Nathakrama, Nāthakrama, Natha-krama: 1 definition

Introduction:

Nathakrama means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Nathakrama in Shaktism glossary
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Nāthakrama (नाथक्रम) refers to the “sequence of the (eighteen) Nāthas”, according to the Ṭīkā (commentary) on the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā..—There are three lists of the eighteen phases of the Divine Current in the Kumārikākhaṇḍa. They are also listed in the Kubjikānityāhnikatilaka and in the Śrīmatottara as the Convention of the Eighteen Flowers or the ‘divine eighteen’. The Kumārikākhaṇḍa refers to it as the ‘eighteen’, the ‘eighteen divisions’, the ‘eighteen-fold sequence’ and the eighteen aspects of the Divine Current. The Divine Current is not described as a lineage of eighteen teachers but as a sequence of energies that operate on higher levels of consciousness. This is clear as eighteen Nāthas -the male consorts of the energies—who are ‘part of the Sequence beginning with the Transmental’ are listed separately. Thus, the Ṭīkā, which refers to the Divine Current as the Sequence of the Bliss of the Command, glosses it as the Sequence of the Eighteen Nāthas (aṣṭādaśa-nāthakrama) who are the teachers of the Convention of the Flower.

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context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

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