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Tantras (Hinduism)

February 07, 2023

For Buddhist Tantric texts, see Tantras (Buddhism). For Tantric Buddhism, see Vajrayana. For the practice of Tantra, see Tantra.

Tantras in Hinduism are esoteric scriptures.[1][2]

Classes of Hindu Tantra

The word tantra is made up by the joining (sandhi in Sanskrit) of two Sanskrit words: tanoti (expansion) and rayati (liberation). Tantra means liberation of energy and expansion of consciousness from its gross form.[3] It is a method to expand the mind and liberate the dormant potential energy, and its principles form the basis of all yogic practices. Hence, the Hindu Tantra scriptures refer to techniques for achieving a result.

The Hindu Tantras total 92 scriptures; of these, 64[4] are purely Abheda (literally "without differentiation", or monistic), known as the Bhairava Tantras or Kashmir Śaivite Tantras, 18 are Bhedābheda (literally "with differentiation and without differentiation" monistic or dualistic), known as the Rudra Tantras), and 10 are completely Bheda (literally "differentiated" or dualistic), known as the Śiva Tantras. The latter two (Rudra Tantras and Śiva Tantras) are used by the Śaiva Siddhāntins, and thus are sometimes referred to as Shaiva Siddhanta Tantras, or Śaiva Siddhānta Āgamas.

Tantra are mainly two types: Agama and Nigama. Agamas are those texts in which Goddess asked questions and the God replied. In Nigama texts, God asked questions and Goddess replied. This dialogue between God and Goddess is special feature of Hinduism Tantra.

Origin

In the Nāth Tradition, legend ascribes the origin of Tantra to Dattatreya, a semi-mythological yogi and the assumed author of the Jivanmukta Gita ("Song of the liberated soul"). Matsyendranath is credited with authorship of the Kaulajñāna-nirnāya, a voluminous ninth-century tantra dealing with a host of mystical and magical subjects. This work occupies an important position in the Hindu tantric lineage, as well as in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.

Function

In distinction to the vedic ritual, which is traditionally performed out-of-doors without any idols nor emblems, the Tantric ritual is largely a matter of temples and idols. The Tantras are largely descriptions and specifications for the construction and maintenance of temple-structures together with their enclosed idols and lingas—an example of type of text is the Ajita Māhātantra.[5] Another function was the conservation as state-secrets of texts for use by royalty to maintain their authority through rituals directed to deities controlling the political affairs-of-state—an example of this is the Śārada-tilaka Tantra.[6]

Texts

Tantric texts are usually associated with a particular tradition and deity. The different types of Tantric literature are tantra, Āgama, saṃhitā, sūtra, upaniṣad, purāṇa, tīkā (commentaries), prakaraṇa, paddhati texts, stotram, kavaca, nighaṇṭu, koṣa and hagiographical literature. They are written in Sanskrit and in regional languages. The major textual Tantra traditions with some key exemplary texts is as follows:[7]

 
A Hindu Tantric Painting. India, Pahari, circa 1780-1800. Depicting from top to bottom: Shiva, Sakti, Vishnu with his conch, Brahma sprouting from his navel, and Lakshmi. Below is Harihara and four-headed Brahma. At bottom is Trimurti. All painted against a gold ground forming the stylized seed syllable Om.
  • Śaiva – Sadaśiva (Śivagama), Vāma or Tumburu, Dakṣiṇa or Bhairava
    • Kularnava Tantra
    • Amṛteṣaṭantra or Netratantra
    • Netragyanarṇava tantra
    • Niḥśvāsatattvasaṃhitā
    • Kālottārā tantra
    • Sarvajñānottārā
    • Ṣaivāgamas
    • Raudrāgamas
    • Bhairavāgamas
    • Vāma Āgamas
    • Dakṣiṇāgamas
  • Śivaśakti traditions – Yāmala (also part of Bhairava tradition)
    • Brahma yāmala
    • Rudra yāmala
    • Skanda yāmala
    • Viṣṇu yāmala
    • Yama yāmala
    • Yāyu yāmala
    • Kubera yāmala
    • Indra yāmala
 
A tantric form of the Hindu Goddess Kali. Folio from a book of Iconography, Nepal, 17th century.
  • Śākta – Kālī traditions (Kālī, Kālī Viṣṇu, Kāmākhyā/Kubjika, Tārā and Others), Śrīkula tradition
    • Shakta Agamas
    • Muṇḍamālā tantra
    • Toḍala tantra
    • Cāmuṇḍa tantra
    • Devīyāmala
    • Mādhavakula
    • Yonigahavara,
    • Kālīkulārṇava tantra
    • Kaṇkālamālinī tantra
    • Jhaṃkārakaravīra,
    • Mahākāla saṃhitā
    • Kālī tantra
    • Kālajñāna tantra
    • Kumārī tantra
    • Siddhalaharī tantra
    • Niruttārā tantra
    • Kālīvilāsa tantra
    • Utpatti tantra
    • Kāmadhenu tantra
    • Nirvāṇa tantra
    • Kāmākhyā tantra
    • Tārā tantra
    • Kaula tantra
    • Matsya Sūkta / Tārā Kalpa
    • Samayā tantra
    • Vāmakeshvara tantra
    • Tantrajā tantra
    • Yoginī tantra
  • Kula - Kulamārga and Other tantras
    • Kulārṇava tantra
    • Mahānirvāṇa tantra
    • Kulacūḍāmaṇi tantra
    • Kulārṇava tantra
    • Guptasādhana tantra
    • Mātṛkābheda tantra
  • Vaiṣṇava – Vaikhanasas, Pancharatra, bhakti-oriented tantras of Kṛṣṇa and Rāma
    • Pāñcarātra saṃhitā texts
    • Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā
    • Jayākhya saṃhitā
    • Pārameśvara saṃhitā
    • Pauśkara saṃhitā
    • Pādma saṃhitā
    • Nāradīya saṃhitā
    • Haṃsaparameśvara saṃhitā
    • Lakṣmī tantra
    • Vaihāyasa saṃhitā
    • Śrīkālapraā saṃhitā
    • Vaikhānasa Āgamas
    • Gautamīya tantra
    • Bṛhadbrahma saṃhitā
    • Māheśvara tantra
    • Sātvata tantra
    • Rādhā tantra
    • Agastya saṃhitā and Dāśarathīya tantra
    • Īśāna saṃhitā and Ūrdhvāṃnāya saṃhitā
  • Mantra-śāstra - textbooks on Mantras, metaphysics of mantric sound, related practices and rituals
    • Prapañcasāra tantra and its commentaries and Ṭīkās
    • Śāradatilaka tantra by Lakṣmaṇa Deśikendra
    • Mantramuktāvali of Paramahaṃsa Pūrṇaprakāśa
    • Mantramahodadhi of Mahīdhara
    • Mantradevaprakāśikā of Viṣṇudeva
    • Mantrakamalākara of Kamalākara Bhaṭṭa
    • Mantraratnākara of Yadunātha Cakravartin
    • Mantramahārṇava of Mādhava Rāya Vaidya
    • Tantrasāra of Kṛṣṇānanda āgamvāgiśa
  • Nibandha - handbooks on ritual worship, sadhana and puja
    • Kriyākalpataru of śaktinātha Kalyānakara
    • Kaulāvalīnirṇaya of Jñānānandagiri Paramahaṃsa
    • śāktanandataraṃgiṇī of Brahmānanda Giri
    • śāktakrama of Pūrṇānanda
    • śrītattvacintāmaṇi of Pūrṇānanda
    • āgamakalpadruma of Govinda
    • āgamakalpalatikā of Yadunātha
    • āgamatattvavilāsa of Raghunātha Tarkavāgīśa, and āgamachandrikā of Rāmakṛṣṇa
    • Tantrachintāmaṇi of Navamīsiṃha
    • Prāṇatoṣiṇī of Rāmatoṣaṇa Vidyālaṃkāra
    • Śhivarahasya
    • Śaivakalpadruma
  • Saura Tantras
  • Ganapatya Tantras
  • Others – supernatural, chemistry, astrology, alchemy, etc.,

Translations

Most Hindu Tantras remain untranslated. One widely translated exception is the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, which according to Christopher Wallis, is atypical of most Tantric scriptures.[8]

Sir John Woodroffe translated the Tantra of the Great Liberation (Mahānirvāna Tantra) (1913) into English along with other Tantric texts. Other tantras which have been translated into a Western language include the Malini-vijayottara tantra, the Kirana tantra, and the Parakhya Tantra.[9]

Some translation of Tantra texts

1. The Kulachudamani Tantra and

Vamkehwar Tantra, Louise M. Finn

2. Kularnava Tantra, Paramhansa Mishra

3. Kularnava Tantra, Ram Rahim Rai

4. Yogini Hridaya, Vraj Vallabh Dwivedi

5. Yogini Tantra by GangaVishnu ShriKrishnadas

6. Maheshwar Tantra Sarala Hindi Vyakhya Sudhakar Malaviya Chowkambha (Narada Pancrata)

7. Kamratna Tantra, Hemchandra Goswami

Tantric Texts Series Arthur Avalon (John Woodroffe)

1. Tantrabhidhanam with Bijanighantu & Mudranighantu - A Tantric Dictionary

2. Shatchakranirupanam (Serpant Power) with 2 commentaries - Taranatha Vaidyaratna

3. Prapachasaratantram (reprinted as volumes 18 & 19)

4. Kulachudamani Tantra - Girish Chandra Vedantatirtha

5. Kularnavatantram edited by Taranatha Vaidyaratna

6. Kalivilasatantram edited by Parvati Charana Tarkatirtha

7. Shrichakrasambhara edited by Kazi Dawa samdup (Buddhist Tantra)

8. Tantraraja Part 1 commentary by Subhagananda Natha

9. Karpuradistotra with intro & commentary by Vimalananda Swami

10. Kamakalavilasa of Punyananda, commentary by Natananadanatha

11. Kaula & Other Upanishads with commentaries by Bhaskararaya & others

12. Tantraraja Part 2 commentary by Subhagananda Natha

13. Mahanirvanatantram with commentary of Hariharananda Bharati

14. Kaulavalinirnayah of Jnanananda Paramahamsa

15. Brahmasamhita with commentary of Jiva Gosvami & Vishnusahasranama

16. Sharadatilakatantram of Lakshmana Desikendra with commentary Part 1

17. Sharadatilakatantram of Lakshmana Desikendra with commentary Part 2

18. Prapachasaratantram Part 1

19. Prapachasaratantram Part 2

20. Chidgaganachandrika - Swami Trivikrama Tirtha

21. Tarabhakti Sudharnava - Panchanana Bhattacharya Tarkaratna

22. Sataratna samgraha, with Sataratnollekhani - Edited by Panchanan Sastri

Notes

  1. ^ Flood, Gavin. D. 1996. An Introduction to Hinduism. P. 158
  2. ^ Smith, Travis. Tantra in Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Brill. pp. 168–181. ISBN 978-90-04-17893-9.
  3. ^ "Tantra Energy Healing". Lina Tantric Healer. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  4. ^ . Archived from the original on 2015-08-11. Retrieved 2015-08-26.
  5. ^ Ajita_Mahatantra 1–18 Ajita_Mahatantra,_19-35 Ajita_Mahatantra,_36-66 Ajita_Mahatantra,_67-89
  6. ^ S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_1 S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_2 S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_3-5
  7. ^ Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay; Demystifying Tantra-III: Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava Tantras, http://indiafacts.org/demystifying-tantra-saiva-vai%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%87ava-tantras/
  8. ^ Wallis, Christopher; Tantra Illuminated
  9. ^ Wallis, Christopher; Tantra Illuminated

See also

References

  • Lakshmanjoo, Swami. Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme. ISBN 1-58721-505-5
  • Dhallapiccola, Anna. Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend. ISBN 0-500-51088-1
  • Walker, Benjamin (1983). Tantrism: Its Secret Principles and Practices. Borgo Press. ISBN 0-85030-272-2
  • Wallis, Christopher (2013) Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition. Mattamayura Press. ISBN 0989761304
  • [1]
  • Shiva Shakti Mandalam

Further reading

  • Bagchi, P.C. (1986). Kaulajnana-nirnaya of the School of Matsyendranath Varanasi: Prachya Prakashan. Magee, Michael (trans.).
  • Woodroffe, John. Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation). Retrieved 2007-05-17.

February 07, 2023
tantras, hinduism, buddhist, tantric, texts, tantras, buddhism, tantric, buddhism, vajrayana, practice, tantra, tantra, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsou. For Buddhist Tantric texts see Tantras Buddhism For Tantric Buddhism see Vajrayana For the practice of Tantra see Tantra This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Tantras Hinduism news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2007 Learn how and when to remove this template message Tantras in Hinduism are esoteric scriptures 1 2 Contents 1 Classes of Hindu Tantra 2 Origin 3 Function 4 Texts 4 1 Translations 5 Notes 6 See also 7 References 8 Further readingClasses of Hindu Tantra EditThe word tantra is made up by the joining sandhi in Sanskrit of two Sanskrit words tanoti expansion and rayati liberation Tantra means liberation of energy and expansion of consciousness from its gross form 3 It is a method to expand the mind and liberate the dormant potential energy and its principles form the basis of all yogic practices Hence the Hindu Tantra scriptures refer to techniques for achieving a result The Hindu Tantras total 92 scriptures of these 64 4 are purely Abheda literally without differentiation or monistic known as the Bhairava Tantras or Kashmir Saivite Tantras 18 are Bhedabheda literally with differentiation and without differentiation monistic or dualistic known as the Rudra Tantras and 10 are completely Bheda literally differentiated or dualistic known as the Siva Tantras The latter two Rudra Tantras and Siva Tantras are used by the Saiva Siddhantins and thus are sometimes referred to as Shaiva Siddhanta Tantras or Saiva Siddhanta Agamas Tantra are mainly two types Agama and Nigama Agamas are those texts in which Goddess asked questions and the God replied In Nigama texts God asked questions and Goddess replied This dialogue between God and Goddess is special feature of Hinduism Tantra Origin EditIn the Nath Tradition legend ascribes the origin of Tantra to Dattatreya a semi mythological yogi and the assumed author of the Jivanmukta Gita Song of the liberated soul Matsyendranath is credited with authorship of the Kaulajnana nirnaya a voluminous ninth century tantra dealing with a host of mystical and magical subjects This work occupies an important position in the Hindu tantric lineage as well as in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism Function EditIn distinction to the vedic ritual which is traditionally performed out of doors without any idols nor emblems the Tantric ritual is largely a matter of temples and idols The Tantras are largely descriptions and specifications for the construction and maintenance of temple structures together with their enclosed idols and lingas an example of type of text is the Ajita Mahatantra 5 Another function was the conservation as state secrets of texts for use by royalty to maintain their authority through rituals directed to deities controlling the political affairs of state an example of this is the Sarada tilaka Tantra 6 Texts EditTantric texts are usually associated with a particular tradition and deity The different types of Tantric literature are tantra Agama saṃhita sutra upaniṣad puraṇa tika commentaries prakaraṇa paddhati texts stotram kavaca nighaṇṭu koṣa and hagiographical literature They are written in Sanskrit and in regional languages The major textual Tantra traditions with some key exemplary texts is as follows 7 A Hindu Tantric Painting India Pahari circa 1780 1800 Depicting from top to bottom Shiva Sakti Vishnu with his conch Brahma sprouting from his navel and Lakshmi Below is Harihara and four headed Brahma At bottom is Trimurti All painted against a gold ground forming the stylized seed syllable Om Saiva Sadasiva Sivagama Vama or Tumburu Dakṣiṇa or Bhairava Kularnava Tantra Amṛteṣaṭantra or Netratantra Netragyanarṇava tantra Niḥsvasatattvasaṃhita Kalottara tantra Sarvajnanottara Ṣaivagamas Raudragamas Bhairavagamas Vama Agamas Dakṣiṇagamas Sivasakti traditions Yamala also part of Bhairava tradition Brahma yamala Rudra yamala Skanda yamala Viṣṇu yamala Yama yamala Yayu yamala Kubera yamala Indra yamala A tantric form of the Hindu Goddess Kali Folio from a book of Iconography Nepal 17th century Sakta Kali traditions Kali Kali Viṣṇu Kamakhya Kubjika Tara and Others Srikula tradition Shakta Agamas Muṇḍamala tantra Toḍala tantra Camuṇḍa tantra Deviyamala Madhavakula Yonigahavara Kalikularṇava tantra Kaṇkalamalini tantra Jhaṃkarakaravira Mahakala saṃhita Kali tantra Kalajnana tantra Kumari tantra Siddhalahari tantra Niruttara tantra Kalivilasa tantra Utpatti tantra Kamadhenu tantra Nirvaṇa tantra Kamakhya tantra Tara tantra Kaula tantra Matsya Sukta Tara Kalpa Samaya tantra Vamakeshvara tantra Tantraja tantra Yogini tantra Kula Kulamarga and Other tantras Kularṇava tantra Mahanirvaṇa tantra Kulacuḍamaṇi tantra Kularṇava tantra Guptasadhana tantra Matṛkabheda tantra Vaiṣṇava Vaikhanasas Pancharatra bhakti oriented tantras of Kṛṣṇa and Rama Pancaratra saṃhita texts Ahirbudhnya Saṃhita Jayakhya saṃhita Paramesvara saṃhita Pauskara saṃhita Padma saṃhita Naradiya saṃhita Haṃsaparamesvara saṃhita Lakṣmi tantra Vaihayasa saṃhita Srikalapraa saṃhita Vaikhanasa Agamas Gautamiya tantra Bṛhadbrahma saṃhita Mahesvara tantra Satvata tantra Radha tantra Agastya saṃhita and Dasarathiya tantra isana saṃhita and urdhvaṃnaya saṃhita Mantra sastra textbooks on Mantras metaphysics of mantric sound related practices and rituals Prapancasara tantra and its commentaries and Ṭikas Saradatilaka tantra by Lakṣmaṇa Desikendra Mantramuktavali of Paramahaṃsa Purṇaprakasa Mantramahodadhi of Mahidhara Mantradevaprakasika of Viṣṇudeva Mantrakamalakara of Kamalakara Bhaṭṭa Mantraratnakara of Yadunatha Cakravartin Mantramaharṇava of Madhava Raya Vaidya Tantrasara of Kṛṣṇananda agamvagisa Nibandha handbooks on ritual worship sadhana and puja Kriyakalpataru of saktinatha Kalyanakara Kaulavalinirṇaya of Jnananandagiri Paramahaṃsa saktanandataraṃgiṇi of Brahmananda Giri saktakrama of Purṇananda sritattvacintamaṇi of Purṇananda agamakalpadruma of Govinda agamakalpalatika of Yadunatha agamatattvavilasa of Raghunatha Tarkavagisa and agamachandrika of Ramakṛṣṇa Tantrachintamaṇi of Navamisiṃha Praṇatoṣiṇi of Ramatoṣaṇa Vidyalaṃkara Shivarahasya Saivakalpadruma Saura Tantras Ganapatya Tantras Others supernatural chemistry astrology alchemy etc Translations Edit Most Hindu Tantras remain untranslated One widely translated exception is the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra which according to Christopher Wallis is atypical of most Tantric scriptures 8 Sir John Woodroffe translated the Tantra of the Great Liberation Mahanirvana Tantra 1913 into English along with other Tantric texts Other tantras which have been translated into a Western language include the Malini vijayottara tantra the Kirana tantra and the Parakhya Tantra 9 Some translation of Tantra texts1 The Kulachudamani Tantra andVamkehwar Tantra Louise M Finn2 Kularnava Tantra Paramhansa Mishra3 Kularnava Tantra Ram Rahim Rai4 Yogini Hridaya Vraj Vallabh Dwivedi5 Yogini Tantra by GangaVishnu ShriKrishnadas6 Maheshwar Tantra Sarala Hindi Vyakhya Sudhakar Malaviya Chowkambha Narada Pancrata 7 Kamratna Tantra Hemchandra GoswamiTantric Texts Series Arthur Avalon John Woodroffe 1 Tantrabhidhanam with Bijanighantu amp Mudranighantu A Tantric Dictionary2 Shatchakranirupanam Serpant Power with 2 commentaries Taranatha Vaidyaratna3 Prapachasaratantram reprinted as volumes 18 amp 19 4 Kulachudamani Tantra Girish Chandra Vedantatirtha5 Kularnavatantram edited by Taranatha Vaidyaratna6 Kalivilasatantram edited by Parvati Charana Tarkatirtha7 Shrichakrasambhara edited by Kazi Dawa samdup Buddhist Tantra 8 Tantraraja Part 1 commentary by Subhagananda Natha9 Karpuradistotra with intro amp commentary by Vimalananda Swami10 Kamakalavilasa of Punyananda commentary by Natananadanatha11 Kaula amp Other Upanishads with commentaries by Bhaskararaya amp others12 Tantraraja Part 2 commentary by Subhagananda Natha13 Mahanirvanatantram with commentary of Hariharananda Bharati14 Kaulavalinirnayah of Jnanananda Paramahamsa15 Brahmasamhita with commentary of Jiva Gosvami amp Vishnusahasranama16 Sharadatilakatantram of Lakshmana Desikendra with commentary Part 117 Sharadatilakatantram of Lakshmana Desikendra with commentary Part 218 Prapachasaratantram Part 119 Prapachasaratantram Part 220 Chidgaganachandrika Swami Trivikrama Tirtha21 Tarabhakti Sudharnava Panchanana Bhattacharya Tarkaratna22 Sataratna samgraha with Sataratnollekhani Edited by Panchanan SastriNotes Edit Flood Gavin D 1996 An Introduction to Hinduism P 158 Smith Travis Tantra in Brill s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Brill pp 168 181 ISBN 978 90 04 17893 9 Tantra Energy Healing Lina Tantric Healer Retrieved 2020 09 28 64Tantras Archived from the original on 2015 08 11 Retrieved 2015 08 26 Ajita Mahatantra 1 18 Ajita Mahatantra 19 35 Ajita Mahatantra 36 66 Ajita Mahatantra 67 89 S 60arada tilaka Tantra 1 S 60arada tilaka Tantra 2 S 60arada tilaka Tantra 3 5 Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay Demystifying Tantra III Saiva and Vaiṣṇava Tantras http indiafacts org demystifying tantra saiva vai E1 B9 A3 E1 B9 87ava tantras Wallis Christopher Tantra Illuminated Wallis Christopher Tantra IlluminatedSee also EditKashmir Saivism Tantra History of ShaktismReferences EditLakshmanjoo Swami Kashmir Shaivism The Secret Supreme ISBN 1 58721 505 5 Dhallapiccola Anna Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend ISBN 0 500 51088 1 Walker Benjamin 1983 Tantrism Its Secret Principles and Practices Borgo Press ISBN 0 85030 272 2 Wallis Christopher 2013 Tantra Illuminated The Philosophy History and Practice of a Timeless Tradition Mattamayura Press ISBN 0989761304 1 Shiva Shakti MandalamFurther reading EditBagchi P C 1986 Kaulajnana nirnaya of the School of Matsyendranath Varanasi Prachya Prakashan Magee Michael trans Woodroffe John Mahanirvana Tantra Tantra of the Great Liberation Retrieved 2007 05 17 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tantras Hinduism amp oldid 1133767764, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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