Yogini-Tantra

Yogini-Tantra – the most important tantra of the Bengal-Assam tradition of the 'left hand', which largely continues the line that appeared several centuries earlier in the Kalika-Purana. The Yogini-Tantra was compiled in the 16th century in Assam, which has long been a center of devotion to the Goddess. The very word 'yogini' can have several meanings, serving both as one of the names of the Goddess and as the designation of the junior female divine entities that make up her entourage, as well as women who practice magic and/or yoga. The work consists of two sections. Several chapters of the first section are devoted to the prescriptions of tantric magic. In addition, it contains information about various types of sadhana (religious practices of tantrics), including the famous ritual of the five 'M's. The uniqueness of the first section is enhanced by the fact that a significant part of it is occupied by mythological narration (for example, it tells about the duel of the Goddess with the demon Ghora, in the guise of whom her husband Shiva is embodied), which is completely atypical for tantras, and many of the legends contained here are of a wholly unique nature. The second section of the Yogini-Tantra presents a geographical description of the sacred places of Kamrupa.