Tamil: (Tamil) The ancient Dravidian language of the Tamils,...

Tamil: (Tamil) The ancient Dravidian language of the Tamils, a Caucasoid people of South India and Northern Sri Lanka, who have now migrated throughout the world. The official language of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. See: race. Tamil Nadu: (Tamil) State in South India, 50,000 square miles, population 55 million. Land of countless holy scriptures, saints, sages and over 40,000 magnificent temples, including Chidambaram, Madurai, Palani Hills and Rameshvaram.

tandava: (Sanskrit) "Violent dance." Any vigorous dance sequence performed by a male dancer. There are many forms of tandava. Its prototype is Siva's dance of bliss, ananda tandava. The more sublime, female dance is called lasya, from lasa, "lively." Dance in general is nartana. See: Nataraja.

tantra: (Sanskrit) "Loom, methodology." 1) Most generally, a synonym for shastra, "scripture." 2) A synonym for the Agamic texts, especially those of the Shakta faith, a class of Hindu scripture providing detailed instruction on all aspects of religion, mystic knowledge and science. The tantras are also associated with the Saiva tradition. 3) A specific method, technique or spiritual practice within the Saiva and Shakta traditions. For example, pranayama is a tantra.

Tantra generally involves a reversal of the normal flow of energies. Its perspective is that the inner self is most important, and outer life is secondary. Tantra causes the life force to flow up through the sushumna. Many are the methods for overcoming the unovercomeable. Fallen into the hands of the unscrupulous, these techniques become black magic (abhichara). Tantraloka: (Sanskrit) One of the most comprehensive and authoritative expositions of Kashmir Saivism, written by Abhinavagupta.

See: Abhinavagupta, Kashmir Saivism. tantrika: (Sanskrit) (Anglicized: tantric.) Adjectival form for practices prescribed in the Tantra traditions. The name of a follower of any of the tantric traditions. See: tantra, tantrism. tantrism: The enlightenment path outlined in the Tantra scriptures. Tantrism is sometimes considered a parallel stream of history and tradition in Hinduism, running alongside and gradually interweaving with the Vedic brahminical tradition.