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Auspicious symbols. All the<br />
principal divinities are related by<br />
association to certain traditional<br />
insignia representing the Universal<br />
One. Rajasthan, c. 18th century.<br />
Ink and gouache on cloth.<br />
48<br />
respect as well tantra art illustrates its synthesizing force by<br />
striking a balance between beauty and functionality. For a tantrika,<br />
art has a clear-cut purpose within its defined limits, and there is<br />
little scope for ambiguities, experimentation or individual<br />
mannerism.<br />
To understand its pictorial range, tantric imagery can be<br />
broadly grouped into (1) psycho-cosmic forms and diagrams such<br />
as yantras and mandalas: (2) visual representations of the subtle<br />
body or its constituents; (3) astronomical and astrological<br />
computations; (4) iconographic images, asanas and certain<br />
accessories used in rituals. The purely formal qualities of tantra's<br />
diverse imagery can be distinguished into abstract and representational;<br />
as we find in the ovoid form as opposed to its