Tantras

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Tantras

Tantras ("Looms" or "Weavings") refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. Although Buddhist and Hindu Tantra have many similarities from the outside, they do have some clear distinctions.

word Tantra also means technique or method.

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Classes of Hindu Tantra

The word Tantra also means technique or method. Hence, the Hindu Tantra scriptures refer to techiques for achieving a result, which in most cases is self-realization.

The Hindu Tantras total ninety-two scriptures, where sixty four are purely Abheda (literally "without differentiation", or monistic

Monism

Monism is any philosophical view which holds that there is unity in a given field of inquiry, where this is not to be expected. Thus, some philosophers may hold that the Universe is really just one thing, despite its many appearances and diversities; or theology may support the view that there is one God, with many manifestations in different...
), known as the Bhairava

Bhairava

Bhairava , sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya, is the fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation....
Tantras or Kashmir Saivite Tantras, eighteen are Bhedabheda (literally "with differentiation and without differentiation" or monistic

Monism

Dualism

Rudra

Rudra is a Rigvedic deities of the storm, the wind, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "Roarer", "Howler", "Wild One", and "Terrible"....
Tantras

Tantras

Tantras refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. Although Buddhist and Hindu Tantra have many similarities from the outside, they do have some clear distinctions....
), and ten are completely Bheda (literally "differentiated" or dualistic

Dualism

Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two" . The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general usage....
), known as the Tantras. The latter two (Rudra Tantras and Tantras) are used by the Saiva Siddhantins, and thus are sometimes referred to as Saiva Siddhanta Tantras, or Saiva Siddhanta Agamas.

Revelation

Hindus

Hinduism

'Hinduism' is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as , a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal dharma", by its practitioners....
consider the tantras

Tantras

Sruti

If you are looking for the singer, see Shruti Haasan. For other meanings, see Sruti . is a term that describes the sacred texts comprising the central canon of Hinduism and is one of the three main sources of dharma and therefore is also influential within Hindu Law....
, imparted by (Shiva

Shiva

Shiva: is a major Hinduism god, and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is one of panchadeva....
) in the form of Svacchandanath

Svacchandanath

In the Kashmir Shaivism tradition, Svacchandanath is an avatar of ?iva, said to have revealed the ninety two Tantras, at the beginning of the Sat Yuga....
, who created each tantra as a combination of his five universal energies, or shakti

Shakti

Shakti, from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that move through the entire universe....
: cit sakti (energy of all-consciousness), ananda sakti (energy of all-bliss), iccha sakti (energy of all-will), jñana sakti (energy of all-knowledge), kriya sakti (energy of all-action). The Tantrika Parampara, or 'Tantric tradition

Tantra

Tantra , or tantram is a religious philosophy according to which Shakti is usually the main deity worshipped, and the universe is regarded as the divine play of shakti and shiva....
' may be considered parallel or intertwined with the Vaidika Parampara or 'Vedic

Vedic period

The Vedic Period is the period during which the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Indo-Iranians, were being composed. Scholars place the Vedic period in the 2nd millennium BCE and 1st millennium BCE millennia BCE continuing up to the 6th century BCE based on literary evidence....
tradition'. It is said that Svacchandanath

Svacchandanath

In the Kashmir Shaivism tradition, Svacchandanath is an avatar of ?iva, said to have revealed the ninety two Tantras, at the beginning of the Sat Yuga....
illuminated the universe, beginning the Sat Yuga, or 'golden age', by revealing these tantras. Through the ages, as the mahasiddha

Mahasiddha

Mahasiddha is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates siddhi. They are a type of eccentric yoga in both Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism....
or 'great masters' of the tantras hid themselves to escape the touch of the increasingly worldly people, these teachings were lost during the Kali Yuga

Kali Yuga

Kali Yuga , is one of the four stages of development that the world goes through as part of the cycle of Yugas, as described in Indian scriptures, the others being Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga....
or 'degenerate age'. As a part of 's grace, took the form Srikanthanatha at and revealed the ninety-two Hindu tantras to Durvasa

Durvasa

In Hinduism, Durvasa is an ancient Rishi, son of Atri and Anasuya. He is supposed to be an incaranation of Shiva. He is supposed to be the only rishi whose penance goes up whenever he curses somebody....
and then disappeared into the Akasa

Akasa

The Akasa Group of companies is a manufacturer of computer components. Akasa was founded in 1997 and has offices in Taipei and London....
or ether.

Origin

In the Nath Tradition, legend ascribes the origin of Tantra to Dattatreya

Dattatreya

Dattatreya is considered by Hindus to be god who is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The word Datta means "Given", Datta is called so because the divine trinity have "given" themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya....
, 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

Mysticism

Mysticism is the pursuit of communion with, Unio Mystica with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, Spirituality, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight....
and magical

Magic (paranormal)

Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
subjects, and occupies an important position in the Hindu tantric lineage, as well as in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.

Function

In contradistinction to the Vaidik ritual, which is traditionally performed out-of-doors without any idols nor emblems, the Taantrik ritual is largely a matter of temples and idols. The Tantra-s are largely descriptions and specifications for the construction and maintenance of temple-structures together with their enclosed idols and linga-s -- an example of type of text is the Ajita Mahaatantra. 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 S`aarada-tilaka Tantra.

Tantras

Classes of Hindu Tantra

Revelation

Origin

Function

See also

Further reading