Kaula Jnana Nirnaya (Calcutta Sanskrit Series)

III. The Author of the Texts

The texts published here do not bear the name of any author, strictly speaking. All of them are said to have been avatārita revealed/descended i.e. revealed by a Siddha adept/perfected being whose name appears under the following forms in the colophons of texts:

The forms Macchendra, Macchenda and Macchindra are all colloquial variants of the name Matsyendra. As to the form Macchaghna it is found also in the text itself (p. 60, verse 37):

Brahmins say he is a slayer of fish, thus he is renowned as "Matsyaghna" original: "मत्स्याभिघातिनैर्विप्रा मत्स्यघ्नमेति विश्रुतः"; because he acted as a fisherman, he is a fisherman who is a leader of Brahmins original: "कैवर्त्तत्वं कृतं यस्मात् कैवर्त्तो विप्रनायकः".

According to it we are led to believe that Matsyendra, though a Brahmin came to be called Matsyendra as he acted like a Kaivartta fisherman by killing the fish that had eaten up the sacred Kulāgama scriptural canon of the Kaula school. The name has probably given rise to another fanciful interpretation of the name offered by Abhinavagupta in his Tantrāloka Light of the Tantras (Vol. I, p. 25).

May the glorious Macchanda be pleased with me, he who acts as a wide net of spreading rays original: "रागारुणं ग्रन्थिविलावकीर्णम् यो जालमातानवितानवृत्ति", who created the manifestation of the external path original: "कलोम्भितम् बाह्यपथे चकार स्तन्मे स मच्छन्दविभुः प्रसन्नः".

The verse is commented on by Jayadratha who quotes a similar śloka verse in support of the interpretation:

"Maccha" fish are declared to be the fetters pāśa, and the fickle mental modifications cittavṛtti original: "मच्छाः पाशाः समाख्याताश्चपलाश्चित्तवृत्तयः"; because they are cut chedita by him, he is celebrated as "Macchanda" original: "छेदितास्तु यदा तेन मच्छन्दस्तेन कीर्त्तितः".

In both the verses the name Macchanda is explained as one