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.............................................................................................................................................6 PREFACE......................................................................................................................................................6 INTRODUCTION. Mount Kailasa................................................................................................................8 Shiva and Shakti.............................................................................................................................................9 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.........................................................................................................................................19 The Five Sheaths..........................................................................................................................................19 Anna−Maya Kosha......................................................................................................................................20 Prana−Maya Kosha......................................................................................................................................20 Mano−maya, Vijñana Kosha, and Ananda−maya Kosha............................................................................20 Nadi..............................................................................................................................................................21 Chakra..........................................................................................................................................................22 Muladhara....................................................................................................................................................22 Svadhisthana................................................................................................................................................22 Mani−pura....................................................................................................................................................23 Anahata........................................................................................................................................................23 Vishuddha....................................................................................................................................................23 Ajna..............................................................................................................................................................24 Sahasrara Padma..........................................................................................................................................24 The Three Temperaments............................................................................................................................25 Guru and Shishya.........................................................................................................................................27 Initiation.......................................................................................................................................................28 Diksha..........................................................................................................................................................28 Abhisheka.....................................................................................................................................................28 Sadhana........................................................................................................................................................29 Worship Generally.......................................................................................................................................29 Forms of Achara...........................................................................................................................................30 Mantra..........................................................................................................................................................32 The Gayatri Mantra......................................................................................................................................34 Yantra...........................................................................................................................................................35 Mudra...........................................................................................................................................................36 Sandhya........................................................................................................................................................36 Puja...............................................................................................................................................................37 Yajna............................................................................................................................................................37 Vrata.............................................................................................................................................................38 Tapas............................................................................................................................................................38 Japa...............................................................................................................................................................38 Sangskara.....................................................................................................................................................39 Purashcharana..............................................................................................................................................40 i Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation) Table of Contents Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation) Bhuta−shuddhi.............................................................................................................................................40 Nyasa............................................................................................................................................................40 Panchatattva.................................................................................................................................................42 Chakrapuja...................................................................................................................................................45 Yoga.............................................................................................................................................................45 Shodhana: Shatkarmma................................................................................................................................47 Dridhata: Asana............................................................................................................................................47 Sthirata: Mudra............................................................................................................................................48 Dhairya: Pratyahara......................................................................................................................................48 Laghava: Pranayama....................................................................................................................................48 Pratyaksha: Dhyana......................................................................................................................................49 Nirliptatva: Samadhi....................................................................................................................................49