मृल्-लिङ्ग-पूजा

Source: TW

The rite of the clay liNga of the Kashmirian kaTha KYV v1s involves the invocation of 13 rudra-s and rudrANI-s (named below).
This represents a rite invoking mR^ityu
njaya independently of the netra-tantra tradition.

It raises the possibility that the tradition of netranAtha itself arose as a tantricization of an existing tradition.

The rudra-s:

  1. aja ekapAd
  2. ahir budhnya
  3. kR^itivasas
  4. pinAkabhR^it
  5. vR^iShAkapi
  6. sindhu
  7. bahurUpa
  8. hara
  9. tryambaka
  10. trinetra
  11. vR^iShabhavAhana
  12. shatarudreshvara
  13. mahA-mR^ityu~njaya-bhaTTAraka

The rudrANI-s:

  1. umA
  2. kAmA
  3. charvA~NgI
  4. Ta~Nka-dhArinI
  5. tArA
  6. pArvati
  7. yakShiNI
  8. shArikA
  9. shAradA
  10. mahArAj~nI
  11. jvAlA
  12. sahasra-nAmni devI
  13. bhavAnI

Of these 8-11 are the deities of local shrines in Kashmir-Panjab region
establishing that for these kaTha-s specific locales were key part of their religious practice.+++(5)+++

Additionally, bhairava-s and heruka-s are invoked, but they are not primary deities.

The use of the kaTha-shatrudrIya mantra-s in the rite
parallels the corresponding use in the parallel rudra-pUjA of the taittirIyaka-s.
However, several other kaTha mantra-s which may not necessarily have taittirIya equivalents are also deployed.
However, the non-use of the liNga-mantra-s and the panchabrahma of the taittirIyaka-s is surprising.