Expiatory Rites in Keralite Tantra
by T. S. Syamkumar | 2017 | 59,416 words
This page relates ‘The New Tantraprayashcitta’ 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.
11 (b). The New Tantraprāyaścitta
In recent times new Tantric works are being composed and these discuss the temple expiation also. The publication of the new Tantraprāyaścitta is an unavoidable instance. The compiler of this text is Iraliyur Sridharan Namputiri.[1] Like the Tantraprāyaścitta of Toḻānūr Nārāyaṇa, the present text fully devoted to discuss expiatory rites in Malayalam language. It is indented for the new Tantrins who are not well versed in Sanskrit language and in Tantric Texts. This Tantric text mainly uses the expiatory concepts of Tantrasamuccaya. Besides, it quoted and referred to the Tantric works like Śāradātilaka, Īśānagurudevapaddhati, Viṣṇusaṃhitā, Puṭayūrbhāṣa, Nāradīya-saṃhitā, Śeṣasamuccya, Śeṣasamuccyānuṣṭānapaddhati, Kuḻikkāṭṭu-pacca, Kaṟuttapāṟānuṣṭāna, Cerumukkilpacca, Muhūrttapadavī and Śrīkṛṣṇacintāmaṇi. Nimittas and expiations prescribed in this text are mostly similar to that of other Tantric texts in Kerala.
It has added some names to the list of ‘outcastes’, who cause for the impurity by entering the temple and become cause for expiations. They are:
- Sūtikā,
- Puṣpikā,
- Veṭan,
- Uḷḷāṭan,
- Īḻava,
- Mukkuva,
- Parava,
- Kṣuraka,
- Ceṭṭi,
- Eḻuttaccan,
- Kallāśāri,
- Karuvān,
- Dāhaka,
- Vāṇiyā,
- Paṇḍāra,
- Śudra,
- Pāṇḍitaṭṭān,
- Koṅṅiṇi,
- Vaiśya,
- Kṣatriya,
- Iḷayatu and
- Mūttatu.[2]
It is astonishing that even after the temple entry proclamation and even after the formation of Indian constitution, which provide equality in religious rights, the compilers of the text are daring to express in writing these type of caste discrimination. Some new expiations are seen in this texts like Grahaṇaprāyaścitta, Āyatanaprāyaścitta, Brahmaprāyaścitta, Muhūrtta-prāyaścitta and Nityaprāyaścitta.
Recently, the religious leaders enforce expiatory rituals like Dāna, Dakṣiṇā and other rituals as a rule. As a result, money and property again getting accumulated to the religious institutions and new type the priestly class. For these control mechanisms, priestly class judiciously used the concept and practice of expiatory rites. Now all religious and spiritual activities show some elements of market economy.[3]
Here the observation of Ronald L. Jhonstone is noteworthy:
“[….] religion is, among other things an economic institution-in the sense that it participates in the economy and is an economic “force” as buyer and a seller of goods and services, in the sense that it is an employ, and in the sense that it influences the buying habits of believers. Even in such relatively simple, small ways, as creating a market for devotional and “peace of mind” literature, and supporting industries that produce religious artifacts, such as religious vestments, statues church pews and baptismal fonts, religion as an impact on the economy of the society.”
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Sreedharan Nampudiri, comp. Tantraprāyaścitta, Published by Kallampilli Paramesvaran Namputiri, Muvattupuzha, 2015.
[2]:
Sreedharan Nampudiri, op.cit., p. 9-10.