16 Isānasivagurudevapaddhati work on Tantra consisting of 21 Patalas summarising Saivāgmas. It deals with the rites for renovation of damaged temples and consecration of the idols of the different deities. The author of this work was a Namputiri Brahmin called Ravi. His father was Astamūrti and the name of his grandfather has been given as Bhavatrāta. He belonged to Māthara family. Further it is revealed that his tulelary deity was śāstā of Cemparakkulangara. This information is supplied by the following stanzas occurring at the beginning of the work. . शिवपुरसग्रामजुषा विध्यपतसोमपानशुद्धेन; काश्यपगोत्रप्रभुणा माठरकुलाब्जवन हंसेन; चम्पातीरतटाकार रामस्थशास्तू गुप्तेन; रविणा हरिपदाब्जभृङ्गेण रचिता कृति: प्रयोगमञ्जरी नाम संक्षेपकुसुमोज्ज्वला || The fact that the work is a summary of Saivāgamas is ex- plained by the author as follows : उद्दामता न वचसो न च कौतुकं मे बुद्धेश्शिवस्य न च बोद्धुमलं हि तत्त्वम् | हास्यो भवामि करणेन निबन्धनस्य स्पष्टं तथापि खलु चोदयतीह भक्तिः । दुर्ज्ञेयानि बहूनि मन्दमतिभिस्तन्त्राणि गौरीपते- रुद्गीर्णानि मुखाम्बुजादविकलास्त्वेकत्र तेषां क्रियाः । नोक्तास्तेन शिवागमांश्च निखिलानुवीक्ष्य नास्ताः क्रियाः संक्षिप्य प्रवदामि याश्च विहिता लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठाविधौ ॥ In the first stanza the author expresses his limitation and in the next he explains the nature of the work as an epitome of Tantras. The work is utilised by the Kerala priests very much and naturally manuscripts are available in several old families. To get an idea of the text some instances may be noted. एषां भृत्यगणाश्शतं शतमथ प्रत्येकमेषां ! पुनः भृत्यास्सन्ति सहस्र मेवमयुतं तेषां च तेषामपि । लक्षं कोटिगुणास्तथैव च पुनस्तेषां च तेषां पुन- भृंत्या भूतगणास्तथापरिमिता वक्तुं न शक्नोमितान् ॥
