Śiwarātrikalpa
Old Javanese poem / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Śiwarātrikalpa (from Śiwarātri, meaning Shiva's night, and kalpa, meaning ritual), also known as the Kakawin Lubdhaka is an Old Javanese Hindu kakawin text written by Mpu Tanakung. This text aimed to spread the observance of Maha Shivaratri from the Vijayanagara Empire, who had given a great impetus to the revival of Saivite Hinduism, to the Hindus of Indonesia. It is believed to have been composed about 600 years ago, between 1466 and 1478, at a point when the Saivism sect of Hinduism dominated Java.[1] Scholars have theorized that this revivalist zeal in Java was the result of the emerging Malacca Sultanate, through which Islam had been making gains in Java, and Indonesia in general.[2]
It is a didactic text that describes the making of the rite of Shiva on Maha Shivaratri, celebrated by Hindus all over Indonesia, especially in Bali. The story is related to some Puranas.[2]