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{{Hatnote|For Buddhist Tantric texts, see [[Buddhist Tantras]]. For Tantric Buddhism, see [[Vajrayana]]. For the practice of Tantra, see [[Tantra]].}}
{{More citations needed|article|date=August 2007}}

{{Hindu scriptures}}
{{Saivism}}
'''Tantras''' ("'''''doctrine'''''" or "'''''framework'''''" or "'''''system'''''" <ref>{cite|web url="https://hareesh.org/blog/2015/6/10/definition-of-the-word-tantra"}</ref>) refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. The religious culture of the Tantras is essentially Hindu, and Buddhist Tantric material can be shown to have been derived from Hindu sources.<ref>Flood, Gavin. D. 1996. An Introduction to Hinduism. P. 158</ref> And although [[Hindu]] and [[Buddhist]] Tantra have many similarities from the outside, they do have some clear distinctions.<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Travis|title=Tantra in Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism|publisher=Brill|isbn=978 90 04 17893 9|pages=168–181}}</ref> The rest of this article deals with Hindu Tantra. Buddhist Tantras are described in the article on [[Buddhist Tantras]].

==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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tantra Energy Healing|url=http://www.linatantrafl.com/service/energy-healing/|access-date=2020-09-28|website=Lina Tantric Healer|language=en-US}}</ref> 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 ninety-two scriptures; of these, sixty-four<ref>http://www.64tantras.com/64thantra.php (Note: As of July 2021 this link is dead and directs to a spam page.)</ref> are purely ''Abheda'' (literally "without differentiation", or [[monism|monistic]]), known as the [[Bhairava]] Tantras or [[Kashmir Śaivism|Kashmir Śaivite]] Tantras, eighteen are ''Bhedābheda'' (literally "with differentiation and without differentiation" [[monism|monistic]] or [[Dualism (Indian philosophy)|dualistic]]), known as the [[Rudra]] Tantras), and ten are completely ''Bheda'' (literally "differentiated" or [[Dualism (Indian philosophy)|dualistic]]), known as the {{IAST|[[Śiva]]}} Tantras. The latter two (''Rudra'' Tantras and ''{{IAST|Śiva}}'' Tantras) are used by the Śaiva Siddhāntins, and thus are sometimes referred to as [[Shaiva Siddhanta]] Tantras, or Śaiva Siddhānta ''[[Āgama (Hinduism)|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 [[mysticism|mystical]] and [[magic (paranormal)|magical]] subjects. This work 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 Tantrik 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''.<ref>[http://texts.00.gs/Ajita_Mahatantra,_1-18.htm Ajita_Mahatantra 1–18] [http://texts.00.gs/Ajita_Mahatantra,_19-35.htm Ajita_Mahatantra,_19-35] [http://texts.00.gs/Ajita_Mahatantra,_36-66.htm Ajita_Mahatantra,_36-66] [http://texts.00.gs/Ajita_Mahatantra,_67-89.htm Ajita_Mahatantra,_67-89]</ref>
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''.<ref>[http://texts.00.gs/S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_1.htm S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_1] [http://texts.00.gs/S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_2.htm S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_2] [http://texts.00.gs/S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_3-5.htm S%60arada-tilaka_Tantra,_3-5]</ref>

==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:<ref>Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay; Demystifying Tantra-III: Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava Tantras, http://indiafacts.org/demystifying-tantra-saiva-vai%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%87ava-tantras/</ref>
[[Image:A Pahari painting of an OM containing deities, c.1780-1800.jpg|thumb|200px|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
**[[Āgama (Hinduism)#Shaiva Agamas|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

[[Image:A Tantric Form of the Hindu Goddess Kali (Recto), Horse (Verso), Folio from a Book of Iconography LACMA M.81.206.9.jpg|thumb|200px|A tantric form of the Hindu Goddess Kali. Folio from a book of Iconography, Nepal, 17th century.]]
*[[Śākta]] – [[Kālī]] traditions ([[Shaktism#Kalikula: family of Kali|Kālī]], Kālī Viṣṇu, [[Kamakhya|Kāmākhyā]]/[[Kubjika]], [[Tara (Mahavidya)|Tārā]] and Others), [[Shri Vidya|Śrīkula]] tradition
**Shakta Agamas
**Muṇḍamālātantra
**Toḍalatantra
**Cāmuṇḍatantra
**Devīyāmala
**Mādhavakula
**Yonigahavara,
**Kālīkulārṇava tantra
**Kaṇkālamālinī tantra
**Jhaṃkārakaravīra,
**Mahākālasaṃhitā
**Kālī tantra
**Kālajñāna tantra
**Kumārī tantra
**Toḍala 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
**[[Yogini Tantra|Yoginī tantra]]
*Kula - [[Kulamārga]] and Other tantras
**Kulārṇava tantra
**Mahānirvāṇa tantra
**Kulacūḍāmaṇitantra
**Kulārṇavatantra
**Guptasādhanatantra
**Mātṛkābhedatantra.
*[[Vaiṣṇava]] – [[Vaikhanasas]], [[Pancharatra]], [[bhakti]]-oriented tantras of [[Kṛṣṇa]] and [[Rāma]]
**Pāñcarātra saṃhitā texts
**[[Ahirbudhnya Samhita|Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā]]
**Jayākhya saṃhitā
**Pārameśvara saṃhitā
**Pauśkara saṃhitā
**Pādma saṃhitā
**Nāradīya saṃhitā
**Haṃsaparameśvara saṃhitā
**Vaihāyasa saṃhitā
**Śrīkālapraā saṃhitā
**Vaikhānasa Āgamas
**Gautamīya tantra
**Bṛhadbrahmasaṃhitā
**Māheśvaratantra
**Sātvatatantra
**Rādhātantra
**Agastyasaṃhitā and Dāśarathīyatantra
**Īśānasaṃhitā and Ūrdhvāṃnāyasaṃhitā
*[[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 (Hinduism)|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 (Hinduism)|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.<ref>Wallis, Christopher; Tantra Illuminated</ref>

[[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.<ref>Wallis, Christopher; Tantra Illuminated</ref>

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

<br />

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Kashmir Śaivism]]
* [[Tantra]]
* [[History of Shaktism]]

==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}}
*[[Benjamin Walker (author)|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}}
* [http://www.64tantras.com/64thantra.php]
*Shiva Shakti [http://www.shivashakti.com/ Mandalam]

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Bagchi|first=P.C.|others=Magee, Michael (trans.)|year=1986|title=Kaulajnana-nirnaya of the School of Matsyendranath Varanasi: Prachya Prakashan}}
*{{cite book|last=Woodroffe|first=John|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/maha/|title=Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation)|access-date=2007-05-17}}












[[Category:Hindu texts]]
[[Category:Tantra]]
[[Category:Vajrayana]]

Tantras (Hinduism) - Revision history

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