are considered  ineffective  if  taken  from  books.  Some  people  and
traditions  claim  that  mantras  obtained  in dreams  through  yogis,  siddhas  and  earlier
saints  are  also  effective.  Tantric  mantras  are  always  followed  or  preceded by  rituals,
worship and prayers. Tantra again has two methods. One is called vama marga or ‘left
hand  method’ and  the  other  is  called  dakshina  marga or  the  ‘right  hand  method’.
Mantras  in  them  are  different  and  so  are the  practices.  The  left  hand  method  mainly
employs sex as a means to expand the individual consciousness, whereas the right hand
method employs various meditation techniques to achieve this end.