Tantrasara by Abhinavagupta: Text with English Translation
Contents: 1. Foreword. 2. Introducing text by Abhinavagupta. 3. Vijnanabheda prakasanam. 4. Anupaya-prakasanam. 5. Sambhavopaya-nirupanam. 6. Saktopaya-prakasanam. 7. Introduction to Anavopaya. 8. Bahya vidhih prakasanam.9. Desadhva prakasanam.10. Tattva-svarupa prakasanam. 11. Tattva bhedana-prakasanam. 12. Kaladhyadhva-prakasanam. 13. Saktipata-prakasanam. 14. Snanaprakasanam. 15. Samayi-diksa prakasanam. 16. Putraka-diksa-prakasanam.17. Sapratyaya diksadi prakasanam. 18. Paroksadiksa-prakasanam. 19. Lingoddhara. 20. Abhiseka prakasanam. 21. Sraddha diksa prakasnam. 22. Sesa vartana prakasanam. 23. Agama pramanya prakasanam. 24. Kulayaga prakasanam. Bibliography.
Tantrasara is an extensive digest and recension of Tantraloka, a magnum opus by Acarya Abhinavaguptapada. The author himself created this digest to have a comprehensive study of the voluminous text, as this great and important text is not easy to absorb by everyone in a larger study material form.
The complete text (10th century A.D.) is a compendium of all Tantrika rituals and philosophical essence of Tantra, drawn from the light of all pre-precepts on Indian Tantra till the time of the creator. This text consists of thirty seven chapters. It reflects on Tantra from the background of Kashmir Saivism which is known as the monistic philosophy of Saivism with the technical term Pratyabhijna. Abhinavagupta explains here in a lucid way about the ways to worship the Supreme Consciousness in order to attain this state of Absolute ecstasy and liberation in one single life of mankind. This work is before the English-speaking world for the first time in a hermeneutic way.
