[Footnote 691: There is a curious tendency in India to regard the male principle as quiescent, the female as active and stimulating. The Chinese, who are equally fond of using these two principles in their cosmological speculations, adopt the opposite view. The _Yang_ (male) is positive and active. The _Yin_ (female) is negative and passive.] [Footnote 692: The Mahânirvâṇa Tantra seems to have been composed in Bengal since it recommends for sacrificial purposes (VI. 7) three kinds of fish said to be characteristic of that region. On the other hand Buddhist works called Tantras are said to have been composed in north-western India. Udyâna had an old reputation for magic and even in modern times Śâktism exists in western Tibet and Leh. It is highly probable that in all these districts the practice of magic and the worship of mountain goddesses were prevalent, but I find little evidence that a definite Śâkta sect arose elsewhere than in Bengal and Assam or that the Śâktist corruption of Buddhism prevailed elsewhere than in Magadha and Bengal.] [Footnote 693: But the Brahmans of isolated localities, like Satara in the Bombay Presidency, are said to be Śâktas and the Kâñculiyas of S. India are described as a Śâktist sect.] [Footnote 694: The law-giver Baudhâyana seems to have regarded Aṅga and Vaṅga with suspicion, I. 1.13, 14.] [Footnote 695: See especially the story of Manasâ Devi in Dinesh Chandra Sen (_Beng. Lang. and Lit_. 257), who says the earliest literary version dates from the twelfth century. But doubtless the story is much older.] [Footnote 696: Virâtap. chap. VI. (not in all MSS.). Bhishmap. chap. XXIII. Also in the Harivaṃsa, _vv._ 3236 ff. Pargiter considers that the Devî-Mâhâtmya was probably composed in the fifth or sixth century. Chap. XXI. of the Lotus Sûtra 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 Kâdamb. 134.] [Footnote 698: Hymns to the Devî 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 Śâkta scriptures it is not restricted to them and we hear of both Buddhist and Vaishṇava Tantras.] [Footnote 700: The Adhyâtma Râmâyaṇa is an instance of Śâktist ideas in another theological setting. It is a Vishnuite work but Sità is made to say that she is _Prakṛiti_ who does all the deeds related in the poem, whereas Râma is _Purusha_, inactive and a witness of her deeds.]