Abstract

The Vārāhītantra is an important text of the Kaula Tradition which seems to have not been published before.

This research project consists of two parts: the first comprises an introduction to the literature and philosophy of the Śākta Tradition in order to place the Vārāhītantra within the larger context of Tāntrik Literature; an extensive exposition of the contents of the Vārāhītantra manuscripts which we collected; and a study on the two available manuscripts, necessary to comprehend the methodology adopted in the critical edition. The second part consists of the critical edition of fifteen chapters of the Vārāhītantra, which constitutes the core of this research.

First Part: Introduction to the Vārāhī Tantra and a study

Two introductions to the Vārāhītantra have been presented, one in Sanskrit and the other in English: [...]

The Vārāhītantra is considered to be one of the sixty-four non-dual Tantras and is often quoted in Tāntrik compendia and manuals composed by illustrious paṇḍits. There are four different texts which we managed to examine bearing the title Vārāhītantra: the first of these (Vārāhī Tantra), upon which the present work is based, is a text belonging to the Kaula tradition (Vārāhī Tantra 3.7). The second (Vārāhī Tantra), consisting of fifty chapters and 2545 verses, was revealed in the form of a dialogue between Varāha and Vārāhī. The third text is in the form of a dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Rādhikā. The fourth (VVK), also called the Vajravārāhīkalpa, is a Bauddha Tantra.

The present research is based upon the Kulāgama "Vārāhītantra" (Vārāhī Tantra), of which we edited the first fifteen chapters; for the critical edition we consulted two main manuscripts: one belongs to the Kaiser Library of the Government of Nepal (Kathmandu) and the other is preserved in the Sarasvatī Library of Sampūrṇānanda Sanskrit University (Varāṇasī).

Śākta Tantra–

The Śākta Tantras are doctrines where the Supreme, who is immanent and transcendental at the same time, is conceived of as the Mother Goddess. Throughout all the various philosophical systems and doctrines, the Goddess is worshipped as the one and multiform Supreme Reality; nevertheless it is in the non-dual Saiva, Śākta and in particular the Kaula doctrines that the non-dual view and the Śākta way of worship have a special position. Among all the Śaiva and Śākta Āgamas the Kulaśāstras are said to reveal the most secret path.

The Vārāhī Tantra–

The Vārāhī Tantra (lit. the "Doctrine of the Boar-Goddess") on which is based this research (i.e., the Vārāhī Tantra) is a Śākta Tantra and it is found in various lists of the sixty-four Bhairava Tantras, such as in the Sarvollāsa, Kaulāvalī, Mahāsiddhasāratantra, Nityaṣoḍaśikārṇavatantra and the Kulacūḍāmaṇitantra. The Vārāhī Tantra, consisting of 2545 verses, refers to a Vārāhītantra of 6303 verses, which is approximately the same number of verses as in the Vārāhī Tantra manuscript that we used. In any event, we can neither be assured that the Vārāhītantra on which this research is based is the same one mentioned in the various lists of sixty-four Bhairava Tantras, nor that these lists actually refer to the same text, since there are at least four Tantras carrying this same name.

The Goddess Vārāhī–

The Goddess Vārāhī is well known in the Śākta as well as in the Bauddha Tāntrik literatures, where she is worshipped both either as the main Goddess or as part of a group of goddesses, usually numbering seven or eight, called the Mātṛkās. In the Vārāhī Tantra she is variously called Svapnavārāhī, Sundarīkālī, Vajravārāhī and Nīlavārāhī. She is also worshipped in the groups of the Eight Mothers, the Sixty-four Yoginīs, the Six Mistresses of the six Traditions and the Sixteen Mothers.

Contents of the Vārāhītantra–

Summery of the thirty-six chapters of the Vārāhī Tantra

Analysis of the manuscripts of the Vārāhī Tantra–

The following critical edition on the first fourteen chapters of the Vārāhī Tantra has been made from two manuscripts, called for simplification manuscripts क. and ख.

Overview of the script of the manuscripts and the critical edition–

The two manuscripts are written in Devanāgarī script; nevertheless, there is an influence of the Nevārī script, in particular in manuscript ख.

Second Part: Critical Edition

The second part of this research consists of a critical edition of the first fifteen chapters of the Vārāhītantra and it comprehends extensive critical notes, different readings in the two manuscripts (pāṭhāntara), possible readings of the text (śakyapātha) and similar readings in other Tantras.

Appendixes

The research concludes with three appendixes: the first appendix shows various characters of the script of both the manuscripts; in the second appendix the verses of the Vārāhītantra referred in various compilations have been examined; and in the third appendix some verses of the Vārāhītantra have been compared with similar verses of other texts.