19. Kerala Tantric Literature (A Study in Brief)

Broadly speaking, the Tantric literature in Kerala may be divided into three periods - the period upto 'Naranattubhrantan', from then to the Tantra Samuccaya, and the post - Samuccaya period. The exact date regarding the life of 'Naranattubhrantan' is not known, but it is generally assumed by scholars to have been 1500 yrs. ago. He was the brother of Mezhathol Agnihotri. 'Naranatt' is fabled to be the earliest and the most famous among Tantric authors although his work remains untraceable. 75 The 2nd or the middle period begins with Sankaracarya, whose work Prapancasara is the earliest available Tantric text in Kerala, and ends with Tantra samuccaya. The third period can be generally termed the post, Samuccaya period and is characterized by an excessive emphasis on the practical side of Tantric rites and rituals at the cost of its philosophical and mythological attributes. Both the pre-Samuccaya and post-Samuccaya Tantra treatises are reflective of the typically Keralite milieu (background) of Tantra. The following is a concise mapping out of the major Tantric works produced in Kerala. The full lists of books, texts and other materials referred to for the present study is too long to enumerate and hence the most relevant among 47

them are listed below. Besides Tantric treatises, works on architectural texts and commentaries have also been gone through for the study, since the subject of Vastusastra, Silpasastra, etc. has an important bearing on the Kriyapada of Tantric texts. It is very difficult, nay, well-high impossible to pinpoint the exact period during which Tantra took roots in Kerala. But there are clear and sufficient proof to the fact that the Tantric form of worship must have been definitely associated with temple worship. A vast collection of Sanskrit texts and, to a lesser extent, Malayalam commentaries and original compositions did exist in Kerala. Many of the Sanskrit texts are still available in manuscript form and in print, and they continue to be valid. They are authoritative sources and authentic guides for learned Tantries, scholars and students of Tantric literature. 1. Mayamata of Maya 76 2. Prapancasara of Sankara 77 3. Bhavatrata 78 A. 5. 6. 9. 8. Prayogamanjari of Ravi 79 Visnu Samhita of Sumati 80 Gopalanusthanakrama of Krsnalilasuka 81 a 82 Pradyota of Trivikrma³² Bahudaivatya of Narayanacarya 83 9. Works of Raghavananda 84 10. Madhava 85 48

11. Rahasyagopalatantra cintamony of Vasudeva 86 12. Tantra samuccaya of Cennas Narayanan Namboothiri 87 13. Sesa samuccaya of Krsna Sarma 88 14. Anusthanapaddhati (1) of Paramesvara 89 15. Anusthanapaddhati (2) of Vasudevasomayaji⁹⁰ 16. Tantrika kriya of Krsna Pasana Vipra⁹1 17. Anusthanasamuccaya of Narayana 92 18. Anusthana⁹³ 19. Saivagama Nibandhana⁹4 20. Tantra prayascitta of Narayana⁹5 21. Kriyalesasmrti⁹6 22. Kriya sangraha of Sankara⁹7 23. Kriyasara of Ravi⁹8 24. Tantra sarasangraha of Narayana 99 26. Tantra sangraha vyakhya - Mantra vimorsini of Svarnagrama Vasudeva 100 27. Saubhagyamanjari 101 28. Tantra rajavyakhya - Manorama 102 29. Silparatna of Srikumara 103 30. Prayogasara of Govinda 104 31. Srikrsna Tantra of Kubera 105 32. Sivacandrika of Vasudeva 106 33. Skandanusthana Sangraha of Kuzhikkattubhattatiri 107 34. Nrttarangajirnoddhara of Kuzhikkattu Bhattatiri 108 49

35. Narttanaranganavikrta Vyakhya (anonymous) 109 36. Vaisnavanusthanakalapasangraha Garttavanasankara 110 37. Vaisnava Navikarana Prakarah of Narayana 111 38. Bhadradipika of Narayana 112 39. Tantra sara of Subrahmanya 113 40. Mantrasara of Sankara 114 41. Daurganusthanakalapa sangraha (anonymous) 115 42. Laghutantrasamuccaya 116 43. Kalasacandrika of Narayana 117 of 44. Upaharaprakasikavyakhya of Valiya Godavarma Tampuran of Kottunnallur 118 45. Tattvaprakasavyakhya of Srikumara 119 46. Srividya mantrabhasya of Raghavan Sastri 120