Goddess Traditions in India

This book on Tripurarahasya is a study of Srividya & Sakta traditions in South Indian intellectual history, late middle ages, for researchers in Indology, Asiam, Philosophical, Theological/Religious, Hindu & Tantric Studies, South Asian Religion & Phil. , & Sakta & Saiva phil-religious traditions.

This book on the Tripurarahasya, a South Indian Sanskrit work which occupies a unique place in the Sakta literature, is a study of the Srividya and Sakta traditions in the context of South Indian intellectual history in the late middle ages.

Associated with the religious tradition known as Srividya and devoted to the cult of the Goddess Tripura, the text was probably composed between the 13th and the 16th century CE. The analysis of its narrative parts addresses questions about the relationships between Tantric and Puranic goddesses. The discussion of its philosophical and theological teachings tackles problems related to the relationships between Sakta and Saiva traditions. The stylistic devices adopted by the author(s) of the work deal uniquely with doctrinal and ritual elements of the Srividya through the medium of a literary and poetic language. This stylistic peculiarity distinguishes the Tripurarahasya from many other Tantric texts, characterized by a more technical language.

The book is intended for researchers in the field of Asian Studies, Indology, Philosophical, Theological or Religious Studies, Hindu Studies, Tantric Studies and South Asian Religion and Philosophy, in particular those interested in Sakta and Saiva philosophic-religious traditions.

Acknowledgements; Introduction; PART I MYTHS AND RITUALS Chapter 1 The Tripurarahasya and the Srividya Tradition Chapter 2 The Iconic Form of the Goddess Chapter 3 Tripura as Kamaksi and Lalita Chapter 4 The Island of Jewels and the Sricakra PART II PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL TEACHINGS Chapter 1 Tripura as Immanent and Transcendent Divine Consciousness Chapter 2 The Reformulation of the Svatantryavada and Abhasavada Chapter 3 The Goddess as Word-Energy Chapter 4 The Path towards Jivanmukti PART III SYNOPSIS OF THE MAHATMYAKHA A OF THE TRIPURARAHASYA With an Annotated Translation of the Stotras and of Selected Passages Descent of the Scripture (Sastravatara); Presentation of the Spiritual Teachers; Story of Parasurama; The Sage Sa varta; Dattatreya and His Teaching; Tripura as Mother of the Worlds; The Goddesses as Forms of Tripura; The Threefold Kumari; Laksmi and the Deeds of her Son Kama; Kama and Tripura; Gauri; Marriage of Parvati and Siva; Origin of the Cult of the Sivalinga; Kama and Tripura/Kamaksi; Birth of Skanda; Bharati; Katyatani; Candika; Kali; Durga; Lalitamahatmya; Rebirth of Kama; Birth and First Deeds of Bhanda; Manidvipa and Sricakra; Antecedents of the Fight between Bhanda and Lalita; The Battle; Lalita Triumphant; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index of the Translated Passages and Stotras