An Introduction to Tantra

Tantra: "Scripture by which knowledge is spread".

Introduction
There is a misconception among people that Tantra is all about "bad things" like
black-magic, animal sacrifces, seual ecesses and drinking li!uor and that it is
something distinct "rom daily #induism. The word "Tantra" in "act carries a negati$e
o$ertone which is why a lot o" people do not take up its study. An a$erage #indu has
$ery little, in "act, no idea what Tantra is all about and thinks that Tantra has no
rele$ance to his daily #indu duties.
%hile it is true that seual ecesses, gra$eyard practices, black magic etc are a part
o" Tantric practices, they are but a small part o" certain sects o" the $arious Tantric
schools, in the same way that animal sacrifces and drinking o" Soma were a
common aspect o" the &edas. Any region or philosophy has its good sides as well as
bad sides. #owe$er in the case o" Tantra un"ortunately the "ocus has been primarily
on these negati$e aspects.
'irst let us be $ery clear on what Tantra is and is not.
Trantra( Agamas are a broad class o" religious #indu works. They are mostly based
on the &edas and accept the authority o" the &edas. They contain philosophical
speculation as well as concrete practices to apply the philosophy. The practices are
!uite elegant and ele$ating in many instances. #owe$er in some cases, and not all,
these practices ha$e taken hideous "orms as those mentioned abo$e. )ut the
essential philosophy is more or less in harmony with the &edic %orld &iew. The
di*erence with respect to &edas lies in some o" the methods and subtle points o"
di*erences in philosophy.
In terms o" applicability to ages o" #indu thought de$elopment, they "ollow the
se!uence:
+. Sruti "or the 'irst Age
,. Smriti "or the Second Age
-. Itihasa-.uranas "or the Third Age
/. Tantra( Agamas "or th 0urrent Age 12ali Age3.
Tantra is there"ore not only black-magic and erotic practices. It is much much more.
Tantra is in "act an essential part o" #induism and per$ades almost all aspects o" the
li"e o" an a$erage #indu in ways he or she cannot e$en being to comprehend.
Tantra and #induism
#induism as we know today is essentially Tantric in nature built upon a &edic super-
structure. The daily .u4a5s that we do at home - practices like )i4a 6antra, Anga
7yasa, 2ara 7yasa - all these are Tantric concepts. The dhyana mantras that we use
during .u4as - many o" them are deri$ed "rom Tantric tets. The "act that a person
could meditate on 8od at home and did not re!uire an epensi$e 9agna is a Tantric
concept. Allowing all caste access to meditate on 8od has been a Tantric initiati$e.
:n the other hand, a 9agya is a pure &edic concept. The only practice among #indus
that is more or less purely &edic is the Aryan-#indu marriage ceremony.
Tantra is not a unitary system like the &edas or any o" the #indu philosophies. It is
an accumulation o" practices and ideas o" the #indus since prehistoric times. Its
birth is rooted in the &edas; its de$elopment proceeded through the <panishads,
Itihasas, .uranas, and Smritis; and its luuriant growth has been "ostered by
)uddhism, $arious minor #indu sects, and also "oreign in=uences. The $itality and
elasticity thus ac!uired made tantra enter e$ery house and temple o" India and it
also made power"ul inroads into e$ery country where Indian thought went. %hat
obtains as #induism in India and the %est, is essentially tantra packaged to suit the
need o" a particular community or indi$idual.
Age o" Trantric Tets
+. $arious purA7as themsel$es we fnd mention made both o" the $aidiki and
tAntriki "orms o" worship.
,. )uddha himsel" condemned the tAntric worships o" brahmA, indra, $iSh7u,
kAtyAyanI, ga7apati and others.
-. A"ter )uddha, we fnd )uddhists themsel$es began to ha$e their own
innumerable tantras. They $eritably began to worship innumerable deities such as
Adi buddha, pra4nA pAramitA, man4ushrI, tArA, Arya tArA and so on.
Thus the roots o" Tantric practies are defnitely pre-)uddhistic as well as pre-.uranic,
that is their origination happened much earlier than > ?@@ ).0.A although many
tets ha$e been written later than that.
The Tantric %orld &iew
The Tantric world $iew comprises three broad classes o" works - Tantra, Agama and
9amala.
A typical Tantric-oriented world $iew in$ol$es:
a. recitation o" mantras or bi4as
b. construction o" geometrical cosmic symbols 1ma7Bala3
c. the making o" appropriate gestures 1mudrA3
d. the assignment 1nyAsa3 o" power"ul sounds or syllables on the body
e. meditation on the deity 1dhyAna3
". worship 1p<4A3
In short Sadhana is a key "eature o" Tantric practices.
Tantra $s Agama
As "ar as tets are concerned, there are di*erences between tets called Agama and
those called Tantra, although they both belong to the broad grouping o" Tantric
tets:
a. In Agamas:
- The emphasis is on 2riya or chArya
i. construction o" temples
ii. installation o" images
iii. temple worship etc
- The "ocus on theoretical and esoteric matters is rather low.
- Shai$a Agamas ha$e a dualistic $iewpoint or intermediate between a monistic and
dualistic standpoint.
b. In Tantra tets
- the "ocus is on
i. philosophical specultaions
ii. cosmogony
iii. how to communicate and handle mantras
i$. contruction o" and initiation into ma7Balas
$. Citual aspects
- The Tantra world $iew is decidedly monistic
0lassfcation o" Tantra %orks
0lassifcation o" Tantric( Agamaic works are rather diDcult. There are ma4or
di*erences between
a. early and late
b. Shai$a and Shakta
c. Shrikula and 2alikula
d. tets o" 9ogic and those o" magic orientation
e. original Tantras and secondary 7ibandhas
:ne classifcation is based on Sects. Thus there are broadly / sects:
a. Shai$a - Shi$a
b. Shakta - 'emale Bi$inity 1Be$i3
c. &aishna$a - &ishnu
d. 8anapatya - 8anapati
&ery o"ten howe$er, i" the term "Tantra" is used, the re"erence is to an ordinary type
o" Shakta tet in the 2aula tradition.
Another classifcation is geographical:
a. 2erala
b. 2ashmira
c. 8auda
d. &ilasa
Tantric Tets
a. Sahi$a
Agamas
- Two schools
- Southern Shai$a school - Shai$a Siddhanta
- 7orthern School - 2ashmiri Shai$ism
Southern Shai$a Agama
- kAmikA
- yoga4a
- chintya
- kAra7a
- a4itA
- diptA
- sumA
- a6sumAna
- suprabheda
- $i4aya
- ni#sh$Asa
- s$Aya6bhu$a
- $Ira
- raura$a
- makuta
- $imala
- chandra 89Ana
- bimba
- lalita
- santAna
- sar$okta
- pAramesh$ara
- kira7a
- $Atula
- shi$a 89Ana bodha
- anala
- prodgItA
Shai$a Tantra
+. Amritesha Tantra, or 7etra Tantra
,. 7etragyanarna$a Tantra
-. 7ish$asa Tatt$a Samhita
/. )haira$i Shikha Tantra 1lost3
?. &ina Shikha Tantra 1lost3
E. &inamani Shikha Tantra 1lost3
F. Sammohana Shikha Tantra 1lost3
G. Bamara Shikha Tantra 1lost3
H. Athar$aka Shikha Tantra 1lost3
+@. 2abandha Shikha Tantra 1lost3
++. Shirascheda Tantra 1lost3
+,. 7andi Shikha Tantra 1"ragmentary3
+-. )harga Shikha Tantra 1"ragmentary3
+/. 2abandha Shikha Tantra 1"ragmentary3
+?. 2alottara Tantra
+E. Sar$a 8yanottara Tantra
+F. 2riya 2ala 8unottara Tantra
+G. Iingarchana Tantra
b. Shakta
- 2ali Tradition
- 9onigaha$ara 1Cecess o" the %omb3
- kAlIkulAr7a$a tantra
- ka7kAlamAlinI tantra
- 4ha6kArakara$Ira
- mahAkAlasa6hitA by AdinAtha
- kAlI tantra
- kAla89Ana tantra
- kumArI tantra
- toBala tantra 1re"ers to the +@ mahA$idyA3
- siddhalaharI tantra
- niruttara tantra 1contains Bakshinakali5s sahdana3
- 2ali-&ishnu Tradition
- kAlI$ilAsa tantra 1also contains &ishnu J 2rishna mantras3
- utpatti tantra
- kAmadhenu tantra
- nir$A7a tantra
- 2ali 2amakhya Tradition
- kAmAkhyA tantra
- yoginI tantra 1one o" the most readable Tantras3
- 2ali Tara
- tArA tantra
- kaula tantra
- matsya s<kta( tArA kalpa 1&aishna in=uence3
- samayA tantra 1kAlI as kAla3
- :ther 'orms o" Be$i in 2ali 2ula
- mu7BamAla tantra 1re"ers to the +@ mahA$idyA3
- nIlA tantra 1nIlA3
- nibandha tantra 1nIlAsaras$ati3
- $Ira tantra 1tArA J dainAkAli3
- mAyA tantra 1bh<$anesh$arI3
- sA6khyAyana tantra 1G mAhA$idyAs a.k.a bagalA mukhI3
- kAtyAyani tantra 1durgA3
- kAlAnalatantra 1siddhilamI3
- $ArAhI tantra 1&arahi3
- Shrikula Tradition
- $Amakesh$ara tantra 1nityAShodashikAr7a$a J yoginIhCCidaya - discusses
shrIchakra J shrI$idyA3 one o" the best works
- tantra4A tantra ( kABimata tantra - an ecellent work
- g9AnAr7a$a tantra
- shaktisa6gama tantra
- $idyAr7a$a tantra
- AnandAr7a$a tantra
- Ananda tantra 1o" South Indian origin3
- paramAnanda tantra
- kuloBBIsha tantra
- gandhar$a tantra
c. &aishna$a Agamas
- &aikhanasa
- .ancharatra
- lamI tantra
- bCCihadbrahma sa6hitA
- nArAda pA>7charAtra
- gautamIya tantra 12rishna worship3
- mAhesh$ara tantra
- sAt$ata tantra
- rAdhA tantra
- agastyasa6hitA 1rAmA worshippers3
- dAsharathIya tantra
- $aiSh7a$a IshAnasa6hitA
- <rdh$AmnAya sa6hitA
- $ish$asAra tantra
- .ratishthasara
- &i4nanalalita
d. Surya
- saura sa6hitA ( saura tantra
- s<rya pAtAla o" de$I rahasya
e. Shi$a-Shakti or 9amalas ( )haira$a Tradition
- The term yAmala denotes the prime$al non-dual state o" Shi$a and Shakti.
Achie$ement o" this <nity is the ultimate goal o" the Tanntric sAdhaka.
- 9amalas can be distinguished "rom other works based on certain characteristics:
a. most 9amalas were typically )haira$a-tantras characteriKed by the
de$elopment o" Shakta tendencies within Shai$ism
b. %hile 9amalas in principle describe the bi-polarity o" Shi$a and Shakti, the
Shakta Tantra "ocus on a particular Shakti
c. The sub4ects described in the 9amalas as well as their tone is markedly
di*erent "rom those o" the general Shai$a Agamas
- The yAmaIa tradition belie$es in a huge pantheon o" gods and goddesses; the
tAntric sAdhana here is open to all castes.
9amalas
+. )rahma 9amala
,. &ishnu 9amala
-. Cudra 9amala
/. Skanda 9amala
?. S$achchanda 9amala
E. Curu 9amala
F. Layadhrata 9amala
G. Siddha 9amala
H. Athar$ana 9amala
+@. 9ama 9amala
++. &ayu 9amala
+,. <ma 9amala
+-. Be$i 9amala
+/. &etala 9amala
+?. 2ubera 9amala
+E. Indra 9amala
+F. Iakshmi 9amala
+G. 8anesh 9amala
+H. 0handra 9amala
,@. Shakti 9amala
". :ther 7on-sectarian 1although Shakta oriented in terms o" con$ersation style3
- kulach<BAma7i tantra 1promulgation o" 2aula cult - a 7igama tet3
- kulAr7a$a tantra 1a $ery important work3
- gupta sAdhana tantra
- matCCikAbheda tantra
- mahAnir$A7a tantra 1a $ery late work but an ecellent one3
- brahma89Ana tantra
- 89Anasa6kalinI tantra
- 89A7asa6kulI tantra
- mCCityu64aya tantra 19oga o" Tantric $ariety3
- chintAma7I tantra 1discusses ku7BalinI yoga3
- bh<tasuddhi tantra 1 discusses necessary preparations "or Tantric worship3
- saras$atI tantra 1mantras and 4apas o" "emale deities3
- gAyatrI tantra 1discusses the &edic 8ayatri3
- guru tantra 1discusses the importance o" 8uru3
- shi$atA7Ba$a tantra 1construction( application o" ritual diagrams3
- shi$anCCitya tantra 1construction( application o" ritual diagrams3
- kai$alya tantra 1ritual per"ormance o" the ? makAras3
- $imalA tantra 1on kula duties o" the initiated3
- samayAchAra tantra
- yoni tantra
g. 6agic( Supernatural( Alchemy( Astrology Tantras
- phetkArI ( phetkArI7i tantra 1gra$eyard worship, gory sacrifces etc3
- pichchilA tantra
- shalaya tantra 1Supernatural "aculties as well as ShaTkarman3
- dattAtreya tantra 1ShaTkarman rites3
- kaapuTa tantra ( rasaratnAkara
- AscharyayogamAlA
- bh<taBAmara tantra 1ShaTkarman rites3
- uBBAmara tantra
- uBBIsha tantra( rA$a7oBBisha ( $Irabhadra tantra
- bCCihatshAbara tantra
- kAlarudra tantra
- kAkacha7Besh$arImata 1one o" the oldest works on achie$ing immortality3
- su$ar7a tantra 1on prodcution o" pure gold by distillation3
- yuddha4ayAr7a$a 16eans to ascertain $ictory in battle3
- chandronmIla7a
- kriyAkAlagu7ottara tantra 1how to tackle poisining3
- kumAra tantra1understanding and counteracting demon attacks3
- tantrasArasa6graha o" nArAya7a o" 2erala 1cure o" poisoning3
Bigests( 0ompendiums
- kAmyayantroddhAra by pari$rA4akAchArya
- haramekhalA
- ShaTkarmadIpikA by kCCiSh7Ananda $idyA$Agisha 1an important work3
- kAmaratna ( kAma tantra( siddha BAkinI 1 a popular treataise on ShaTkarman3
h. 0ompendiums ( Bigests( 6antra Shastras ( 7ibandhas
- 6antra Shastra
- prapa>nchasAra or prapa>nchasAra tantra 1the most important 6antra
Shastra3
0ommentaries:
- $i$ara7a by 89Anas$ar<pa
- $i$ara7a by padmapAda
- sambandhadIpikA by utaamabodha
- TIkA by 4agaduru
- tatt$apradIpikA by nAgas$Amin 1South Indian3
- $i89AnoddyotinI
- shAradAtilaka 1another $ery important work3
0ommentaries:
- padArthAdarsha by rAgha$abhaTTa
- shabdArthachintAma7i by premanidhi pant
- guBhArthadIpikA by tri$ikrama89a
- guBhArthadIpikA by mAdha$a
- mantrayantraprakAshikA by shIrapA7i
- mantramuktA$alI by paramha6sa p<r7aprakAsha
- mantramahodadhi by mahIdhara
0ommentaries:
- naukA
- padArthAdarsha by kAshinAtha
- mantrA$alI by ga>7gAdhara
- mantrade$aprakAshikA by $iSh7ude$a
- mantrakamalAkara by kamalAkara bhaTTa 1mostly Cama worship3
- mantraratnAkara by yadunAtha chakra$artin
- mantrachandrikA by kAshinAtha bhaTTa
- mantraratnA$alI by $idyAdhara sarman
- mantraratnA$alI by bhAskara mishra
- mantrakalpadruma 1o" 7epal3
- tantrasAra by kCCiSh7Ananda o" )engal 1$ery important work "or )engal3
- si6hasiddhAntasindhu by shi$Ananda gos$Amin o" )engal
- 7ibandhas
- kriyAkalpataru by shaktinAtha kalyAnakara
- kaluA$AlInir7aya by 89AnAnandagiri paramha6sa
- shAktAnandatara6gi7I by brahmAnanda giri o" )engal
- shAktakrama by p<r7Ananda giri o" )engal
- shrItatt$achintAma7i by p<r7Ananda giri o" )engal
- AgamakalpalatikA by yadunAtha 1worship o" +@ mahA$idyAs3
- Agamatatt$a$ilAsa by raghunAtha tarka$AgIsha o" )engal 1has etensi$e
bibliography3
- tantrachintAma7i by na$amIsi6ha 1o" 7epal3
- kulamuktikallolinI by na$amIsi6ha 1o" 7epal3
- kulasar$as$a ( kulamata by ka$ishekhara 1Shakta 7ibandha3
- kaulikArchanadIpikA by 4agadAnanda 1Shakta 7ibandha3
- sar$ollAsa tantra by sar$AnandanAtha o" )engal( Tripura
- prA7atoSha7i by rAmatoSha7a $idyAla6kAra o" )engal 1+G,@s3
- shAktapramoda by rA4A de$Ananda si6ha 1+GH@s3
Ce"erences:
+. Arthur A$alon ( Sir Lohn %oodro*es works
,. 2amakotimandali blog
-. A #istory o" Indian Iiterature - Teun 8uodriaan
/. #istory o" Indian .hilosophy - Surendranath Basgupta
?. .rabuddha )harata, &ol ++?, 7o /
7A8ACL<7A 2AIA 7IC7A9A
7A8ACL<7AMS .C:)A)IA BATA IS #:TI9 BA)ATAB A7B &ACI:<SI9 8I&A7:
Sir 'leet : ?F)0
Iasent : ,-AB
&incent smith : +,@AB
S.)eal : +EE-,@@AB
)handarkar : ,FGAB
2umara4ee$a : G@-+@/AB
%issil4ew : Cegarded as a wholly mythical.
6.%internitK : .ostulated "our 7aghar4unas $iK,. )uddhist writer, Tantric writer,
6edical writer, Alchemist.
0ordier : Ceputed to be the author o" the fnal portion o" Sushrutha Samhita <ttara
Sthana.
Tibetian historian Iama Taranath:
#e succeeded the patriarch .arshwa and administered the )uddhist community "or
E, years.
#e was contemporary o" 2anishka and the shata$ahana king, he may sa"ely be
assigned to a period between A.B G@-+@/.
':CI87 &ISIT:CS &IA%
NIn #iuen TsagMs So-to-po-ho: #e was a "riend and counselor to the king
shata$ahana, 8outamiputra shatakarni1yagna sri3 who built a monastery "or him on
Srishaila1G@-+@/AB3.
N %hen I-Tsing $isited the country in JFth century AB, 7agar4unaMs Suhrullekha
1letter to his royal "riend Shata$ahana, translated into 0hinese by 8una$erma
between /,/Ad-/-+AB3 was a short manual that was popularly read and
memoriKed.
N Arebian scholar Alberuni1+@th century AB3.Ce"erence may be made in this
connection to the obser$ations made by Alberuni about 7agar4una, a! nati$e o" the
"orte Baihak near Somnath, nearly a century than his own time and described as
great adopt in Casayana.I" we shi"t Alberuni date about 7agar4una a century or two
backwords that is Gth century AB.
N :ne disciple o" 2umara4ee$a was Seng-Lui, who wrote a pre"ace to the Satya
siddha shastra.According to the passage "rom it !uoted by 0hitsanga,Ashwaghosha
was born -?@ years a"ter )uddha nir$ana and the 7agar4una was born in the ?-@. It
appears that 7agar4unas year is dated "rom SAshwaghoshas and thus come-s GG@
years nir$ana ie it should be ,//AB ( ,/-AB.
.IA0A %#ACA #A II&AB:
N Ancyclopedia o" Indian medicine, $ol.+: #e was a nati$e o" &idarbha1)ihar3 in
6ahakosala, but li$ed "or the most part o" his li"e in the monastery on mount
sripar$atha or Srishaila near 2rishna ri$er in A...
N )orn in &idarbha "or a rich )rahmin learnt $idya in 7alanda. A"ter a strenuous li"e
he returned to South India and set up a &ihara at Srishaila hills at A...
N :ne 7agar4una li$ed in 2arnataka Eth cent AB .he stayed "or a long time in Tibet
as the head o" the monastery and wrote many books. Iater on he came down to
Srishaila hills "ollowed by the glory o" 7agar4una bhodisatwa and took up the pursuit
o" Casayana to attain moksha 1siddha 7agar4una3
N )hadanta nagar4una a )uddhist monk o" 2erala li$ed in Fth cent. A.B.
N )iology daily the encyclopedia: he may ha$e been born in South India probably
near the town o" 7agarr4una konda.
N )orn in Amara$athi,8untur dist o" A.. in ++th cent. A.B-A )uddhist saint J
)uddhist +-th dharmadhyaksha. Spent most o" his li"e in Amara$athi near the hilly
area Sripar$atha and its ad4acent $alley i.e. nagar4una konda. The $alley totally
merged in reser$oir o" multipurpose pro4ect on ri$er 2rishna i.e. 7agar4una Sagara.
ASS:0IATI:7 %IT# 2I78S
N 9agna sri shatakarni the ,-rd Shata$ahana king who was ruling that kingdom
became greatly attracted by 7agar4una and took him as his preceptor and "riend.
1EE-G,AB3.
N Taranath makes 7agar4una as a contemporary o" 2anishka1?G)0(FGA0 or +,@A03
N 6ost o" the modern scholars hold that 7agar4una =ourished in the second hal" o"
the second cent. :" the 0hristian era and he was a contemporary and "riend o"
Shata$ahana.1+EE-+HEAB3
N The originator o" Shoonya$ada and madhyamika cult under )uddha tradition
=ourished in Shali$ahana kingdom during ,nd cent. AB.
N Ancient )uddhist sources say that Ashoka the 6ouryan emporer 1-rd cent. )03
buiHlt a temple at 7alanda. It was a =ourishing hub where the philosopher and
alchemist 7agar4una studied and taught in the ,nd cent.A.B.
N )ased on bhota desheeya1Tibet3granthas pt.#aridatta shastri says his time as Gth
cent.AB.
N In 2anishka asthana 0haraka and 7agar4una were there. )ut in 0haraka Samhita
there is no red"erence o" e$en the name o" 7agar4una is a$ailable.
N According to another prophecy in the 0hinese $ersion the )uddha "oretold that
se$en hundred years a"ter his nir$ana in the southern kingdom called wu-ming1no
light3-Andha-Andhra, bank o" ri$er Iie-an1)lack3-2rishna,town called Sho-ku1Bhany
kataka3 and there would be king Teng-cheng1e!ual-ride3 Shata$ahana-7agar4una.
N Tibetian $ersion: A"ter nir$ana o" )uddha-/@@yrs, on the 7orth bank o" OS<7BACA
)#<TIM in South India, there would be born as OII00#A&IM in the time o" king O&I.ATTI
0#I2ITSAM a monk called O7A8AP who would gi$e his li"e "or Bharma.
ST9IA :' %CITI78S A7B IA78<A8A :' %CITI78S:
N )uddha 7agar4una: Casa ratnakara and others- o" 6ahayanistic school, as
in$ocations are addressed to )uddha and in one place pointrd re"erence to
.ragnaparimita1appearing in dream and re$eling chemical knowledge to him3.#e
was well aware o" Sanskrit and &idarbha language. )ut tantras are in Sanskrit.
N Siddha 7agar4una: rasendra 6angalam and others- Shai$a and #indu style o"
writing-in Sanskrit.
CAII8I:7 #A )AI:78S:
N #e was born )rahmin, but turned to a )uddhist and was intimately associated with
the emergence o" 6ahayana branch o" )uddhism.
N A scholar named 7agar4una li$ed in 2arnataka1E@@Ad3. Lain literatures elude him
as the nephew 1sisterMs son3 o" .oo4yapada the "amous 4ain philosopher and
physician. #e was educated by .oo4yapada himsel" in early days. Though born as a
Lain it is said that 7agar4una was impressed by )uddhism and adapted it as his
creed and became a )hikshu.
N :ne 7agar4una o" Gth cent.AB per"ormed &ada with adya Shankaracharya1FGGAB3
N 7agar4una as !uoted in the tet o" Casendra mangalam1+.+3 prays: #indu 8ods
and in his $arious yogas, e*ect o" "ormulations was gi$en in the name o" )rahma,
&ishnu and Cudra J others o" #indu cult pro$es him to be #indu dharmin. There"ore
it is presumed that 7agar4una the writer o" Casendra mangalam was a shai$a
di*erent "rom the author o" 2akshaputa, possibly he also belongs to Siddha cult.
T#A )::2S #A #AS ST<BIAB:
Shambhara tantra, Shai$a tantra, Cudrayamala tantra,Shakra tantra, Swacchanda
bhaira$a tantra, 7akula tantra, 2akachandeeshwara tantra, #aramekhala etc.1'rom
)ouddhagana o" #arinath shastri3.
CA'ACA70A :' 7A8ACL<7A 'C:6 .:ATS A7B 8CA7T#A2ACTAS I7 T#AIC %:C21H-
+@cent AB3:
In the feld o" medicine, he is reputed to ha$e redacted the whole Sushrutha
Samhita which probably was in a poor state o" presentation during his days. The
present shape o" Sushrutha samhitha is probably due to 7agar4unas reconstruction.
The "amous commentary on Sushrutha Samhita, Balhana testifes to this "act that
7agar4una is the .ratisamskarta o" Sushruta Samhita. It is also suggested that lost
section in Sushrutha Samhita1uttara tantra3 which was not originally in Sushrutha
Samhita was supplemented by 7agar4una. It deals with Shalakya, 2oumarabhritya,
2ayachikitsa, bhoota$idya and general considerations such nas rasa, swastha$ritta,
tantrayukti and theories on three doshas.
2alhana1+,th cent.AB3 o*ers a re"erence to nagar4una as Iord o" the earth in
2ashmir at the #uska, Luska,J2anishka li$ing in the gro$e o" the si arhants
1sadahadrana3 .
#uska Q #u$esaka J4uska - &a4esaka are "ormer contemporaries and 2anishka -
2anishka 1I3-FGAB to +,@AB.
)anas harsha charita 1Fth cent. AB3 is the frst Sanskrit tet to make the link
widespread in the literature between 7agar4una and his "riend Shata$ahana-Iord o"
three oceans.
In Casaratna samucchaya o" Casa $agbhata while eplaining the Casa siddhas,
the name o" nagar4una has been mentioned.
&runda and 0hakrapaniMs 1G@@AB Q ++@@AB3 siddha yoga samgraha J
0hakradutta synthetic metallic preparations ha$e recei$ed considerable attention.
These two Scholars mention 7agar4una as an authority and "ollows closely in the
"oot steps o" charaka, Sushrutha and &agbhata. In 0hakradutta 7agar4una$arti is
eplained.
%CITI78S :' SIBB#A 7A8ACL<7A:
Casendra mangalam
9oga shataka
Iouha shastra
Casendra chintamani
2akshaputa tantra
Cati shastra
7agar4una tantra
Arogya man4ari
9oga Sagara
I6.:CTA7T 9:8AS :' 7A8ACL<7A
2anaka Sundara Casa 1Atisara3
Iaghu siddhabhra 18rahani3
Arogya $ardhini 1&ata Cakta3
7agar4unabhra 1#rudroga3
2hageshwara Casa 12ushta3
Agrasayana 18rahani3
:7 T#A 7A6A :' 7A8ACL<7A T#ACA ACA 6A79 9:8AS:
'or e: in )haisha4a Catna$ali: +. 7agar4una yoga
,. 7agar4unabhra rasa
-. 7agar4unabhra
/. 7agar4unan4ana Q 7A8ACL<7A7A II2#ITA STA6)#A .ATAII .<TCA2A ((