If Mantras are not to be recorded in any format, how are they to be retrieved and studied by knowledge seekers? How are the gurus expected to retain/verify this information to disseminate to their disciples? If someone has invented a new mantra and has obtained a patent/copyright, I can totally understand if that information is distributed without seeking the proper permission and/or paying the royalty. I am always curious if the people who suggest others not to publish or reveal secret information, such as mantras, ever contribute to the welfare of the sincere sadhakas? For instance, how may people do they initiate who are not their own kith and kin or belonging to their clan? How many disciples do they help in becoming gurus, when they themselves are still active as gurus? Traditions evolve over time. What was once considered very secretive and obscure, may become common knowledge, when the nations become more civilized and people learn to share their knowledge with everyone. There will always be a section of the society who will stick to their rigid old ways without applying any rationale to their belief systems.

Many forget that they live in Kali Yuga, where everything is upside down and refer to traditions that are convenient for impure people. Hence the Commerce in Sri Vidya. We are all children of the mother Goddess and she leads us all to enlightenment. And in the end the highest mantra is Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi अहं ब्रह्मास्मि. The tradition is strong, but when it turns to stone it collapses and instead of Dharma there is Adharma and we see it in the Mahabharata. If with pure thoughts you seek liberation, surrender to the will of the mother Goddess and she grants everything, but when Tantra is used for the power coming from the low ego, the retribution will be cruel. Self-realization is the pinnacle of spiritual life.

@Svarupanandanatha It cannot be followed in KaliYuga. Seekers going in search of Guru and only then they get gurupadesha, definitely not possible in this KaliYuga. First, finding a proper guru is the most toughest part. If you have, then lucky you. You have no right to stop others to spread knowledge and ask others to follow the path you believe in. Making illogical assumptions and allegations to this site such as being commercial would have made major part of your good karma evaporated. I feel you are not here to share knowledge or correct the mistakes if any, you are just the kind of person who are just waiting for opportunity to throw darkness at light when and where ever possible. KrishnaJi had patiently replied to all your queries with logical answers and asked you proof for your knowings but we(all the people who follow this site) still have not got any answer from you. I would request you not to repeat these type of ungrateful acts again.

Namaste Vishnudutt garu.....Courtrallam Siddeshwarananda Bharati Swamy who is considered living, walking, talking Kala Bhairava himself said that you can do self initation of any mantra by writing the mantra on piece of paper or a bhoja patra, go to shiva temple place it in front of Lord shiva, consider him as Dakshina murthy and practise the mantra......quoting a verse or a line from Tantra is good but it needs to be understood wholistically and the context it was given and written. There will be definitely exceptions to it....I will agree if you say any that taking a mantra with Guru will help in faster fructification, Guru is necessary because if there are any problems faced due to mantra will be resolved by him, incorrect pronounciation of mantras will lead to problems etc....but saying that mantras should be kept secret and learnt only from so called Gurus...and in today's world we do not know who is a genuine Guru and who is a fake Guru as many end up in Jails......maybe learning it from a machine (Google) is not that bad an option....rest is left to Divine Mother..

Dear Sir...well said...something doesnt suit you is a popped up story and myth and rest is all authentic....this is called argument of convenience.....

Right

In addition to above I would like to add below: About Commercial aspects of Srividya: As per Tantra shastras, Guru should be worshiped. At the time of initiation, disciple should give Him some articles/ornaments. This aspect will come between a real Guru and Sisya bondage but not a single mantra given and taken bondage. I mean to say, about a guru lineage. In other cases, taking one mantra from one guru, taking another mantra from another guru etc...is a great sin. Guru dakshina also as per capacity of the disciple. Here also certain rules to be followed.

After long time I have visited this site. After reading above post and comments, I thought of sharing my thoughts. I humbly accept my ignorance on Srividya. Some of raised points I would like to address here: 1) Whether Guru is required really?: As per Shastras Guru is must. In fact, Guru got highest position in a sadhakas life. After Guru, father got such highest position. As per Vedas, first position should be Parents and then Guru. But as per Srividya Sastras, Guru should be worshiped before parents. When a man/woman want to practice tantras he/she may accept Shiva as Guru only after search of certain years (probably eighteen years). The urge, sincerity, passion etc only will lead a person to his suitable guru. 2) Whether mantras can be published openly? - As per Shastras NO. A right practitioner of Tantra (i.e. a realised guru) can deliver a mantra to his disciple only after certain puja procedures which will take minimum two days to do. Further, there are certain ways how to deliver that mantra to his disciple. Certainly not by publishing. There are certain curses associated with if a mantra is practiced without obtaining in a proper way. But now a days people do not have such patience to do Puja Kratu to get mantra as per shastras. Of course, we do not get such a real guru. We cannot identify him even if we come across him. This is maya only. So, mantras published publicly and practiced without proper guidance (Shakti paata) will not give any results. So there is no harm in publishing. . 3) Mantras for money/ other means of commercial issues: People want instant results. They are not ready to take Satya jnanam (True knowledge). Maximum People still believe mantras are for money, woman and other materialistic desires. To get their desires fulfill they are going to commercial gurus and losing their valuable time and money. Remember, True Knowledge nothing to do with money. No one can attain liberation with money. Na karmanaa na prajayaa dhanena.... I am sad to say that one year back I have received a phone call from a gentleman from Canada (name not remembered) asked me Sir, Srividya is commercialized. What do you say? Without any hesitation I said Yes and asked why do you feel like that. To my shock he narrated his experience about some gurus in one popular ......... blog. (I do not want to reveal that blog name). But I brought that issue to the notice of author of that blog. 4) There are certain gurus who can impart true Srividya sadhana but most people cannot practice it. 5) Who can publish a mantra? Without any doubt a realized practitioner only can publish a mantra. Reason behind this is different practitioners have separate darshan of a same mantra. Examples need not be given. 6) Though I know Para Shoadasi mantra, I do not want to publish here for the reasons explained above.

And, by the way, back to Shaktism and Shree Vidya especially. The very classic Shloka 15.21 from "Shree Kularnava-Tantra" says that the japa of Mantras from books and without Guru-diksha (that is, from internet pages in some contemporary cases) gives only negative results equal to brahma-hatya (the murder of a brahmana): पुस्तके लिखितान्मन्त्रान् विलोक्य प्रजपन्ति ये ब्रह्महत्यासमं तेषां पातकं व्याधिदुःखदम् || १५-२१ || - pustake likhitAnmantrAn vilokya prajapanti ye brahmahatyAsamaM teShAM pAtakaM vyAdhiduHkhadam || Kularnava, 15-21 ||

I agree, that Shree ParaShodashi-Vidya is not for the Internet. As for Shree RamanujAcharya references, my reply is the following: [1]. In Shree Ramanuja-Vaishnava-Sampradaya we are always initiated into 3 Mantras, not just one. All these pop-bhakti stories about Shree Ramanuja sharing just 1 Mantra to people are just pop-bhakti folk stories - they are not officially supported by Shree Ramanuja-Sampradaya. [2]. Shree RamanujAcharya was a Vaishnava-Guru, NOT a Shakta-Guru. So, the above references to Shree Ramanuja are not valid at all. [3]. Some Rahasya-sadhanas based on Vaishnava-PanchaRatra (Vaishnava Agamas and Vaishnava Samhitas) also exist in Shree Ramanuja-Sampradaya and of, course, they are not to be shared. SO, PLEASE STOP REFER TO THE WRONG POP-BHAKTI STORIES ABOUT SHREE RAMANUJA-ACHARYA - these popular stories are not valid, misleading and can't be applied to Shaktism.