Tantrasāra

The Tantrasāra is a Sanskrit work attributed to Abhinavagupta, the most famous historical proponent of the Trika school of Kashmir Śaivism. It is said to be a condensed version of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta’s masterpiece.

Content

The text presents the ritual and philosophical core of the Tantrāloka: the nature of Śiva and Śakti, initiation (dīkṣā), mantra, and worship, arranged in a more accessible form than the encyclopedic original.

Significance

As a condensed statement of Abhinavagupta’s synthesis of Trika ritual and non-dual philosophy, the Tantrasāra became one of the key vehicles through which Kashmir Śaiva doctrine was transmitted and studied.

Verification

Note: a separate, unrelated Śākta compendium of the same name (Tantrasāra) was composed by Kṛṣṇānanda Āgambāga in 16th-century Bengal.

• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).