तन्त्रसार (महामाहेश्वर अभिनवगुप्त - तन्त्रालोक का प्रामाणिक सार-संग्रह सटीक)

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set that he has written Tantrāsāra in easy language for those who are unable to delve deep into the vast Tantrāloka. Sāra ordinarily means the essence of anything but esoteri- cally it means hṛdaya, the ultimate resort known to be the Supreme Truth. The thought abiding inseparably in Śiva as Parāvāk, is to be known as sāra or hṛdaya. The essence of Tantra which is lying undifferentially in the parā stage is brought down by him to Vaikharī level through Paśyantī where word and the thing implied by it are non-different, then Madhyamā where the relation between vāk and artha is quite distinct, though they remain as inner thought (antaḥ- sañjalpa, ) whereas in the vaikharī the difference between vāk and artha is distinct. This very vāk serves the need of people. Thus we see that sāra is the terminal point from where everything gets its rise. Abhinavagupta writes in Parātrīṁśikā that which we experience as blue and pleasure, the body, the vital air and intellect have their steady ground in pure consciousness which is nothing but hṛt, the resting place. Tantrasāra the work of the author, is in essence hṛdaya of Lord. It descends or expands itself passing through different levels of consciousness and finally touches the ordinary level. The sole purpose of this descent is to enlighten the heart of everybody so that with its aid every- body may attain his Śiva-nature, for it is He, who as Saṁvid has extended extraordinarily His very Being as Tantrasāra (lokottaraprasāratantrasāram). It had been a time-honoured tradition of Indian scholars to maintain uncontradictory singleness of thought (ekavākyatā) throughout the work. In the beginning of Tantrasāra Śrī Abhinavagupta urges people to collect the lotus of his heart