Myths and Colophons: Intertextual and Paratextual Strategies Asserting the Authenticity of Purāṇic Kavacas

This paper delves into the strategies employed to establish the authenticity and authority of the ritual known as Śivakavaca in Purāṇic literature. It will compare the techniques employed when this kavaca appears in the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa section of the Skandapurāṇa, when it circulates as an autonomous extract from the Purāṇa, and in its oral and digital transmission in the 21st century. The paper emphasises the crucial roles played by the Śivayogin and the guru in transmitting the ritual and ensuring its efficacy, as well as the significance of the paratext as a seal of authenticity.