Taranatha was a prolific writer and a renowned scholar. His best known work is the 143-folio
History of Buddhism in India (dpal dus kyi 'khor lo'i chos bskor gyi byung khungs nyer mkho) of 1608, which has been published in English. This work is considered as his
magnum opus. It deals with the
history of Buddhism in South Asia, beginning from the time of
Ajatashatru upto the
rise of Delhi Sultanate. Although relying on legends & word-of-mouth, he is found, in many cases, to provide confirmatory materials in support of events known from other authentic sources. The part of his work discussing the state of Buddhism after the fall of
Harsha's empire until
Bakhtiyar Khalji's invasion of Eastern India is considered extremely valuable. His information on the
Pala Empire &
Chandra dynasty of
Bengal, the last Indian polities to patronize
Vajrayana in India is also worth mention. Other works are
The Golden Rosary, Origins of the Tantra of the Bodhisattva Tara of 1604 which has also been translated into English. He was an advocate of the
Shentong view of emptiness and wrote many texts and commentaries on this subject. English-language translation publications of his works on Shentong are
The Essence of Other-Emptiness (which includes a translation of his
Twenty One Profound Meanings (Zab don gсer gcig pa)) and his
Commentary on the Heart Sutra. In 1614 Taranatha founded the important
Jonangpa monastery Takten Dhamchöling, in the Tsangpo Valley about 200 miles west of
Lhasa. == Later life ==