[Footnote 696:  Viratap. chap.  VI. (not in all MSS.).  Bhishmap. chap.  XXIII.  Also in the Harivamsa, vv. 3236 ff.  Pargiter considers that the Devi-Mahatmya was probably composed in the fifth or sixth century.  Chap.  XXI. of the Lotus Sutra contains a spell invoking a goddess under many names.  Though this chapter is an addition to the original work, it was translated into Chinese between 265 and 316.]

[Footnote 697:  But he does mention the worship of the Divine Mothers.  Harshacar.  VII. 250 and Kadamb. 134.]

[Footnote 698:  Hymns to the Devi are also attributed to him but I do not know what evidence there is for his authorship.]

[Footnote 699:  As pointed out elsewhere, though this word is most commonly used of the Sakta scriptures it is not restricted to them and we hear of both Buddhist and Vaishnava Tantras.]

[Footnote 700:  The Adhyatma Ramayana is an instance of Saktist ideas in another theological setting.  It is a Vishnuite work but Sita is made to say that she is Prakriti who does all the deeds related in the poem, whereas Rama is Purusha, inactive and a witness of her deeds.]

[Footnote 701:  XI. iii. 47-8; XI.  V. 28 and 31.  Probably Vishnuite not Saktist Tantras are meant but the Purana distinguishes between Vedic revelation meant for previous ages and tantric revelation meant for the present day.  So too Kulluka Bhatta the commentator on Manu who was a Bengali and probably lived in the fifteenth century says (on Manu II. i.) that Sruti is twofold, Vedic and tantric. Srutisca dvividha vaidiki tantrikica.]

[Footnote 702:  II. 15.]

[Footnote 703:  See for full list Avalon, Principles of Tantra, pp. lxv-lxvii.  A collection of thirty-seven Tantras has been published at Calcutta by Babu Rasik Mohun Chatterjee and a few have been published separately.]

[Footnote 704:  Translated by Avalon, 1913, also by Manmatha Nath Dutt, 1900.]

[Footnote 705:  Analysed in J.A.O.S. XXIII. i. 1902.]

[Footnote 706:  Edited by Taranatha Vidyaratna, with introduction by A. Avalon, 1917.]

[Footnote 707:  See Avalon, Principles of Tantra, p. lxi.  But these are probably special meanings attached to the words by tantric schools. Nigama is found pretty frequently, e.g. Manu, IV. 19 and Lalita-vistara, XII.  But it is not likely that it is used there in this special sense.]

[Footnote 708:  Edited by Avalon, 1914.]

[Footnote 709:  Satirical descriptions of Saktism are fairly ancient, e.g. Karpura Manjari, Harvard edition, pp. 25 and 233.]

[Footnote 710:  Tantrism has some analogy to the Feng-shui or geomancy of the Chinese.  Both take ancient superstitions which seem incompatible with science and systematize them into pseudo-sciences, remaining blind to the fact that the subject-matter is wholly imaginary.]

[Footnote 711:  For what follows as for much else in this chapter, I am indebted to Avalon’s translation of the Mahanirvana Tantra and introduction.]