s. m, The name of certain Hindu sacred books which deal with magic and mystical formulas for the worship of the gods, or the attainment of superhuman powers. They are mostly in the form of dialogues between Shiva and Durga, who are the peculiar gods of the Taṇtrás. These works are very numerous, and have in India generally superseded the authority of the Vedas. They are said to comprise five subjects, (1) the creation, (2) the destruction of the world, (3) the worship of the gods, (4) the attainment of all objects, especially of the six superhuman faculties, (5) the four modes of attaining to the deity by meditation; a variety of subjects are, however, introduced into most of them, while some treat only of a single subject, such as the mode of breathing in certain rites, the language of birds and beasts, &c.