1. Matruka Bheda Tantra Chintamani Bhattacharya

-- Translation -- Catalogue of Palm-leaf and selected paper MSS. belonging to the Durbar Library, Nepal, by H. P. Śāstrī (1905). lxxviii, et. seq.

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-- Translation -- has been fully descibed. This chapter contains altogether forty-three verses.

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-- Translation -- Chapter VI relates that everything of this earth may be attained by the grace of Cāmuṇḍā Kāli if the process of her worship is rightly looked into and that nobody can do any harm to her worshipper. It also describes the Solar and the Lunar eclipses and asserts that an eclipse is nothing but the contact of Śiva and Śakti ; so the time when an eclipse occurs is said to be very auspicious. Then the procedure of the worship and the mantras of Cāmuṇḍā are also described in this chapter very elaborately by means of which a sādhaka may attain siddhi. This chapter is made up of sixty-nine verses.

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-- Translation -- Chapter VII is divided into three parts. The first part explains the morning duties with some hymns about Śrividyā (Tripurasundari). Part II describes the kavaca of Tripurā. Part III describes the nature of Sandhyā, its dhyāna and the place in which Śiva (Śambhu) should be worshipped, there being different results attributed to the different places of worship. Lastly, the dimension of Śivalinga and its worship are spoken of. There are sixty-nine verses in this chapter.

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-- Translation -- Chapter VIII describes the characteristic glory of Śiva-linga. Viśveśvara of Benares is said to be the sixteenth part of the complete linga of Siva in Kailāsa. Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa are said to be not even a hundredth part of the Pārada linga of Śiva. p indicates Viṣṇu, ā indicates Kālikā, r indicates Śiva, and d indicates Brahmā. So, Pārada alone is the soul of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva ; and one who worships the Pārada linga attains to the position of the undying Śambhu Himself. There are various obstacles in making a Pārada Śiva for which śānti, svastyayana etc. are necessary at the very outset. Twelve earthen lingas should be first worshipped with sixteen upacāras for the purpose according to the dictates of the Toḍala Tantra46. There are thirty-four verses in this chapter.

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-- Translation -- Chapter IX describes the processes how minerals are reduced to ashes and the efficacy of these ashes as drugs47. The chapter contains only thirty-one verses.

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-- Translation -- Chapter X is very important from the tantric point of view. It proves how the Guru (Preceptor), the Mantra and the Devatā (Deity) are practically identical, they being the manifestations or attributes of one and the same Principle. The best of the sādhakas gain the Mahāmantra from the mouth of the Guru and the body of the Deity develops from the Bija or seed which is nothing but the mantra itself. By meditating conjointly on the Guru, Mantra and Devatā the sādhaka attains siddhi, i.e., arrives at the principle towards salvation ; so these three are said to be inseparable from one another. It should be noted in this connection that according to the philosophy and religion of the Tantras the Guru is the Śiva himself, the Mantra is his Bija or linga and the Devatā is the agency through which the Bija* is manifested into a Principle leading finally to Emancipation. The sacrifice of animals like the goat, buffalo etc. is then highly spoken of. In the Kali age, one attains the merit derived from a horse-sacrifice by sacrificing the goat and other smaller animals. Then follows the eulogy of this Tantra. It is said that this Tantra is Brahman Itself48. Hearing of this Tantra is more fruitful than that of the eighteen Purāṇas and the four Vedas with all the Aṅgas. There are twenty-four verses in this chapter.

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-- Translation --

• According to the Nityā Tantra, Mantras are of four kinds—Piṇḍa, Kartarī, Bija and Mālā according to the number of syllables.