12 Is anasivagurudevapaddhati obtained from Kerala, the work itself is not a contribution of Kerala. A Keralite scholar But later scholars who had the benefit of studying the work in detail hold that there is enough evidence in the text itself to show that Iśanaśivaguru must have been a Kerala writer. The details given in the text regarding Tantra and Mantra are used in the daily rituals in Kerala temples for centuries. The seventh and ninth Patalas of the work could be cited as examples. In these sections the rites of purification of materials used for rituals as well as mode of bathing are detailed. These too show affinity with the practice in Kerala. There are many other parallels which compel one to accept a Kerala authorship for the work. In the 50th Patala of the Kriyapada, the 343rd stanza refers to a particular musical instrument of Kerala called a Timilā as follows: सङ्गीननृत्तवादित्र : शङ्खकाहलगोमुखैः । तिमिलानकभेर्याद्य निनदद्भिरनारतम् || Timilā is a kind of drum used in almost all temples of Kerala as of the prominent musical instruments. Similarly in the 41st Patala of the Mantrapada a famous Tantra work which also deals with the treatment of poison called Narayaniya is referred to as follows: तेष्वादौ मतमाश्रित्य खड्गरावणचोदितम् । नारायणीयोदितं च मार्गद्वय महोच्यते ॥ The work is called Nārāyaṇiya since the author is one Nārāyaṇa most probably a Keralite scholar but the real title of the work is Tantrasãrasangraha. But the most important reference is to Prayogamañjari often simply referred to as Mañjari. There are not less than twentyfive references to this important work on Tantra. Among the several Tantric works quoted in this treatise Prayogamañjari by a Namputiri Brahmin called Ravi occupies a 1. Ed. with commentary, Madras Government Oriental Series No. 15, Madras, 1950.
