Shakti and Shâkta : essays and addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra

SHAKTI AND SHAKTA

Samaya group which are said to be the most important of the Shakta Agamas, of which five are mentioned. This classification purports to be based on the nature of the object pursued, according as it belongs to one or other of the Purushartha. As so explained the classification seems too neat and artificial to be altogether historically accurate, I express here no opinion on the point. Pancharatra literature is very considerable, one hundred and eight works being mentioned by the same Pandit in Vol. XIII. p. 357-363 of the “Theosophist.” I would refer the reader also to the very valuable and recent edition of the Ahirbudhnya Samhita by my friend Dr. Otto Schrader, with an Introduction by the learned Doctor on the Pancharatra system where many Vaishnava Tantras and Samhitaés are cited. The Trika school has many Tantras of which the leading one is Malinivijaya. The Svachchhanda Tantra comes next. Jagadisha Chandra Chattopadhyaya Vidyavaridhi has written with learning and lucidity on this school. The Shaivasiddhanta has twenty-eight leading Tantras and a large number of Upagamas, such as Taraka Tantra, Vama Tantra and others, which will be found enumerated in Schomerus’ “ Der Shaivasiddhanta ”, Nallasvami Pillai’s “Studies in ShaivaSiddhanta” (p. 294), and “Sivajnanasiddhiyar” (p. 211). The Sammohana Tantra (Ch. VI) mentions 64 Tantras, 327 Upatantras, as also Yamalas, Damaras, Samhitas and other Seriptures of the Shakta class ; 32 Tantras, 125 Upatantras, as also Yamalas, Damaras, Puranas and other Scriptures of the Shaiva class; 75 Tantras 205 Upatantras, as also Yamalas, Damaras, Samhitas of the Vaishnava class; numerous Tantras and other scriptures of the Ganapatya and Saura classes, and a number of Puranas, Upapuranas and other variously named Scriptures of the Bauddha class. It then (Ch. VII) mentions over 500 Tantras and nearly the Same amount of Upatantras, of some 22 Aga mas, Chinagama (See Ch. IV post) Bauddh agama, Jaina, Pashupata, Kapalika Pancharatra, Bhairava and others. There is thus a vast 29