As already indicated European usage makes the words Tantra, Tantrism and tantric refer to the worship of goddesses.  It would be better to describe this literature and worship as Saktism and to use Tantrism for a tendency in doctrine and ceremonial which otherwise has no special name.  I have been informed by Tamil Pandits that at the present day the ritual in some temples is smarta or according to Smriti, but in the majority according to the Agamas or tantric.  The former which is followed by many well-known shrines (for instance in Benares and in the great temples of south India) conforms to the precepts of the Puranas, especially on festival days.  The officiants require no special initiation and burnt offerings are presented.  But the Agamic ritual can be performed only by priests who have received initiation, burnt offerings rarely form part of the ceremony and vernacular hymns are freely used.[453]

Such hymns however as well as processions and other forms of worship which appeal directly to the religious emotions are certainly not tantric.  Tantrism is a species of religious magic, differing from the Vedic sacrifices in method rather than principle.[454] For all that, it sets aside the old rites and announces itself as the new dispensation for this age.  Among its principal features are the following.  The Tantras are a scripture for all, and lay little stress on caste:  the texts and the ritual which they teach can be understood only after initiation and with the aid of a teacher:  the ritual consists largely in the correct use of spells, magical or sacramental syllables and letters, diagrams and gestures:  its object is less to beseech than to compel the god to come to the worshipper:  another object is to unite the worshipper to the god and in fact transform him into the god:  man is a microcosm corresponding to the macrocosm or universe:  the spheres and currents of the universe are copied in miniature in the human body and the same powers rule the same parts in the greater and the lesser scheme.  Such ideas are widely disseminated in almost all modern sects,[455] though without forming their essential doctrine, but I must repeat that to say all sects are tantric does not mean that they are all Saktist.  But Saktist sects are fundamentally and thoroughly tantric in their theory and practice.

D. Besides the Sanskrit books mentioned above numerous vernacular works, especially collections of hymns, are accepted as authoritative by various sects, and almost every language has scriptures of its own.  In the south two Tamil hymnals, the Devaram of the Sivaites and Nalayira Prabandham of the Vishnuites, are recited in temples and are boldly stated to be revelations equivalent to the Veda.  In northern India may be mentioned the Hindi Ramayana of Tulsi Das, which is almost universally venerated, the Bhaktamala of Nabha Das,[456] the Sur-sagar of Surdas and the Prem Sagar.  In Assam the Nam Gosha of Madhab Deb is honoured with the same homage as a sacred image.  The awkwardness of admitting direct inspiration in late times is avoided by the theory of spiritual descent, that is to say of doctrinal transmission from teacher to teacher, the divine revelation having been made to the original teacher at a discreetly remote epoch.