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MANTRAYANA-VAJRAYANA: PURANAS
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parts of a Tántric Panchānga. The said hymn includes names of many of the Tantric deities known at present. A very important reference is to be found in the same Adhyâya 12 verse 262 which mentions inter alia Kāpāla Bhairava Yamala and Vāma shastras which are meant for deluding people, being of Tāmasī nature and opposed to Sruti and Smriti.
कापालं भैरवं चैव यामलं वाममार्हतम् ।
एवंविधानि चान्यानि मोहनार्थानि तानि तु ॥ श्लो० २६२ Similarly Garudapurāna describes Garudavidya in Adhyāyas 19 and 197 and worship of Tantric deities such as Vişnu, Siva, Sūrya, Ganesha, Hayagriva, Durgā and Tripurā with Mandalas, Mudrās and Nyāsas. It also gives a Sahasranamastotra and a Kavacha of Vişnu both being parts of a Tántric Panchānga. It also gives Panchatattvas and Chakra worship though Panchatattvas known to the later Tāntrikas are not described.
Agnipurāna itself says that it contains all the Vidyās:- 3179 fg gstötsfraz wafat: serrat: 11 Adh. 383 v. 51. What is most important, however, for the present discussion is the fact, that 39th Adhyāya of Agnipuråna enumerates 25 Tantras, which conclusively establishes the existence of Hindu Tantras, contemporaneously with if not prior to Agnipurāna. The limitation of space at our disposal does not allow us to reproduce the said list or the other references given below. The 26th Adhyāya gives Mudrās and the 29th, 30th and 320th Adhyāyas describe Sarvatobhadra and other Mandalas. The 30th Adhyāya further describes 3 kinds of Dhyāna. Adhyāyas 42 to 68 describe characteristics of temples and idols of various Tāntric deities, their installation ceremonies including 'Utsava' as also Jirnoddhāravidhi i. e. repairing or reinstating idols. Then two kinds of Dikşā are described: Samayadikşā (Adh. 81) and Nirvāṇadikșa (Adhs. 83 to 88). Şatkarmas
* पश्चरात्रं च-इति पाठांतरम् । 1 All references to Purånas are from the publications by Sri Venkateshvara press, Bombay,
