Tantra and Nationalism

Abstract

Nationalist tendencies featured prominently in earlier chapters. Hence, this chapter explores the activities of Shivachandra and his associates in the context of the anticolonial Swadeshi movement and the relationship between science, education, and nationalism more generally. It also turns to the writings of Shashadhar, and his concept of a “spiritual science” (adhyātmabijñān) in particular, in order to demonstrate that Bengali debates about the relationship between religion and science paralleled, and were inherently intertwined with, debates that could also be observed in the Theosophical context as well as in the writings of Avalon. Another direct link to Avalon is explored through one of Woodroffe’s closest partners and another disciple of Shivachandra: Pramathanath Mukhopadhyay, the later Swami Pratyagatmananda Saraswati. Special attention is paid to his concept of “national education” and the role of Tantra for the regeneration and eventual emancipation of India.