Tantra in Medieval India and Nepal

This volume presents the first complete edition and English translation of the opening eight chapters of the Netratantra, one of early medieval South Asia's most influential yet understudied tantric texts.

Likely composed in Kashmir during the eighth or ninth century and transmitted to Nepal by 1200 CE, the Netratantra – 'The Tantra of the Eye' – has been foundational in shaping South Asian religious thought for over a millennium. It positions itself as a universal tantra, claiming to transcend and synthesize diverse traditions within a unified theological framework centered on Siva as Am?tesa, the 'Lord of Immortality' and 'Conqueror of Death'. Based on the oldest surviving Nepalese palm-leaf manuscript, this volume offers a meticulously edited Sanskrit text with positive apparatus, a complete English translation, and extensive annotations. It also contextualizes the work historically and philosophically, examining its relationship to Saiva Siddhanta, Bhairava and Kaula traditions, and the broader tantric landscape of medieval India and Nepal, establishing itself as an essential resource for understanding the complex religious world of medieval South Asia.

The book will be of direct relevance to academics and postgraduate students in Indology, Asian religions, Tantric studies, and the study of religion more broadly. Scholarly practitioners of Tantra and Yoga may also find the volume of interest, offering them a window into the rich complexity of tantric thought and practice as it emerged in medieval Kashmir and Nepal.