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Who is the author of Tripura Rahasya and when was it written?

Tripura Rahasya unfolds like a whispered confidence handed down through the ages—its true composer remains cloaked in mystery. Tradition holds that this Shakta-Advaita gem was revealed by Goddess Tripura Sundarī herself, recited to the sage Dattātreya and then conveyed to the warrior-rishi Paraśurāma. No single human name stands behind its verses; instead, it’s treasured as an anonymous scripture carrying divine origin.

Dating the text is a bit like chasing fireflies—its glow is unmistakable, yet its exact moment of appearance drifts through scholarly debate. Most Indologists and Sanskritists place its core composition somewhere between the 7th and 10th centuries CE, during a rich flowering of Śaiva and Śākta literature in medieval South Asia. By the time the polymath Vijnāna­bhikshu penned one of the earliest known commentaries in the 16th century, Tripura Rahasya had already earned a reputation as a clandestine “royal secret” (rahasya) of nondual Śakti worship.

Even today, this classic continues to resonate—from quiet corners of Himalayan ashrams where modern seekers explore its paradoxical logic, to digital study circles dissecting its verses on virtual screens. Its blend of mythic dialogue, metaphysical insight and poetic finesse still feels remarkably alive, much like discovering a long-lost letter tucked inside an ancient palm-leaf manuscript.