Abhinavagupta: The Kula Ritual as Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka

In this work,he describes the various tantras and places of their apex the most extreme of them, the Kula ritual. It also provides a translation of Jayaratha's commentary. the Kula ritual leads the practitioner to more exalted stages of mantras to reach the highest level of consciousness, the "mantravyapti", the pervasion of the mantra. The person who knows this pervasion is a Bhairava.. In Abhinavagupta's encyclopaedic work, the Tantraloka (Light on the Tantras), he describes the various tantras of his day and places at their apex the most extreme of them, the Kula ritual, which proposes the use of wine and meat and intercourse with women of the low castes. Is Abhinavagupta's esteem of the Kula ritual just the shadow side of genius, an abberation best forgotten? This book is a translation - the first into English of any chapter of the Tantraloka of Abhinavagupta's version of the Kula ritual. It also provides a translation - the first into any language - of Jayaratha's indispensable commentary. It shows the structure of the text, which is not a confused mass of codes and activities but is articulated as finely as an Indian temple. The translation is accompanied by a commentary, the appendices, including a glossary and index of words.