Umā and Śiva’s Playful Talks in Detail (Lalitavistara): On the Production of Śaiva Works and their Manuscripts in Medieval Nepal

This article offers insights into the processes and context of production, in medieval Nepal, of the so-called ‘Śivadharma-corpus’, a collection of eight works revolving around topics related to the practices and beliefs of lay Śaiva householders and the establishment of a Śaiva social-religious order. Our focus is on the earliest extant manuscript containing a version of the entire corpus, namely manuscript G 4077 of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta, dated to 1036 CE. What is exceptional about this manuscript is that it contains a unique work called Lalitavistara as the final member of the corpus, while missing the Dharmaputrikā, which from the second half of the 11th century onwards was always transmitted as the last work in ‘mainstream’ versions of the Śivadharma corpus. While giving some insights into the production of the corpus shortly before it reached its stable form by the 12th century, we also offer an overview of the contents of the Lalitavistara, as well as a study of its topics and sources, proving its connections with the Umāmaheśvarasaṃvāda of the Śivadharma corpus. We also show how both works heavily draw on and are inspired by the Mahābhārata, and how the compositional strategies may reflect the socio-religious and cultural milieu of the Kathmandu Valley at the time.