Expiatory Rites in Keralite Tantra
by T. S. Syamkumar | 2017 | 59,416 words
This page relates ‘Expiatory Rites in Shaivagamanibandhana’ of the study on Expiatory Rites in Sanskrit literature and ancient Indian religion and society, with special reference to Keralite Tantra. Further references to texts include those found in Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism as well as Dharmashastra literature. This study also investigates temple records and inscriptions of Kerala in order to demonstrate the connection between social life and expiatory rites and its evolution.
1.2. Expiatory Rites in Śaivāgamanibandhana
Śaivāgamanibandhana[1] of Murāribhaṭṭa (or Murāridatta) is an earlier Śaiva ritual manual of Kerala. Trivikrama, the commentator of Prayogamañjarī, Nīlakaṇṭha, the author of Manuṣyālayacandrikā and Īśānaśivaguru authentically quotes the words of Śaivāgama-nibandhana in several contexts. Some Scholars think that this text may be written before the Prayogamañjarī.[2] Also it is observed that Śaivāgamanibandhana may be an elaboration of Prayogamañjarī[3] The 23rd chapter of Śaivāgamanibandhana describes expiation in detail. Similar to that of Prayogamañjarī, the present text recommends expiations related to Śiva temples. It is considered that the entering of untouchables, Caṇḍālas, Patitas, Sūtakas, lunatic persons, impure persons, Vrātyas, Pāṣaṇḍiṃs,[4] Nirmālya Bhakṣakas, Brahmasvahāri (A person who has stolen the Brahmasva) and Devalas[5] or the touching of temple belongings by these people, their worship, use of heretic Mantras, presence of worms, termite soil, urine and other impure substances, presence of perspiration, entering of dog, falling down of flag staff, falling down of divine or royal umbrella, falling down of idol, omission of worship and omissions of Utasava[6] are the impurities that affect the temple and rituals.[7]
For averting the impurities it suggests various expiations. They are:
- Sthānaśuddhi,
- Bimbaśuddhi,
- Feeding of Brahmin,
- Śāntihoma,
- Atbhutaśānti,
- Sprinkilng of Pañcagavya,
- Sprinkling with Astramantra,
- Snapana,
- Dakṣiṇā,
- Kalaśa,
- Lepana,
- Puṇyāha,
- Bhūtabali,
- Bali for Demons (Rākṣasas),
- Dāna,
- Tīrtha-yātra,
- Utsva[8],
- Astrayāga,
- Gaurīyāga,
- Vāstuhoma,
- Recitation of Mantras.[9]
Śaivāgamanibandhana prescribes expiations in a detailed way. Gaurīyāga and Bali for demons are the special expiations recommended in this manual. Gaurīyāga is a special type of worship, performed by woman in order to acquire wealth and fame. The earliest evidence of this ritual is seen in Kiraṇatantra. Śaivāgama-nibandhana has given no more details of Gaurīyāga in the expiatory chapter.
About Gaurīyāga, Goodall comments:
“[…] this is plainly a tantric cult of Gaurī to be performed primarily by married woman, presumably wives of initiates. It seems to be a cult that is subordinated to the cult of Sadāśiva which is the main focus of the Bṛhatkālottara and because Gaurī is much simple, and also because it seems to be implied that a woman may drop this worship if she is called by her husband in the middle.”
[10] In the Bali for demons, Śaivāgamanibandhana recommends wine and fleshes as offerings.[11] Obviously this form of Bali is not evidently seen in any other Keralite Tantra manuals as expiation. At the end of this Rākṣasabali, it suggests to perform a special type of Nṛtta.[12] It is very interesting to note that the southern Brahmayāmala text also indicates a special type of Mudrānṛtta at the end of the Bali offerings.[13]
SAS Sarma gives the ritual procedure of this Bali seen in the South Indian Brahamyāmala. He says:
“This is an eight day Bali festival each festival day is meant for one mother goddess (rice mixed with different substances is offered and on the eighth day the Paśubali [animal sacrifice] takes place. The text also mentions that other divinities should be invited during the festival”[14]
The description of purificatory rites like Sthānaśuddhi and Bimbaśuddhi are equivalent to that of other Keralite texts like Prayogamañjarī, Viṣṇu-saṃhitā and Mātṛsadbhāva.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
See Ms. No. 2433, Dept. of Malayalam, Calicut University; Ms. No. 18818-22, Trivandrum Manuscript Library; T. 379, French Institute Pondicherry; Ms. No. 108, Puliyannūr Mana (Private Collection); Ms. No. 177A, Taraṇanellūr (Private Collection).
[3]:
In his study Sangamesan K.M. alludes that Śaivāgamanibandhana may be a later work and may be an elaboration of Prayogamañjarī Because the author of Prayogamañjarī stated that there is no work available dealing with all the Śaiva rituals explained in the Śaivāgamas and his attempt is to compose such a treatise. He notes: “If the period of composition of Śaivāgamanibandhana is prior to that of Prayogamañjarī, the author of Prayogamañjarī might not have stated thus, both being the works dealing with Śiva worship. Taking into consideration the Ācāryatva (qualified priesthood) of Ravi, his authority in Śaivāgamas and accepting his words as authentic, it can be safely concluded that Śaivāgamanibandhana is later than Prayogamañjarī, the former being an elaboration of later”, Sangamesan, K.M., op.cit., pp. 93-98.
[4]:
The term Pāṣaṇḍa includes all non-Vaidika systems, the Vaiṣṇava Pāñcarātra, Śaiva-Mantramārga, Pāśupata, Kāpālika, Buddhism and Jainism. Sanderson, A., “Tolerance, Exclusivity, Inclusivity, and Persecution in Indian Religion During the Early Medieval Period”, pp. 162-163, fn. 15.
[5]:
[6]:
utsavānāṃ vināśeṣu kārakasya pramādataḥ |
saptāhnikacatuṣke vā prāyaścittaṃ vidhīyate || Śaivāgamanibandhana, p. 284.
[7]:
Here Śaivāgamanibandhana considered that the Prāsāda, the sanctum sanctorum, the Pīṭha and the Liṅga are the parts of Īśvara:
prāsādo garbhagehaśca pīṭhaliṅgacatuṣṭayam |
īśvarasya śarīrantvapramādena rakṣayet || Śaivāgamanibandhana, p. 264.
This idea is also mentioned in Viṣṇusaṃhitā in another way. It clearly indicates that temple and its parts are the body of Viṣṇu:
prāsādagarbhapīṭhārccāḥ śarīratvena śārṅgiṇaḥ || Viṣṇu-saṃhitā, 25.3.
So they equally say that impurities affected to any part of the temple will affect purity of the idol. Hence the expiation is to be done in these conditions.
[8]:
utsavaṃ ca prayoktavyaṃ śāntyarthaṃ tatra vai kramāt | Śaivāgamanibandhana, p. 282.
[9]:
Śaivāgamanibandhana, elucidates various Mantras for expiations, such as Vyomavyāpi, Pañcabrahman, Daśātmaka, Mahāpāśupata, Kṣurikā, Pañcākṣara, Śrikaṇḍa, Pavamāna, Annasūkta, Svastisūkta, Saptavyāhṛti, Vedādi, Praṇava, Gāyatri, Śrisūkta, Brahmasūkta, Dhruvasūkta, Asyavāmīyasūkta, Śivasaṅkalpa, Gulphasūkta, Virāṭsūkta and Mṛtyuñjaya.
[10]:
See Śaiva Rites of Expiation, p. 32. Sanderson precisely envisages that: “The Bṛhatkālottara, a late Saiddhāntika scripture, probably composed /compiled (AD 900 and in Kashmir, does introduce in its Gaurī Yāga Paṭala (ff. 111r2-118V1) a form of initiation through which woman as well as men may become active in the Mantra Mārga, though woman are still barred from appointment as officiants and are strictly enjoined not to allow their duties as initiates to take precedence over their duties to their husbands. This is an initiation into the cult of Śivas consort Gaurī”, “The Śaiva Literature”, p. 12. fn. 49.
[11]:
raktaudanādiraktena vikireddikṣu vāriṇā ||
phalaiśca vividhairbhakṣyai sarvathānyānnasaktubhiḥ |
madyamāṃsādisaṃyuktahavyaṃ gavacaruṃ tathā ||
........................................
tuṣyantu balinaitena ghorarakṣāṃsidoṣakṛt |
piśācāḥ piśitāhārāḥ pretāraṇyanivāsinaḥ ||
mātaṅgaśca mahākāyā vetālāḥ pramathāstathā |
etatsaparyayā prītā gacchantu piśitālaye ||
etaumantrapradāhṛtya baliṃ tatra punaścaret | Śaivāgamanibandhana, p. 283.
[12]:
[13]:
paribhramaṇavelāyāṃ mudrānṛttaṃ samācaret | Brahmayāmala (South), Institute Francise De Pondicherry, Ms. T. 522, p. 78.
mudrānṛttaṃ tu kartavyaṃ hāsanakrīṭanādibhiḥ |
mudrānṛttaṃ viśeṣeṇa kārayetsarvayatnataḥ | Brahmayāmala (South), Institute Francise De Pondicherry, Ms. T. 522, p.79.
[14]:
Sarma, S.A.S., “Mātṛtantra Texts of South India with Special Reference to the Worship of Rurujit in Kerala”, Un-Published Article, Ecole Francise D’ Extreme Orient, Pondicherry, p. 4. Here Sarma alludes thus “[…] in Kerala such dances are performed, namely by a Kuruppu and one by Veliccapāḍ, or oracle, before the Bali offering, known as “Bhūtabali”, such as can be observed in the temple Piṣārikāvu, Kollam, Kerala.” Ibid, p. 4. Sarma has shared in a private discussion that the influence of the practice of ritual Balinṛtta may be arrived from Karnāṭaka.