Literary style and language of Hevajra Tantra presents a fine example of tantric language and compositional style. The language is inferior Sanskrit with tinges of the vernacular as well. There is a couplet in the Apabhramsa dialect describing the characteristic of the Innate. Other passage in the vernacular can be found elsewhere in the text. The use of the vernacular as against the Sanskrit literary tradition of orthodox Brahmins is in tune with the spirit of rebellion championed by the medieval poets of Northern India. Defects of language that plague all tantras are found in this tantra as well. Grammatical errors are numerous and the text shows utter disregard for scansion.
The Hevajra Tantra opens like a sutra. The literary style of both the sutras and the tantras are similar. They exist in the form of dialogues delivered by the Lord Buddha to congregations of disciples, bodhisattvas, or divinities in various heavens. The Buddha`s answers to the questions raised by the congregation often astound his hearers and they drop down senseless. These pronouncements are often disorderly, stated authoritatively without any attempt to demonstrate their veracity. There are sudden interruptions and long digressions. The text exhibits a crude and disjointed style, and logical construction is conspicuous by its absence. The Yogaratnamala is written in the panjika style. This is a type of commercial style where words or phrases from successive units of the root treatise are taken and commented on.
Like other tantra in Buddhism the Hevajra Tantra begins with the nidanavakyam, the fundamental statement - `evam maya srutam`. This fundamental statement embodies within itself, in a cryptic manner, the upaya (the mode of practice), and the ultimate experience. There is frequent employment of sandhyabhasa, which shields the true meaning of the text from the uninitiated and renders it an esoteric aura. From a practical point of view, it enables the writer to economise on the repetition of details regarding concepts and practices found within the treatise. Complex notions have been compressed into certain key names, words, or phrases. The text employs a picturesque language, rich in symbolism and graphic in details.
