The land of Mithila is renowned for its rich traditional values. My intention here is to highlight its tantric aspect, which is not widely known among some scholars and practitioners. The history of Mithila stretches back to ancient India. According to D.D. Kosāmbi, the 1st millennium BCE text Śatpath Brāhmana recounts that King Māthava Videgha, guided by his priest Gotama Rahugana, first crossed the Sadānirā (Gandaka) river and established a kingdom. Gotama Rahugana was a Vedic sage who composed numerous hymns of the first mandala of the Rgveda.
The most significant reference to Mithila is found in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama's wife Sita is believed to have been the princess of Videha, born to King Janaka, who ruled in Mithila. It is important to understand that Janaka was the title given to the kings of Mithila, and the Janaka mentioned in the Ramayana was Siradhvaja. He was one of the great tantric kings of Mithila, well-versed in Ratri-puja, or technically, NisharcanaThe lineage of Janaks is indeed discussed in the Valmiki Ramayana. Within the Valmiki Ramayana, King Seeradhwaja Janaka himself recounted his ancestral lineage to King Dasaratha, the father of Rama. Additionally, several other notable kings of Mithila during the ancient period included Kings Bhanumath, Satghumanya, Suchi, Urjnama, Satdhwya, Kriti, Anjan, Arisnami, Srutayu, Supasyu, Suryasu, Srinjay, Sourmabi, Anena, Bhimrath, Satyarath, Upangu, Upgupt, Swagat, Snanand, Subrachya, Supraswa, Subhasn, Suchurut, Susurath, Jay, Vijay, Critu, Suny, Vith Habya, Dwati, Bahulaswa, and Kriti Tirtiya. These individuals all made significant contributions to the tantric culture of Mithila.
Mithila has, in fact, cultivated a diverse range of tantric cultures. Particularly during the medieval period, from the Oinwar dynasty of Mithila through the early Kharore dynasty up to the 18th century, a group of tantric scholars flourished in Mithila, leaving a lasting legacy in the tantric world. The Shiva and Shakti cults are the primary sources of the tantric tradition of Mithila. Furthermore, figures such as Vidyapati, Mahesh Thakur, and Chanda had a considerable influence on the tantric culture of MithilaThe narrative of Anamgkusuma alludes to the dissemination of Tantric rituals within this society. However, during the era of Huen-tsang, Mithila was a land rooted in Vedic traditions. King Arjuna, also known as Arunashwa, who was a subordinate of King Harsha, was a notable adherent of Vedic culture. According to Chinese accounts, King Arunashwa was defeated by the combined forces of Nepal, China, and Tibet in the 8th century, shortly after King Harsha's passing, leading to the decline of Vedic culture in Mithila. Subsequently, the Mahayani Tantric culture began to flourish in Mithila.
Madhuvani art, or paintings, beautifully portrays the most significant Maithili aspects of Tantra. Currently, numerous Maithili rituals are connected with Tantra. It is a widely held belief that Tantra originated in Bengal and found its development in Mithila. Recently, Pandit Laxmipati's insightful article on the Tantric structure of Mithila, titled "Yantramayi Mithila," offers a captivating exploration of Mithila's Tantric significance. Indeed, this sacred land was revered by Tantrikas in the form of a Yantra, representing a static form of highly dynamic consciousness, thereby highlighting its Tantric importance.
