The Essence of Tantra

...by the great master, the illustrious Abhinavagupta, for the sake of reviving the Shaivāgama. Observing that the vast nature of the Tantrāloka made it inaccessible to many due to their lack of persistence and focus, this Tantrasāra Essence of the Tantras was composed by the praiseworthy master himself, containing the essence of all the topics in the Tantrāloka, as he states at the very beginning:

"The vast Tantrāloka cannot be grasped by all.
Therefore, listen to this Tantrasāra, which is composed in simple language."

(5) In this work, after describing the connection, the qualified person, the purpose, and the correlation, the subject matter is introduced. As stated in the opening verse: "Ignorance is said to be the cause of bondage..."

(6) In this scripture, the attainment of one's own nature—which is the realization of the knowledge of the principles (tattvas)—is prescribed both with and without means. Regarding the path with means, the method of absorption is classified into three types—Shāmbhava the divine method, Shākta the method of power, and Āṇava the method of the individual—based on the dominance of will, knowledge, and action. As the verse states: "The Self is of the nature of light..." In this way, in the first chapter (Āhnika), the various kinds of consciousness are determined. In all subsequent chapters, the respective topics are concluded with summary verses.

(7) Now, in the second chapter, the path of absorption into one's own nature is established through the method of Anupāya the path without means, based on the firmness of the realization that the non-dual reflection "I" consists of the entire universe.