Nirvana-Tantra is a dialogue between Chandika and Shankara, but not just a conversation, rather a conversation during the act of viparita-rati, when the woman is on top. The tantra presents a peculiar myth about what precedes the manifestation of the world. It emphasizes the supreme position of Kali, to whom Shiva is depicted as a son. The idea of the infinite multiplicity of worlds is constantly put forward (like bubbles on the surface of the ocean or grains of sand). There is also a reference to the active participation of women-shakti in ritual practices.
It is well known that Tantra is characterized by the idea of the parallelism of the macrocosm (brahmanda) and the microcosm (the body). In Nirvana-Tantra, this idea is particularly emphasized. Here, the microcosm is the body of any being, not just that of a human. Moreover, the universe in which we live turns out to be a being, among an infinite number of others located within an even larger universe – mahabrahmanda, just as the countless numbers of mahabrahmandas are contained within a universe of an even higher level – brihadbrahmanda.
This translation is accompanied by a commentary and two dictionaries: 1) of names, 2) of objects and terms. As an appendix, the book contains an article "Nagotava in Indian Epics and Mythology".
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