The Essence of Tantra

volume of the Tantrāloka as onerous to less assiduous people of later generations, the aforesaid Abhinava Gupta epitomised the contents thereof in what is called the Tantrasāra Essence of the Tantras, the subject of our discourse. In a prelude to the Tantrasāra, the author points out the necessity of the work in a verse which runs thus:—

'My Tantrāloka is too voluminous and as such its thorough study will be trying to people of less assiduous habits. The Tantrasāra, which is an epitome of the Tantrāloka, will on a small scale be as useful to the reader as the latter work.'

original: "विततस्तन्त्रालोको विगाहितुं नैव शक्यते सर्वैः । ऋजुवचनविरचितमिदं तु तन्त्रसारं ततः शृणुत ॥"

In stating the aims of the book, the author adds:—

'Ignorance is said to be verily the cause of all worldly trammels. It has been termed as Mala impurity in the Shāstras scriptures. With the knowledge of oneself as the Supreme Self, such Mala is reduced to nothing, and the stage thus arrived at is called Mōksha liberation or freedom from miseries caused by Mala. I expose the means for obtaining such Mōksha in this Shāstra. Herein the reader will find a brief explanation of the Tattvas principles/realities, the knowledge whereof is indispensable for Self-realisation.'

original: "अज्ञानं किल बन्धहेतुरुदितः शास्त्रे मलं तत्स्मृतं पूर्णज्ञानकलोदये तदखिलं निर्मूलतां गच्छति । ध्वस्ताशेषमलात्मसंविच्छुद्धये मोक्षश्च तेनामुना शास्त्रेण प्रकटीकरोमि निखिलं यज्ज्ञेयतत्त्वं भवेत् ॥"

It will be interesting for the reader to know that the present work lays down two ways by which the individual self can realize how he is identical with the Supreme Self. One way leads to this end irrespective