Saiva Rites of Expiation: A First Edition and Translation of Trilocanasiva’s Twelfth-Century Prayascittasamuccaya (With A Transcription of Hrdayasiva’s Prayascittasamuccaya)

The book presents the translation of a South Indian compendium of Shaiva expiation rituals, Prayashchittasamucchaya, compiled by Trilochanashiva, a twelfth-century theologian celebrated for his Siddhantasaravali, a treatise on the Shaivasiddhanta that is traditionally studied today. Tracing the social developments within the Shaivasiddhanta that provide the context to the evolution of Shaiva reparatory rites, it particularly explains the meaning of prayashchitta, penance rites in the early Mantramarga, role of women in the Shaivasiddhanta and Shaivism in the South Indian temple at the time of Trilochana. The Sanskrit text of the Prayashchittasamucchaya is presented along with its English translation, dealing with purpose of the text and its discussion of dawn duties, rules for puja, defilement of the linga, worshipping materials for the rites, behaviour near one’s guru and towards religious objects, the major sins and crimes, and matters relating to livelihood, sexual activity, birth and death-related impurities, and mantras for expiation.