The following article by Chintaharan Chakravarty, M.A., Kavyatirtha enumerates the Tantras, devoted to Shreemati Radharani-Devi and Bhagavan Shree Krishna. Most of The Tantras hail from Bengal areal.
The review is very far from the complete one, because
"Shree Narada-PanchaRatra" and The Tantrik Parts of Vaishava Puranas are not mentioned. Speaking about Vaishnava Puranas I imply, for example, the Chapters Devoted to Shreemati Radharani-Devi and Bhagavan Shree Krishna from "Shree Padma-Purana" and etc.
"Shree Narada-PanchaRatra" and The Tantrik Parts of Vaishava Puranas are not mentioned. Speaking about Vaishnava Puranas I imply, for example, the Chapters Devoted to Shreemati Radharani-Devi and Bhagavan Shree Krishna from "Shree Padma-Purana" and etc.
However, I liked the article very much, so I have OCR-ed into plain text to make the article more visible in Google search. Originally the article is from http://kalyana-kalpataru.org/PDF%20(Krishna%20Number)/tantra_works.pdf
Tantra Works on The Krishna Cult by Chintaharan Chakravarty, M.A., Kavyatirtha
Tantra works pertaining to Vaishnava worship occupy quite an important position in the domain of Tantra literature. They deal with the worship of various forms and aspects of Vishnu and His Incarnations, e.g. Vishnu, Narayana, Rama, NaraSimha, Krishna, and so on. While some of the works deal exclusively with one or more of these forms, there are others of a more comprehensive character, like the SharadaTilaka, PrapanchaSara and TantraSara, which treat of them only incidentally.
It is, however, to be regretted that the major portion of this extensive literature has not as yet seen the light of day and is known, sometimes only in name, to a narrow circle of scholars. A bird's-eye view of the section of this literature, which deals with the cult of Krishna is proposed to be taken in the following pages. An idea of the vastness of the Tantra literature of the Vaishnavas may be formed from an account of the PanchaRatra section of it as given by Otto Schrader in his introduction to the edition of the Ahirbudhnya-Samhitai.
The cult of Vishnu-specially in the form of Krishna is immensely popular in Bengal, which is pre-eminently known as a stronghold of worshippers of Shakti - the Supreme Being conceived in the form of eternal energy. The deity is worshipped here according to directions laid down in the Tantras as well as the Puranas. There are quite a good number of families in Bengal members of which, though not belonging to the order of Chaitanya, who is generally believed to have revived, if not introduced Vaishnavism in Bengal, are initiated for generations into the Tantra form of the worship of Krishna.
Some of the rites in connection with this worship, e. g. the Rasa festival, is performed strictly in accordance with the injunctions of the Tantras. It is owing to this popularity that the literature relating to the cult is found to be preserved in works manuscripts of which are widely known principally in Bengal.
“Shree Gautamiya Tantra”
One of the most popular works of this cult is the Gautamiya Tantra, which is quoted in the TantraSara of KrishnAnanda (16th century). It deals with the details of the worship of Shree Krishna. An edition of the work complete in 34 chapters has been published with a Bengali translation by the Basumati Press of Calcutta (1334 B. S.).
The editions published in the TantraSangraha and SulabhaTantraPrakasha series are, however, complete in 32 chapters. A commenta.ry of the work by RadhaMohana is preserved, though in a fragmentary form, in two manuscripts belonging to the Vangiya Sahitya Parishat of Calcutta. This RadhaMohana seems to be identical with the famous Vaishnava writer of the same name and author of works like the “Shree KrishnaBhaktiSudharnava”, “Shree Krishna Archana Chandrika” and commentaries on the “Shree ShuddhiTattva” of Raghunandana and the “Nyaya-Sutras” of Gautama. He is stated to have flourished during the early part of the nineteenth century and to have been a friend of the well-known Indologist Colebrooke.
“Shree BrihadGautamiya Tantra”
“The BrihadGautamiya Tantra”, which is also referred to in the TantraSara, is a work of the same type as “The Gautamiya Tantra”. It does not, however, refer to Gautama and gives the line of teachers of the work as follows: Shiva, Brahma, Narada.
“Shree Sanat Kumara Tantra”, “Shree Rasa-Tantra” and “Shree Vaivaswata-Tantra”
Still another work referred to by KrishnAnanda in his TantraSara is “The SanatKumaraTantra”, manuscripts of which have been noticed by H. P. Shastri, Eggeling and the present writer. Hymns of Radha and Krishna are occasionally found to be associated with this work as also with works like “Shree Rasa-Tantra” and “Shree Vaivaswata Tantra”, manuscripts of which are scarcely known.
“Shree Krishna-Yamala-Tantra” (including “Shree Chaitanya-Kalpa”)
Manuscripts stated to form a part of a work called “Shree Krishna-Yamala” have been reported from different places, e. g. Bikaner, Benares and Bengal. One manuscript deposited in the library of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal contains what is called “Shree Chaitanya-Kalpa” portion of this work. The section deals with the Tantra form of worship of the great Vaishnava preacher Chaitanya MahaPrabhu (15th century).***
As a matter of fact, the work seems to be of a later origin. And it is not included in the list of Yamalas (which are stated to be eight in number) quoted by BhaskaraRaya MahaAcharya in his commentary on “Shree NityaShodashiKarnava”.
***The topic is found also in a number of other works of the Tantra class, e.g. "Shree Ishana-Samhita" assigned to the Kularnava Urdhwamnaya-Samhita Gudhavatara section of the Vishwasara-Tantra, Chaitanyakalpa section of the Brahmayamala, etc.
“Shree Radha-Tantra”
“Shree Radha-Tantra” is an interesting work. It depicts Krishna as a Worshipper of The Divine Mother, Who is stated to have been worshipped by Him in accordance with the rules of Tantra rituals and in the company of female companions in the person of Radha and others.
The various incidents in His Life are all represented as being connected with This Worship. The boat in which he is described as having indulged in a mock altercation with Gopis Who were crossing the river in it with their products is here identified with The Goddess Kali.
The Tantra, however, does not seem to be old. It has not been referred to by KrishnAnanda in his TantraSara or by Raghava Bhatta in his commentary on “Shree SharadaTilaka”, though a number of other works dealing with Krishna Worship have been referred to by them in the section devoted to the treatment of the process of The Worship of Krishna.
It is reported to have been referred to in “Shree ShaktiRatnaKara”, which also to all appearances is a comparatively later work. MSS of this work; which deals with the details of Shakta Worship, have been described by R. L. Mitra, Aufrecht and Hrishikesh Shastri.
The work might have a Bengal origin. MSS of it deposited in the libraries of Bengal are all in the Bengali script, though MSS of other works from different parts of India and in various scripts are also found in them.
Of the few manuscripts reported from outside Bengal details as regards script are lacking. The reference to the Nauka-Khanda (or Tari-Khanda as it is called here ) incident of the life of Shree Krishna, which is so popular in the Vaishnava works of medieval Bengal, might not quite unlikely be due to its composition in Bengal.
“Shree MahEshwara-Tantra”
Another little known work which describes the story of Shree Krishna and His Greatness and lays down the rules for His worship is “Shree MahEshwara-Tantra”, the only known manuscript of the last part of which, complete in 51 chapters, is found in the library of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Besides these works of the original Tantra class (which consists of works of unknown authors in the form of interlocution between Divine Beings) there are other works of unknown dates and authorship based ·on the former class of works and dealing with the rules of worship of Shree Krishna.
“Shree Sharada-Tilaka” of Lakshmana Deshika
One of the earliest and most authoritative works of this type is “Shree Sharada-Tilaka” of Lakshmana Deshika. It devotes three full chapters (15-17) to the description of the worship of The Various Forms of Vishnu. One of these chapters (17.82ff) deals with the worship of Krishna.
The TantraSara of KrishnAnanda, the most popular of the Tantric compilations of Bengal, has sections describing exhaustively the details of the worship of Krishna according to the Tantra form.
“Shree Krishna Archana Chandrika” of RadhaMohana and Vaishnava Rituals
Of works pertaining exclusively to Vaishnava Rituals, “Shree Krishna Archana Chandrika” of RadhaMohana appears to be a hither to unknown work.
It deals with topics like initiation, details of the worship of Krishna, etc. and describes a number of ceremonial rites to be performed by a Vaishnava , e. g. on Janmashtami, Shree Radhashtami and the Rasayatra day.
The author is stated to have consulted various works before he compiled the work. The only known manuscript of the work is deposited in the library of the Vangiya Sahitya Parishad of Calcutta.
“Shree SadhanaDipika” by Narayana Bhatta
Reference should be made to one more work “Shree SadhanaDipika” by Narayana Bhatta. It describes the details of The Worship of Krishna. In the beginning of his work the author refers in respectful terms to Shankara, who hailed from KanyaKubja (modern Kanauj ). A manuscript of the work in Uriya characters complete in seven chapters is in the library of the. Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Tantra Works on The Krishna Cult
by Chintaharan Chakravarty,
M.A., Kavyatirtha
Originally the article is from
