Śivaśatanāma stotra from Mahāliṅgeśvara tantra (with locations of some of the Śivālayas specified)

पार्व्वत्युवाच

देवदेव महादेव संसारार्णवतारक।
शिवलिङ्गार्च्चनं सर्वं श्रुतं तव मुखात् प्रतौ॥
इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्चामि शिवस्य शतनामकम्।
यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण मुच्यते भवबन्धनात्।

श्रीसदाशिव उवाच

श्रृणु देवी प्रवक्ष्यामि यस्मात् त्वम् परिपृच्चसि।
यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण संसारान्मुच्यते नमः॥
अतिगुह्यं महापुण्यम् तव स्नेहात् प्रकाशितम्।
गोपनीयम् प्रयत्नेन न प्रकाश्यम् यथा तथा॥
मम नाम परार्द्धं च तथैव कथितं मया।
तेषां सारं समुद्धृत्य सारात्सारं परात्परम्॥
तत्र सारं समुद्धृत्य कथयामि शृणु प्रिये।
मम नामशतञ्चैव कलौ पूर्णफलप्रदम्।
केवलं स्तवपाठेन मम तुल्यो न संशयः॥
पीठादिन्याससंयुक्तमृश्यादिन्यासपूर्वकम्।
देवता-बीजसंयुक्तं शृणुश्व परमाद्भुतम्॥
नारदो’स्य ऋषि प्रोक्तश्चन्दो’नुष्टुबुदाहृतम्।
सदाशिवो महेशानि देवता परिकीर्तिता॥
षडक्षरं महाबीजं चतुर्वर्गप्रदायकम्।
सर्वातीष्टप्रसिद्ध्यर्थे विनियोगः प्रकीर्तितः॥
महाशून्ये महाकालो महाकालीयुतः सदा।
देहमध्ये महेशानि लिङ्गाकारणे वेष्टितः॥
मूलाधारे स्वयम्भुश्च कुण्डलीशक्तिसंयुतः।
स्वाधिष्ठाने महाविष्णुस्त्रैलोक्यपालकः सदा॥
मणिपूरे महारुद्रः सर्वसंहारकारकः।
अनाहते ईश्वरो’हं सर्वदेवनिषेवितः॥
विशुद्धाख्ये षोडशारे सदाशिव इति स्मृतः।
आज्ञाचक्रे शिवः साक्षात् चितिरूपेण संस्थितः॥
सहस्रारे महापद्मे त्रिकोणनिलयान्तरे।
बिन्दुरूपे महेशानि परमेश्वरः ईरितः॥
बाहुरूपे महेशानि नानारूपधरोह्यहम्।
कैलासे ज्योतिरूपेण कैलासेश्वरसम्ज्ञकः॥
हिमालये महेशानि पार्वतीप्राणवल्लभः।
काश्यां विश्वेश्वरश्चैव बाणेश्वरस्तथैव च॥
शम्भुनाथश्चन्द्रनाथश्चन्द्रशेखरपर्वते।
आदिनाथः सिन्धुतीरे कामरूपे वृषध्वजः॥
नेपाले पशुपतिनाथः केदारे पावकेश्वरः।
हिङ्गुलायां कूपनाथो रूपनाथस्तदूर्द्धतः॥
द्वारकायां हरश्चैव पुश्करे प्रमथेश्वरः।
हरिद्वारे महेशानि गङ्गाधर इति स्मृतः॥
कुरुक्षेत्रे पाशुवेशो वृन्दारण्ये च केशवः।
गोकुले गोपेशपूज्यो गोपेश्वर इतीरितः॥
मथुरायां कंसनाथो मिथिलायां धनुर्द्धरः।
अयोध्यायां कृत्तिवासाः काश्मिरे कपिलेश्वरः॥
काञ्चीनगरमध्ये तु मन्नाम त्रिपुरेश्वरः।
चित्रकुटे चन्द्रचूडो योगीन्द्रो विन्ध्यपर्वते॥
बाणलिङ्गो नर्मदायां प्रभासे शूलभृत् सदा।
भोजपूरे भोजनाथो गयायाञ्च गदाधरः।
झाडाखण्डे वैद्यनाथो वक्रेश्वरस्तथैव च॥
वीरभूमौ सिद्धिनाथौ राढे च तारकेश्वरः।
घण्टेश्वरश्च देवेशि रत्नाकरनदीतटे।
भागीरथीनदीतीरे कपिलेश्वर ईरितः॥
भद्रेश्वरश्च देवेशी कल्याणेश्वर एव च॥
नकुलेशः कालीघट्टे श्रीहट्टे हाटकेश्वरः।
कोचवधुपुरे चाहं जल्पेश्वर इति स्थ्तितं॥
उत्कले विमलाक्षेत्रे जगन्नाथो ह्यहं कलौ।
नीलाचलारण्यमध्ये भुवनेश्वर ईरितः॥
रामेश्वरः सेतुबन्धे लङ्कायां रावणेश्वरः।
रजताचलमध्ये तु कुबेरेश्वर ईरितः॥
लक्ष्मीकान्तो महेशानि सदा श्रीशैलपर्वते।
त्र्यम्बको गोमतीतीरे गोकर्णे च त्रिलोचनः॥
बदरिकाश्रममध्ये कपिनाथेश्वरोह्यहम्।
स्वर्गलोके देवदेवो मर्त्यलोके सदाशिवः।
पाताले वासुकिनाथो यमराट् कालमन्दिरे।
नारायणश्च वैकुण्ठे गोलोके हरिहरस्तथा॥
गन्धर्वलोके देवेशी पुश्पदन्तेश्वर्योह्यहम्॥
श्मशाने भूतनाथश्च गृहे चैव जगद्गुरुः।
अवतारे शङ्करो’हं विरूपाक्षस्तथैव च॥
कामिनीजनमध्ये तु कामेश्वर इतीरितः।
चक्रमध्ये कुलेशश्च सलिले वरुणेश्वरः।
आशुतोषो भक्तमध्ये शत्रुणां त्रिपुरान्तकः॥
शिशुमध्ये गुरुश्चाहं तथैव परमो गुरुः।
चन्द्रलोके सोमनाथः स्वर्भानुर्भानुमण्डले।
त्रैलोक्ये लोकनाथो’हं रुद्रलोके महेश्वरः।
समुद्रमथने चाहं नीलकण्ठस्त्रिलोकजित्।
जम्बुद्वीपे जगत्कर्ता शाकद्वीपे चतुर्भुजः॥
कुशद्वीपे कपर्द्दिशः क्रौञ्चद्वीपे कपालभृत्।
मीनद्वीपे मीननाथः प्लक्षद्वीपे कलाधरः॥
अहञ्च पुष्करद्वीपे पुरुषोत्तम ईरितः।
देवमध्ये वासुदेवो गुरुमध्ये निरञ्जनः॥
पुराणे परमेशानि व्यासेश्वर ईरितः।
आगमे नागभट्टो’हम् निगमे नादरूपधृक्॥
सर्वज्ञो ज्योतिषां मध्ये योगेशो योगशास्त्रके।
दीनमध्ये दीननाथ उमानाथस्तथैव च।
राजराजेश्वरश्चैव नृपानां नगनन्दिनि।
परम्ब्रह्मसत्यलोके ह्यनन्तो’स्मि रसातले॥
आब्रह्मन्तम्बपर्यन्तम् लिङ्गरूपि ह्यहम् प्रिये।
इति ते कथितम् देवी ममनामशतोत्तमम्॥
पठनात् श्रवनाच्चैव महापातककोटयः।
नश्यन्ति तत्क्षणाद्देवी सत्यं सत्यं न संशयः।
अज्ञानिनाम् ज्ञानसिद्धिर्ज्ञानिनां परमं धनम्।
अतिदीनदरिद्राणाम् चिन्तामणिस्वरूपकम्॥
रोगिणां पापिनाञ्चैव महौषधमिति स्मृतम्॥
योगिनां योगसारञ्च भोगिनाम् भोगमोक्षदम्।
एककालं द्विकालं वा त्रिकालं वा पठेद्यदि।
अथवा रजनीकाले निर्जने शिवसन्निधौ॥
यः पठेत् साधकश्रेष्ठः स एव श्रीसदाशिवः।
कृष्णां चतुर्दशीं प्राप्य पठेद्भक्तिपरायणः॥
स एव सर्वसिद्धीशो जायते भूमिमण्डले।
चतुर्द्दश्यांअमायां वा सोमवारे विशेषतः॥
यः स्वयं तत्प्रदोषे तु पूजयित्वा स्तवं पठेत्।
तस्य सङ्गे महेशानि तिष्ठामि च सदा प्रिये॥
यं यं काममुपस्कृत्य पठेत् स्तोत्रमनुत्तमम्।
तं तं काममवाप्नोति सत्यं सत्यं न संशयः॥
जले स्थले चाम्भरीके विदेशे शत्रुसंकटे।
वनमध्ये रणमध्ये सभामध्ये तथैव च॥
राजद्वारे महारोगे महाशोके महाभये।
सर्वत्रैवाशुभं हन्ति स्तवपाठप्रसादतः॥
आकर्षणम्वर्शीकार्यं मारणोच्चाटनादिकम्।
शान्तिपुष्टिस्तम्भनानि पाठमात्रम् प्रयोजते॥
अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं मोक्षार्थी मोक्षमाप्नुयात्।
बहुकिं कथ्यते देवी शृणु मत्प्राणवल्लभे।
असाध्यं साधयेत् सर्वं स्तवस्यास्य प्रसादतः।
अहञ्च जगदाधारो ममाधारस्त्वमेव हि।
त्वत्समा प्रकृतिर्नास्ति मत्समो नास्ति पुरुषः॥
तव योनीं समासाद्य सर्वमेव करोम्यहम्।
एतज्ज्ञानम् महेशानि पाषण्डे मा वदेत् क्वचित्॥
मूर्खाय भक्तिहीनाय दुष्टाय सुदुरात्मने।
शिवभक्तिविहीनाय शक्तिनिन्दापराय च॥
न प्रकाश्यं महादेवी प्रकाशाच्छिवहा भवेत्।
शिश्याय भक्तियुक्ताय शिवविष्णुपराय च॥
अद्वैतभावयुक्ताय देवीभक्तिपराय च।
शतनाम महास्तोत्रं देयं पुण्यं महेश्वरी॥

इति श्रीमहालिङ्गेश्वरतन्त्रे श्रीशिवपार्वतीसंवादे शिवशतनामस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम्

pārvvatyuvāca

devadeva mahādeva saṃsārārṇavatāraka।
śivaliṅgārccanaṃ sarvaṃ śrutaṃ tava mukhāt pratau॥
idānīṃ śrotumiccāmi śivasya śatanāmakam।
yasya smaraṇamātreṇa mucyate bhavabandhanāt।

śrīsadāśiva uvāca

śrṛṇu devī pravakṣyāmi yasmāt tvam paripṛccasi।
yasya smaraṇamātreṇa saṃsārānmucyate namaḥ॥
atiguhyaṃ mahāpuṇyam tava snehāt prakāśitam।
gopanīyam prayatnena na prakāśyam yathā tathā॥
mama nāma parārddhaṃ ca tathaiva kathitaṃ mayā।
teṣāṃ sāraṃ samuddhṛtya sārātsāraṃ parātparam॥
tatra sāraṃ samuddhṛtya kathayāmi śṛṇu priye।
mama nāmaśatañcaiva kalau pūrṇaphalapradam।
kevalaṃ stavapāṭhena mama tulyo na saṃśayaḥ॥
pīṭhādinyāsasaṃyuktamṛśyādinyāsapūrvakam।
devatā-bījasaṃyuktaṃ śṛṇuśva paramādbhutam॥
nārado’sya ṛṣi proktaścando’nuṣṭubudāhṛtam।
sadāśivo maheśāni devatā parikīrtitā॥
ṣaḍakṣaraṃ mahābījaṃ caturvargapradāyakam।
sarvātīṣṭaprasiddhyarthe viniyogaḥ prakīrtitaḥ॥
mahāśūnye mahākālo mahākālīyutaḥ sadā।
dehamadhye maheśāni liṅgākāraṇe veṣṭitaḥ॥
mūlādhāre svayambhuśca kuṇḍalīśaktisaṃyutaḥ।
svādhiṣṭhāne mahāviṣṇustrailokyapālakaḥ sadā॥
maṇipūre mahārudraḥ sarvasaṃhārakārakaḥ।
anāhate īśvaro’haṃ sarvadevaniṣevitaḥ॥
viśuddhākhye ṣoḍaśāre sadāśiva iti smṛtaḥ।
ājñācakre śivaḥ sākṣāt citirūpeṇa saṃsthitaḥ॥
sahasrāre mahāpadme trikoṇanilayāntare।
bindurūpe maheśāni parameśvaraḥ īritaḥ॥
bāhurūpe maheśāni nānārūpadharohyaham।
kailāse jyotirūpeṇa kailāseśvarasamjñakaḥ॥
himālaye maheśāni pārvatīprāṇavallabhaḥ।
kāśyāṃ viśveśvaraścaiva bāṇeśvarastathaiva ca॥
śambhunāthaścandranāthaścandraśekharaparvate।
ādināthaḥ sindhutīre kāmarūpe vṛṣadhvajaḥ॥
nepāle paśupatināthaḥ kedāre pāvakeśvaraḥ।
hiṅgulāyāṃ kūpanātho rūpanāthastadūrddhataḥ॥
dvārakāyāṃ haraścaiva puśkare pramatheśvaraḥ।
haridvāre maheśāni gaṅgādhara iti smṛtaḥ॥
kurukṣetre pāśuveśo vṛndāraṇye ca keśavaḥ।
gokule gopeśapūjyo gopeśvara itīritaḥ॥
mathurāyāṃ kaṃsanātho mithilāyāṃ dhanurddharaḥ।
ayodhyāyāṃ kṛttivāsāḥ kāśmire kapileśvaraḥ॥
kāñcīnagaramadhye tu mannāma tripureśvaraḥ।
citrakuṭe candracūḍo yogīndro vindhyaparvate॥
bāṇaliṅgo narmadāyāṃ prabhāse śūlabhṛt sadā।
bhojapūre bhojanātho gayāyāñca gadādharaḥ।
jhāḍākhaṇḍe vaidyanātho vakreśvarastathaiva ca॥
vīrabhūmau siddhināthau rāḍhe ca tārakeśvaraḥ।
ghaṇṭeśvaraśca deveśi ratnākaranadītaṭe।
bhāgīrathīnadītīre kapileśvara īritaḥ॥
bhadreśvaraśca deveśī kalyāṇeśvara eva ca॥
nakuleśaḥ kālīghaṭṭe śrīhaṭṭe hāṭakeśvaraḥ।
kocavadhupure cāhaṃ jalpeśvara iti sthtitaṃ॥
utkale vimalākṣetre jagannātho hyahaṃ kalau।
nīlācalāraṇyamadhye bhuvaneśvara īritaḥ॥
rāmeśvaraḥ setubandhe laṅkāyāṃ rāvaṇeśvaraḥ।
rajatācalamadhye tu kubereśvara īritaḥ॥
lakṣmīkānto maheśāni sadā śrīśailaparvate।
tryambako gomatītīre gokarṇe ca trilocanaḥ॥
badarikāśramamadhye kapinātheśvarohyaham।
svargaloke devadevo martyaloke sadāśivaḥ।
pātāle vāsukinātho yamarāṭ kālamandire।
nārāyaṇaśca vaikuṇṭhe goloke hariharastathā॥
gandharvaloke deveśī puśpadanteśvaryohyaham॥
śmaśāne bhūtanāthaśca gṛhe caiva jagadguruḥ।
avatāre śaṅkaro’haṃ virūpākṣastathaiva ca॥
kāminījanamadhye tu kāmeśvara itīritaḥ।
cakramadhye kuleśaśca salile varuṇeśvaraḥ।
āśutoṣo bhaktamadhye śatruṇāṃ tripurāntakaḥ॥
śiśumadhye guruścāhaṃ tathaiva paramo guruḥ।
candraloke somanāthaḥ svarbhānurbhānumaṇḍale।
trailokye lokanātho’haṃ rudraloke maheśvaraḥ।
samudramathane cāhaṃ nīlakaṇṭhastrilokajit।
jambudvīpe jagatkartā śākadvīpe caturbhujaḥ॥
kuśadvīpe kaparddiśaḥ krauñcadvīpe kapālabhṛt।
mīnadvīpe mīnanāthaḥ plakṣadvīpe kalādharaḥ॥
ahañca puṣkaradvīpe puruṣottama īritaḥ।
devamadhye vāsudevo gurumadhye nirañjanaḥ॥
purāṇe parameśāni vyāseśvara īritaḥ।
āgame nāgabhaṭṭo’ham nigame nādarūpadhṛk॥
sarvajño jyotiṣāṃ madhye yogeśo yogaśāstrake।
dīnamadhye dīnanātha umānāthastathaiva ca।
rājarājeśvaraścaiva nṛpānāṃ naganandini।
parambrahmasatyaloke hyananto’smi rasātale॥
ābrahmantambaparyantam liṅgarūpi hyaham priye।
iti te kathitam devī mamanāmaśatottamam॥
paṭhanāt śravanāccaiva mahāpātakakoṭayaḥ।
naśyanti tatkṣaṇāddevī satyaṃ satyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ।
ajñāninām jñānasiddhirjñānināṃ paramaṃ dhanam।
atidīnadaridrāṇām cintāmaṇisvarūpakam॥
rogiṇāṃ pāpināñcaiva mahauṣadhamiti smṛtam॥
yogināṃ yogasārañca bhoginām bhogamokṣadam।
ekakālaṃ dvikālaṃ vā trikālaṃ vā paṭhedyadi।
athavā rajanīkāle nirjane śivasannidhau॥
yaḥ paṭhet sādhakaśreṣṭhaḥ sa eva śrīsadāśivaḥ।
kṛṣṇāṃ caturdaśīṃ prāpya paṭhedbhaktiparāyaṇaḥ॥
sa eva sarvasiddhīśo jāyate bhūmimaṇḍale।
caturddaśyāṃamāyāṃ vā somavāre viśeṣataḥ॥
yaḥ svayaṃ tatpradoṣe tu pūjayitvā stavaṃ paṭhet।
tasya saṅge maheśāni tiṣṭhāmi ca sadā priye॥
yaṃ yaṃ kāmamupaskṛtya paṭhet stotramanuttamam।
taṃ taṃ kāmamavāpnoti satyaṃ satyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ॥
jale sthale cāmbharīke videśe śatrusaṃkaṭe।
vanamadhye raṇamadhye sabhāmadhye tathaiva ca॥
rājadvāre mahāroge mahāśoke mahābhaye।
sarvatraivāśubhaṃ hanti stavapāṭhaprasādataḥ॥
ākarṣaṇamvarśīkāryaṃ māraṇoccāṭanādikam।
śāntipuṣṭistambhanāni pāṭhamātram prayojate॥
aputro labhate putraṃ mokṣārthī mokṣamāpnuyāt।
bahukiṃ kathyate devī śṛṇu matprāṇavallabhe।
asādhyaṃ sādhayet sarvaṃ stavasyāsya prasādataḥ।
ahañca jagadādhāro mamādhārastvameva hi।
tvatsamā prakṛtirnāsti matsamo nāsti puruṣaḥ॥
tava yonīṃ samāsādya sarvameva karomyaham।
etajjñānam maheśāni pāṣaṇḍe mā vadet kvacit॥
mūrkhāya bhaktihīnāya duṣṭāya sudurātmane।
śivabhaktivihīnāya śaktinindāparāya ca॥
na prakāśyaṃ mahādevī prakāśācchivahā bhavet।
śiśyāya bhaktiyuktāya śivaviṣṇuparāya ca॥
advaitabhāvayuktāya devībhaktiparāya ca।
śatanāma mahāstotraṃ deyaṃ puṇyaṃ maheśvarī॥

iti śrīmahāliṅgeśvaratantre śrīśivapārvatīsaṃvāde śivaśatanāmastotraṃ sampūrṇam

Some of the locations of the more obscure Śivakṣetras specified here
Ādinātha refers to the temple at Maheshkhali,Coxs Bazar Bangladesh most probably.
Vaidyanātha refers to the Jyotirlinga temple at Baidyanath Dham in Jharkhand
Bhadreśvara is in the Chandannagar area(just before Chandannagar on the Howrah Bandel rail line)[another link about the temple]
Kalyāṇeśvara is near Belur. This particular place was revered by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Kocavadhupūra is Jalpaiguri’s Jalpesh temple.
Candranātha is the Chandranath temple in Chittagong on Chandranath hill.
Siddhinātha is the famous Malleshwar Siddhinath temple in Mallarpur in the Birbhum district.
bhāgīrathīnadītīre kapileśvara = refers to the shrine of Kapileśvara in Murshidabad district,30 miles North of Tarapith. This was worshipped by the great Tārā sādhaka Śrī Bamakhepa as well.


On the ‘gender fluid Norse’

About this article by the Guardian, quoting Tristan

The actual scientific report mentioned by the article heavily implies that the person is probably of Finnic or Sami origin and that such mixed gender role burials are not as unheard on among those people.

This is supported by their jewelry being of prominent local origin and style and nothing in the burial being supportive of a real nordic origin beyond minute cultural syncretism.

I’d also mention that the conditions of the burial are not actually consistent with a high status norse religious burial, due to lack of accompanying sacrifices like animals or slaves. This is at best some kind of middle class burial they scrapped together.

Secondarily, they were not buried with a sword, the sword was buried later between their grave and then covered up (Which seems emblematic of trying to seal the grave tbh, as if people thought it might rise as a draugr – Supportive of them having a bad reputation or as a safety precaution for a deliberate humiliation of the burial conditions.) and then buried with an unhilted sword on their person (meaning unknown with speculation it may have been deliberate as an insult due to their condition).

If we assume that this is a Norse XXY Burial with good reputation, it seems likely to me that this person was probably one of those sorts who displayed severe anatomical resemblances to women and that they were presumed and raised to be such. Its possible that this was kept as a family secret until death, leading to a post-mortem awareness of the condition and subsequent steps taken to “seal” the grave afterwards.

There is literally no chance that a “Non-Binary” individual would have been openly accepted in the Norse world. There is a term for this, its Nith, and constitutes the highest of religious crimes.

Secondarily, There is not such thing as a Germanic Shaman. Let me repeat, There is not such thing as a Germanic Shaman. The Germanic people did not practice Animistic beliefs and shamanism was not a religious custom. This is a form of denigratory primitivism by assuming that “primitive and pagan” cultures all behave the same way and hold roughly the same beliefs.

A brief investigation about the views and role of Raghunandana and Ānandabhaṭṭa on the existence of Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas in the Kali Yuga

Warning note:This post is not intended to argue against varṇāśrama,but is meant as a preliminary inquiry into the how people viewed themselves in an idealized hierarchical setup.

Anandabhatta presented the Ballālacarita to the influential Kayastha landlord of Nabadwip (navadvīpādhipati) Buddhimanta Khan in 1510 CE. In the 23rd chapter of the second part of the Ballālacarita he is clearly aware of various lines with well recognized kṣatriya and vaiṣya status that are clearly lines of the recent Kaliyuga and not some pre-Mahapadma-Nanda or pre-Paraśurāma era.(some notable kṣatriya lines of unambiguously this era that he names seems to be: Mauryas,Chauhans,Paramaras,Chalukyas,Silharas,etc). He lists the kṣatriya lines as Sūryavaṃśin,Candravamśin,descendants of Kadru and Vinātā and from Prithu. He also names a Candravamśi line of vaiśyas and gives a partial contemporary list of famous vaiśya communities before scathingly mentioning the suvarṇa-vāniks,who were reduced to śudra status by Ballālasena in the course of their conflict with him.
Raghunandana is born in 1510 CE with his literary activity centred in Nabadwip(and presumably patronized by the same influential Kayastha landlords’ line) and lived uptil 1580(using Kane’s dating at the time). Given the changing political scenario at that time(Bengal coming under Mughal rule) it is more likely he recieved local Kayastha landlord patronage(which was influential and powerful enough to integrate even Rajputs from outside Bengal into it:The case of Purandar Basu Khan integrating the Rajput chieftains Surasimha and Rudrasimha into the Kayastha samaj of Western Bengal(Dakshin Rarh)) rather than needing to Muslim patronage. He(Raghunandana) likely did not have access to the same resources as Anandabhatta and thus stated,extrapolating from what he saw around him in his specific region of Bengal that there were no varṇas except brāhmaṇas and śudras (and he extrapolates this situation backward to being in vogue since the time of Mahāpadma Nanda the son of Mahānandin). I do not have enough data to speculate on why he did not have more data about jātis of other regions and their statuses or the social setups of other prāntas. I am reproducing his quotation from Kane’s work below(from the Śuddhitattva).

The backdrop to puruShottama:shrI nIlamAdhava [A very brief note]

[I am summarizing HV Stietencorn’s work over here]. I am also assuming that the readers are familiar with the legends and lore surrounding indradyumna and puri

The indradyumna legends,like a lot of other ones of our plays and purANas is a stellar example of telescoping of multiple rulers into the activity of a single figure. Here,the activities of three rulers are telescoped into this indrdadyumna period:

  • A conqueror who builds a temple(yayAti I)
  • Settles down with his ministers in coastal Odisha(yayAti II)
  • Decay of the temple of puruShottama/nIlamAdhava(late somavaMshi period)
  • A [new] conqueror comes,finds this tradition decayed and builds a new temple for puruShottama(anantavarman choDagA~Ngadeva)

About this first temple(build between 949-959CE),we now discuss on the possibilities of the mUrti installed,which are:

  • A shilAmaya(sculpted in stone) image of nIlamAdhava standing(mostly) alone
  • A shIlAmaya image of kamalA-puruShottama(also occasionally called nIlamAdhava)
  • A dAru-rUpi(wooden) vigraha of puruShottama alone
  • A dAru-rUpi vigraha of puruShottama and shrI
  • A dAru-rUpi vigraha of puruShottama,balabhadra and subhadrA

It is found that the deities described as dAru-rUpi start appearing in literary descriptions around ga~NgA period from the 1200s onwards(passages in the skAnda and brahma purANa,tantrayAmala and mAdaLA pA~njI),which leaves us with the first two as possibilities. And out of the first two,it is the first image which is the image most likely to have been established in the first puruShottama temple of Puri,as it is the image of this type which is noted in literary sources(and plastic evidence of such images carved in bluish-black muguni stone also exist). This original nIlamAdhava is described in the brahma purANa thus

pItavastram chaturbAhuM sha~NkhachakragadAdharaM||
vanamAlAvR^itoraskaM padmapattrAyetekShaNam|
shrIvatsoraHsamAyuktam mukuTA~Ngadashobhitam||

He’s also described in the padma purANa as 4 armed,with attendants,but without any brother or sister.

An example of such an image,as in the general template above has been given from that same work to illustrate of a template to concieve of the original nIlamAdhava in the first temple to puruShottama at Puri.

shrIchakrapANaye namaH|

A Pāñcarātrika macranthrophic hymn to Viṣṇu(the hymn to the Mahāpuruṣa)

. (Śrīmadbhāgavata Purāṇa 12.11-1-26)

śrī-śaunaka uvāca
athemam arthaṁ pṛcchāmo
bhavantaṁ bahu-vittamam
samasta-tantra-rāddhānte
bhavān bhāgavata tattva-vit
tāntrikāḥ paricaryāyāṁ
kevalasya śriyaḥ pateḥ
aṅgopāṅgāyudhākalpaṁ
kalpayanti yathā ca yaiḥ
tan no varṇaya bhadraṁ te
kriyā-yogaṁ bubhutsatām
yena kriyā-naipuṇena
martyo yāyād amartyatām
sūta uvāca
namaskṛtya gurūn vakṣye
vibhūtīr vaiṣṇavīr api
yāḥ proktā veda-tantrābhyām
ācāryaiḥ padmajādibhiḥ
māyādyair navabhis tattvaiḥ
sa vikāra-mayo virāṭ
nirmito dṛśyate yatra
sa-citke bhuvana-trayam
etad vai pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ
bhūḥ pādau dyauḥ śiro nabhaḥ
nābhiḥ sūryo ’kṣiṇī nāse
vāyuḥ karṇau diśaḥ prabhoḥ
prajāpatiḥ prajananam
apāno mṛtyur īśituḥ
tad-bāhavo loka-pālā
manaś candro bhruvau yamaḥ
lajjottaro ’dharo lobho
dantā jyotsnā smayo bhramaḥ
romāṇi bhūruhā bhūmno
meghāḥ puruṣa-mūrdhajāḥ
yāvān ayaṁ vai puruṣo
yāvatyā saṁsthayā mitaḥ
tāvān asāv api mahā-
puruṣo loka-saṁsthayā
kaustubha-vyapadeśena
svātma-jyotir bibharty ajaḥ
tat-prabhā vyāpinī sākṣāt
śrīvatsam urasā vibhuḥ
sva-māyāṁ vana-mālākhyāṁ
nānā-guṇa-mayīṁ dadhat
vāsaś chando-mayaṁ pītaṁ
brahma-sūtraṁ tri-vṛt svaram
bibharti sāṅkhyaṁ yogaṁ ca
devo makara-kuṇḍale
mauliṁ padaṁ pārameṣṭhyaṁ
sarva-lokābhayaṅ-karam
avyākṛtam anantākhyam
āsanaṁ yad-adhiṣṭhitaḥ
dharma-jñānādibhir yuktaṁ
sattvaṁ padmam ihocyate
ojaḥ-saho-bala-yutaṁ
mukhya-tattvaṁ gadāṁ dadhat
apāṁ tattvaṁ dara-varaṁ
tejas-tattvaṁ sudarśanam
nabho-nibhaṁ nabhas-tattvam
asiṁ carma tamo-mayam
kāla-rūpaṁ dhanuḥ śārṅgaṁ
tathā karma-mayeṣudhim
indriyāṇi śarān āhur
ākūtīr asya syandanam
tan-mātrāṇy asyābhivyaktiṁ
mudrayārtha-kriyātmatām
maṇḍalaṁ deva-yajanaṁ
dīkṣā saṁskāra ātmanaḥ
paricaryā bhagavata
ātmano durita-kṣayaḥ
bhagavān bhaga-śabdārthaṁ
līlā-kamalam udvahan
dharmaṁ yaśaś ca bhagavāṁś
cāmara-vyajane ’bhajat
vāsudevaḥ saṅkarṣaṇaḥ
pradyumnaḥ puruṣaḥ svayam
aniruddha iti brahman
mūrti-vyūho ’bhidhīyate
sa viśvas taijasaḥ prājñas
turīya iti vṛttibhiḥ
arthendriyāśaya-jñānair
bhagavān paribhāvyate
aṅgopāṅgāyudhākalpair
bhagavāṁs tac catuṣṭayam
bibharti sma catur-mūrtir
bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ
dvija-ṛṣabha sa eṣa brahma-yoniḥ svayaṁ-dṛk
sva-mahima-paripūrṇo māyayā ca svayaitat
sṛjati harati pātīty ākhyayānāvṛtākṣo
vivṛta iva niruktas tat-parair ātma-labhyaḥ
The Phalaśruti comes in the next śloka
ya idaṁ kalya utthāya
mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇam
tac-cittaḥ prayato japtvā
brahma veda guhāśayam

On the decline of Shaiva Siddhanta

There are three main aspects of the decline of Śaiva siddhānta tāntrika systems and confining it to mainly the Tamil lands

 

  1. Loss of patronage in the North due to Muslim invasions+active iconoclasm by them.The last rulers who could do this(patronage) to some extent in the North would be the family in which Rani Durgavati married in.
  2. When Vijayanagara came to power,it elevated the Telugu smārta-s and disenfranchised the Ādiśaivas(replacing them with Telugu brāhmaṇas).
  3. After the very brief revival it enjoyed due to people like Arumuga Navalar,it became a tool in the hands of Dravidianist ideologues who distorted it out of it contexts.

However,the works of Sekkizhar,and the works of Sundarar and Nambiyandar Nambi ensured that the system survived in the popular devotional consciousness in those lands even after their patronage declined.