Mahānirvāṇa Tantra—Introduction
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 12/09/2019

This series is classified Viśiṣṭādvaita-vāda | Bhakti-yoga | Svapna | Anāhata-cakra
Śiva says: “O Auspicious One! For the benefit of men of the Kali age, men bereft of energy and dependent for existence on the food they eat, the Kaula doctrine is given.” — Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 9.12
If we would properly understand ritual, yoga and sādhana of all kinds, and also the general principles of which these practices are but the objective expression, we must therefore look to the Tantra.
Yet of all the forms of Hindu Śāstra, the Tantra is least known and understood. This is due both to the difficulty of its subject matter and to the fact that the key to much of its terminology and method rest with the initiate. 
The portion of the Indian public that favors ‘reformed’ Hinduism admire Mahānirvāṇa Tantra for its noble exposition of the worship of the Supreme Brahman, and in the belief that certain of its passages absolutely discountenance the orthodox ritual. Nothing can be more mistaken than such belief, even though “For him who has faith in the root, of what use are the branches and leaves?” Anyone who reads the text will discover this. 
It is true that brahmajñāṇe samutpanne krityakrityang na vidyāte: “Knowledge of Brahman grows in the purified heart” — 7.94. The statement assumes the attainment of Brahma-jñāna, and the Śāstra says this can be attained, not by mere Vedāntik discussions nor prayer, but by the sādhana which is its main subject matter. 
The section of Tāntrikās who think Mahānirvāṇa Tantra is too restrained are also in error. For the design of this Tantra appears intended to conserve well-recognized Tantrik principles while securing them from abuse. Pārvatī says: 
Hitaya yane, karmani kathitani tvaya prabho Manyetani Mahādeva viparitani manave”O Lord, I fear that even that which Thou ordain for the good of men will, through them, turn out for evil.” — 1.67
The Mahānirvāṇa Tantra has been assigned to the group of sixty-four known as those of the Rathakranta. It was first published by the Adi-Brahma-Samaja in 1798 Shakabda (A.D. 1876), and was printed in Bengali characters, with the notes of the Kulavadhuta Śrīmad Hariharānanda Bharati under the editorship of Ānandachandra Vidyāvagisha. The preface to this edition stated that three MSS. were consulted; one belonging to the library of the Samaja; the second supplied by Durgadasa Chandhuri, and the third taken from the library of Raja Ram Mohun Roy. This text appears to be the basis of subsequent publications. It was again printed in 1888 by Śrī Krishna Gopala Bhakta, since when there have been several editions with Bengali translations, including that of Śrī Prasanna Kumara Shastri. The late Pandit Jīvānanda Vidyāsagara published an edition in Devanagari characters, with the notes of Hariharānanda; and the Venkateshvara Press at Bombay have issued another in Devanagari with Hindi translation.
Part 2 of Mahānirvāṇa Tantra
The published translations are the first part only. It is commonly thought that the second part is lost. This is not so, though copies of the complete Tantra are rare. The full text exists in manuscript, and I hope at a later date to have an opportunity of publishing a translation of it. I came across a complete manuscript some two years ago in the possession of a Nepalese Pandit. The second portion of the manuscript in his possession contained over double the number of ślokas to be found in the first part here published.
He would, however, only permit me to make a copy of his manuscript on the condition that the Shatkarma Mantras were not published. For, as he said, virtue not being a condition precedent for the acquisition of siddhi in such Mantras, their publication might enable the evilly disposed to work harm against others, a crime which, he added, was, in his own country, where the Tantra was current, punishable by the civil power. I was unable to persuade him even with the observation that the mere publication of the Mantra without knowledge of what is called the prayoga (which cannot be learned of books) would in any case be ineffectual. I could not accept an undertaking involving the publication of a mutilated text, and the reader must therefore be content with a translation of the first part of the Tantra for the present.

==========
Dharmasār Video Series Index:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EZFqp9G893-LMYSm-ucUt3CylMTbfLV2/view?usp=drivesdk

Four States of Consciousness Diagram: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13OWr_2V857yq7AjS59yhF4ub2q9k8Kl9/view?usp=sharing

Dharmasār Complete Archive Library:
https://archive.org/details/dharmasar-essence-of-dharma