page_title: Tantras (Hinduism)
section_title: Texts
hierarchical_section_title: Tantras (Hinduism) / Texts
caption_attribution_description: A Pahari painting of an OM containing deities, c.1780-1800Source: http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/search/LOTDETAIL.ASP?sid=&amp;intObjectID=4346814&amp;SE=CMWCAT03+351845+557775189+&amp;QR=M+1+0+Aqc0000900+342345++Aqc0000900+&amp;entry=india&amp;SU=1&amp;RQ=True&amp;AN=42(downloaded Aug. 2004)"A Hindu Tantric Painting. India, Pahari, circa 1780-1800. Depicting from top to bottom: Shiva, Sakti, Vishnu on his conch with Brahma sprouting from his navel and Lakshmi, Harihara, four-headed Brahma, and the Trimurti below, painted against a gold ground forming the stylized seed syllable Ohm, surrounded by a dark blue floral border with gold painted scrollwork. 12¼ x 9 5/8 in. (31.1 x 24.4 cm.)."
context_page_description: Tantras 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. And although Hindu and Buddhist Tantra have many similarities from the outside, they do have some clear distinctions. The rest of this article deals with Hindu Tantra. Buddhist Tantras are described in the article on Buddhist Tantras.
context_section_description: 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:
  Śaiva – Sadaśiva (Śivagama), Vāma or Tumburu, Dakṣiṇa or Bhairava
  Kularnava Tantra
  Amṛteṣaṭantra or Netratantra
  Netragyanarṇava tantra
  Niḥśvāsatattvasaṃhitā
  Kālottārā tantra
  Sarvajñānottārā
  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
  Śākta – Kālī traditions (Kālī, Kālī Viṣṇu, Kāmākhyā/Kubjika, Tārā and Others), 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
  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 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
  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 Tantras
  Ganapatya Tantras
  Others – supernatural, chemistry, astrology, alchemy, etc.,
caption: 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.
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