According to the Mahasiddhasara Tantra the Mahanirvana belongs to the Rathakranta which according to the Shaktimangala Tantra is the country north of the Vindhya Hills up to and including China. The Indian Tantras constitute the scripture of the Kali age. The intricacies and difficulties of the subject-matter require a knowledgeable commentary for the initiate for a clear understanding. Mahanirvana Tantra, belonging to the Kaula school, is a compendium on Kaulacara, detailing all the rituals and practices the sadhaka has to observe to attain liberation. Divided into 14 chapters, the text deals with the questions relating to Liberation of Beings: Worship of Brahman; Supreme Brahman; Importance of Kaulacara in Kali Age; Revelations of Mantras and Elements of Worship; Homa and Other Rites; Stotra and Kavaca of Devi; The Dharma and Customs of the Castes and Asramas; The Purificatory Rites; Funeral Rites; Account of Expiatory Acts; An Account of Eternal and Immutable Dharma; Installation of Images; Consecration of Sivalinga; and Description of the Four Classes of Avadhutas. In short, this work incorporates all that is necessary for the Tantric Ritual. This is the basic text for Arthur Avalon’s The Great Liberation. It also contains an illuminating Sanskrit commentary on the text.
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