Kāpālikas

[Irene Galstian]

Dear list,

Is anyone aware of material on Kāpālikas that's not in English? I'd especially like to find more or less factual works in Indian languages. What I don't want any more of is creative writing where Kāpālikas are usually cast as the 'vile baddies'.

Kind regards,
Irene

[Taff Rivers]

Irene,

==>  Is anyone aware of material on Kāpālikas that's not in English?  <==

Apparently not.

  https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00710898/document

  Although no written works by Kāpālikas are known to us, this antinomian Śaiva movement of skull-bearers, who took up the attributes of Śiva’s frightening form, 

Bhairava, was once very much present from Kashmir and Nepal to the Tamil-speaking South.

 

The earliest mention of Kāpālikas is found perhaps in Hāla’s Saṭṭasaī, datable in the 3rd to 5th centuries CE (Lorenzen, 1991, 13), but most of our sources on them come from the 7th to the 12th centuries CE. 

Since we have mainly indirect sources about their doctrine and practice, it is often difficult to separate fictitious or biased elements from what may be true in their descriptions. 

                       . . .

Taff

[Irene Galstian]

Taff,

I have seen this work already, but thanks anyway. 

You may be aware that Alexis Sanderson discovered relevant manuscripts recently and is working on them. 

There could exist other developments too. 

Kind regards,

Irene

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[Arvind_Kolhatkar]

Bhavabhuti's playमालतीमाधव in Act V has two characters, अघोरघण्ट and  कपालकुण्डला, who bring मालती to the temple of  चामुण्डा, where they intend to sacrifice her.  Their dialogues may help you glean some information about the sect.

Arvind Kolhatkar.