The Kriyāsaṃgrahapañjikā of Kuladatta and its Parallels in the Śaiva Pratiṣṭhātantras

Abstract

1 Sanderson proposes that what kept Śaivism alive, and enabled it to exert its influence, was ritual for others, as the professional activity of officiants who operated outside the narrow confines of self-cultivation (Sanderson 2010, 12). Generally speaking, rituals for others, i.e. rituals performed for the benefit of donors, were formed through modification of rituals for personal salvation. In the case of Tantric Buddhism, the pratiṣṭhā ritual is a modification of the utpattikrama practice. See the following three quotations: Ratnākaraśānti’s Bhramahara: tasyānandina āsyena dvihoḥkāravidarbhitam | jvalad bījadvayaṃ rāgāt padmāntaḥ praviśad dravet || tato vajrī mahārāgād vilīya saha vidyayā | śaraccandradravanibhāṃ tiṣṭhenmaṇḍalatāṃgataḥ || athotthānāya taṃ devyaḥ sthitvā koṇāsanenduṣu | codayeyuś catasṛbhiś catasro vajragītibhiḥ || (Isaacson 2002, 162, lines 9–15); Vajrāvalī (abhiṣeka section): tais tathāgataiḥ prajñāsamāpannair mahārāgeṇa dravībhūya vairocanadvāreṇāntarniviśya vajramārgeṇa nirgatya taddravair devīpadme mukhena praveśitaṃ śiṣyaṃ jhaṭiti śūnyatānantaraṃ hūṃvajrajātasaprajñākṣobhyarūpiṇaṃ jñānasattvābhinnam abhiṣicya punar bhujamukhādimūrtibhiḥ *padmān (corr.; padmāt EM) niḥsṛtya gaganam āpūrya sthitair locanādividyāsahitaiś chatradhvajapatākāvastravāditragītanṛtyapuṣpakuṅkumādivṛṣṭibhiḥ karakiśalayāvarjitabodhicittāmṛtapūrṇasitakalaśais taṃ śiṣyaṃ *padmān (corr.; padmāt EM) niḥsṛtam abhiṣicyamānaṃ ... (EM §24.2, vol. 2, p. 341, lines 6–11);Vajrāvalī (pratiṣṭhā section): taiś ca tathāgataiḥ prajñāsamāpannairmahārāgeṇa dravībhūya svasya vairocanadvāreṇa praviśya vajramārgeṇa nirgatya taddravair devīpadme mukhena praveśitaṃpratimādikamabhiṣicya punar bhujamukhādimūrtibhiḥ *padmān (corr.; padmāt EM) niḥsṛtya bahir ambaram āpūrya sthitair locanādividyāsahitaiś cchatrapatākānṛtyagītavāditrakusumakuṅkumādivṛṣṭiparikaritakarakiśalayāvarjitabodhicittāmṛtapūrṇasitakalaśais tat pratimādikaṃpadmād bahir niḥsṛtamabhiṣicyamānaṃ... (EM §17.3, vol. 2, p. 416, line 17–p. 417, line 2). The first passage quoted from the Bhramahara teaches how the practitioner should generate himself as Hevajra in the First Union (ādiyoga). The practitioner, who has the form of the seed syllables, should enter the womb of Nairātmyā, Hevajra’s consort, through Hevajra’s mouth, become liquid (i.e. the state of śūnyatā), be emitted outside the