Basic texts of Kaula Traditions

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There are several schools of kaula-tantrism with their corresponding

basic Scriptures.

 

Tradition speaks of 6 flows of transmission of Kula-jnana, 6 amnayas,

that come out of 5 mouths of Sadashiva and one of Yogini:

 

1. Purvamnaya - associated with Trika system. Basic Agamas are

Siddhayogeshvari-mata and Malinivijayottara-tantra. Later sourses -

writings of Shri Abhinavagupta and his successors.

 

2. Dakshinamnaya - associated with Shri-vidya system. Basic texts -

Vamakeshvari-mata, Jnanarnava, Kamakala-vilasa, Tripurarnava,

Parashurakalpa-sutra, Brahmanda-purana (parts of it), Saundarya-

lahari. Other ones - several Upanishads (Tripura, Bhavana etc),

Shritattva-chintamani, Shubhagama-panchaka, Tripura-rahasya,

Shrividyarnava, Nityotsava, Subhagodaya-stava, Nityashodashikarnava,

writings of Bhaskararaya etc.

 

3. Pashchimamnaya - system of Kubjika. Basic texts - Kubjika-tantras.

Most important of which are Kubjika-mata and Shatsahasra-samhita.

 

4. Uttaramnaya - associated with Kula (mostly Kali and Tara

traditions) and Krama systems. Basic sourses - Kulagamas (Tantras and

Yamalas) and Kramagamas. For Krama among the most important are Devi-

panchashatika, Vatulanatha-sutra and Mahanaya-prakasha (three texts

are there under this name) etc. Other sourses - writings of

Abhinavagupta, Maheshvarananda (that is Mahartha-manjari with

Parimala), Jnanananda Paramahamsa (Kaulavali-nirnaya), Purnananda

(Shyama-rahasya), Brahmananda (Tara-rahasya) and Sarvananda

(Sarvollasa) and others.

 

5. Urdhvamnaya - associated with some Kaula schools. For instance,

that of Kularnava-tantra.

 

6. Rahasyamnaya (Pichu-mata) - no texts, only direct transmission.

 

A.