Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation) Translated by Arthur Avalon Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation) Table of Contents Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation)..................................................................................1 Translated by Arthur Avalon...................................................................................................................1 Introduction and Preface.......................................................................................................................................5 PREFACE................................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION. Mount Kailasa..........................................................................................................8 Shiva and Shakti......................................................................................................................................8 Guna.......................................................................................................................................................12 The Worlds (Loka).................................................................................................................................14 Inhabitants of the Worlds.......................................................................................................................15 Varna......................................................................................................................................................17 Ashrama.................................................................................................................................................17 Correspondence Between Macrocosm and Microcosm........................................................................17 The Ages................................................................................................................................................18 The Scriptures of the Ages.....................................................................................................................19 The Human Body...................................................................................................................................20 The Five Sheaths....................................................................................................................................20 Anna−Maya Kosha................................................................................................................................20 Prana−Maya Kosha................................................................................................................................20 Mano−maya, Vijñana Kosha, and Ananda−maya Kosha.....................................................................21 Nadi........................................................................................................................................................22 Chakra....................................................................................................................................................22 Muladhara..............................................................................................................................................22 Svadhisthana..........................................................................................................................................23 Mani−pura..............................................................................................................................................23 Anahata..................................................................................................................................................23 Vishuddha..............................................................................................................................................24 Ajna........................................................................................................................................................24 Sahasrara Padma....................................................................................................................................25 The Three Temperaments......................................................................................................................25 Guru and Shishya...................................................................................................................................28 Initiation.................................................................................................................................................28 Diksha....................................................................................................................................................28 Abhisheka..............................................................................................................................................29 Sadhana..................................................................................................................................................29 Worship Generally.................................................................................................................................30 Forms of Achara....................................................................................................................................31 Mantra....................................................................................................................................................33 The Gayatri Mantra................................................................................................................................35 Yantra.....................................................................................................................................................36 Mudra.....................................................................................................................................................37 Sandhya..................................................................................................................................................37 Puja........................................................................................................................................................38 Yajna......................................................................................................................................................38 Vrata.......................................................................................................................................................39 Tapas......................................................................................................................................................39 Japa........................................................................................................................................................39 Sangskara...............................................................................................................................................40 Purashcharana........................................................................................................................................41 i Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation) Table of Contents Bhuta−shuddhi.......................................................................................................................................41 Nyasa......................................................................................................................................................41 Panchatattva...........................................................................................................................................43 Chakrapuja.............................................................................................................................................46 Yoga.......................................................................................................................................................47 Shodhana: Shatkarmma.........................................................................................................................48 Dridhata: Asana.....................................................................................................................................49 Sthirata: Mudra......................................................................................................................................49 Dhairya: Pratyahara...............................................................................................................................49 Laghava: Pranayama..............................................................................................................................50 Pratyaksha: Dhyana...............................................................................................................................50 Nirliptatva: Samadhi..............................................................................................................................51 Forms Of Samadhi Yoga ......................................................................................................................51 Shatchakra−bheda..................................................................................................................................51 Sin