Tripura Upanishad
[14][15] The philosophical premises in this text as in many Shakta Upanishads, states June McDaniel, is syncretism of Samkhya and Advaita Vedanta schools of Hindu philosophy, called Shaktadavaitavada (literally, the path of nondualistic Shakti).
[2] While this text is a relatively late composition in the Upanishadic collection, literary evidence confirms that Shakta Tantrism has roots in ancient times and the interaction between Vedic and Tantric traditions trace back to at least the sixth century,[17] and the surge in Tantra tradition developments during the late medieval period, states Geoffrey Samuel, were a means to confront and cope with Islamic invasions and political instability in and after 14th-century CE in parts of India and Tibet.
[24] It refers to the Tantric idea that everything including the transcendental reality is of triadic form and function, manifesting from one unity.
[27] The term Upanishad means it is knowledge or "hidden doctrine" text that belongs to the corpus of Vedanta literature collection presenting the philosophical concepts of Hinduism and considered the highest purpose of its scripture, the Vedas.
[8] Some recensions of the manuscripts include a prelude and an epilogue in the form of a prayer asserting that the Vedas must be imbibed in one's mind, thoughts and speech, and through truth only is peace assured.
This number 16 is significant in the Tantra tradition, and constitutes the sixteen syllabic structure of the Mula-Mantra, or root manta of its Srividya's school.
[31] Genuine religious freedom, asserts Bhaskararaya in his commentary on Tripura Upanishad, is achievable only with autonomy and realization of one's nature.
[34] However, this claim of Rig Vedic roots has been controversial, and is disputed as an esoteric interpretation, by mainstream orthodox traditions of Hindu philosophy, states Brooks.
[36] Verses 2 and 3 also states that goddess Tripura is symbolized in nine ways, nine yogas, nine gods, nine healing deities, nine communicative forms representing all the three energies, and controlling the numerals, nine nineteen, twenty-nine, and ever radiant.
[36][5] The verses 8 and 9 of the text, states Brooks, present the syllables of its mantras in a technical, encoded vocabulary, whose details and meaning in the Tantra tradition is passed verbally from one generation to another, through a Guru.
