This is an excerpt from Episode 1 of the YouTube session on Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, where I explain, among many other things, the meaning of the word ‘Tantra‘.

“The word Tantra carries many meanings. In the simplest terms, Tantra means scripture, a structured body of knowledge or system. This is how it has been defined in many Tantra themselves, such as the Mātrikābheda Tantra. Any philosophy, any scripture, any worldview can be called a Tantra. For example, according to the Sāṅkhya Kārikā, the Sāṅkhya philosophy is also considered a Tantra. According to the Suśruta Saṃhitā, even Ayurveda, the medicinal science, is referred to as a Tantra.

So, any knowledge system, any philosophical framework, any field of study or discipline can rightly be called Tantra.

However, in modern times, the word Tantra has become a synonym for Āgama, and is now used primarily to refer to those scriptures in which there is a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati, like the Vigyan Bhairava. But ultimately, since all fields of knowledge, all sciences and all wisdom emerge from Consciousness and are revealed in the intellect, since everything has been taught by Shiva to Goddess that is why, in earlier times, every scripture, every discipline, was addressed by the word Tantra.

I define Tantra, especially Nondual Shaiva Tantra, in this way: Tantra means control. The hindi words, Sva-tantra means having control in one’s own hands, and para-tantra means control in someone else’s hands. All these words come from the same root. Tantra teaches us to take control into our own hands. Tantra means liberation, freedom. In this tradition, all philosophies and all forms of knowledge have been revealed by Shiva for our liberation; that is why everything is called Tantra. ‘Saa vidyaa yaa vimuktaye‘—Knowledge is that which liberates. Medicinal science exists to free us from diseases; through grammar we can express our thoughts, freely, without obstruction or compulsion, and correctly. That is why all forms of knowledge free us in one way or another. Hence, they are all Tantra.

But Nondual Shaiva Tantra, this knowledge, completely liberates us. In every way. That is why, among all Tantras, Advaita Shaiva Tantra is the highest and the essence of them all. This Tantra begins with freedom and ends in freedom. That’s why Advaita Shaiva Tantra is also called Svatantrayavada—the philosophy of absolute freedom. Its principal deity is Svacchanda Bhairava, meaning the one who is always absolutely free, and his consort is Svatantraya Shakti—the energy of absolute free will, also referred to as Iccha Shakti (willpower) in the scriptures. You must have already read about all this in Threads of Transcendence, so I won’t explain it here.”