Why have the later ritual manuals of Kerala forgotten ‘initiation’?

Sarma, S. (2010) Why have the later ritual manuals of Kerala forgotten ‘initiation’? Acta Orientalia, 63 (4). pp. 443-454. ISSN 0001-6446

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Abstract

Even though there exists a vast ritual literature of Kerala, topics related to theology and to the function of ‘initiation’ were taken up for discussion only in the early ritual manuals of Kerala, such as the Śaivāgamanibandhana, Prayogamañjarī, Ĭśānagurudevapaddhati etc. The later ritual manuals, such as the Kriyādīpikā, Tantrasamuccaya etc. did not deal with ‘initiation’ and instead prescribed a mantropadeśa in which the teacher (ācārya) teaches the mūla-mantra to the student. This paper will discuss in detail how the early ritual manuals of Kerala dealt with the subject of ‘initiation’ and will show how the importance of ‘initiation’ declined gradually and was forgotten by the later authors of the ritual manuals of Kerala.

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