A rich tapestry of 18 adhikāras (chapters) shapes the Kularnava Tantra, each peeling back another veil of Tantric wisdom. It opens with an invocation to Gaṇeśa and a divine dialogue: Śiva expounds the nature of Ultimate Reality to Pārvatī. The early sections lay the theoretical groundwork—Shiva-Śakti unity, the tattva map of 36 principles, and spanda (cosmic vibration)—before sliding into the heart of ritual praxis: initiation (dīkṣā), mantra science, yantra construction and temple worship protocols.

Mid-text, attention turns to yogic anatomy—nāḍīs, chakras, prāṇa and kuṇḍalinī. Each energy center receives its mantra, mudrā and pūjā sequence, guiding practitioners through a step-by-step inner alchemy. That “onion-peel” progression carries forward into an exploration of the four classical upāyas—Anavopāya (body-based techniques), Śaktopāya (energy work), Śambhavopāya (direct insight) and Anupāya (grace-only non-doing)—showing how elaborate outer forms give way to spontaneous inner realization.

Verses alternate between crisp sutra aphorisms (“Without guru’s grace, even oceans of mantras run dry”) and devotional hymns. Ritual detail, from temple architecture to auspicious timing, sits side by side with instructions for cultivating siddhis (powers) and samskāras (mental imprints). Final stanzas unveil the hallmarks of jīvanmukti—effortless, ever-present self-awareness that needs no further contrivance.

Recent scholarship—especially the Roots of Yoga project—has spotlighted how each chapter builds organically on the last, offering a clear taxonomy that modern Tantric workshops still follow. Whether consulting Bhaskarāraṇya’s classical commentary or a fresh English translation, the text reads like a GPS: guiding from the temple altar all the way to the threshold of mokṣa, without leaving any step to guesswork.