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The usual debates on Krama formulate a deceitful data about the time of its origin mainly with the help of widely accepted mythical theories. The best instance in this regard is Christopher Wallis who in his recent work defines Krama as a subgroup of 碍腻濒墨kula school originated after 10th century CE.^[1] It must be noted that the early works such as 顿别惫墨辫补帽肠腻艣补迟颈办腻 and Kramasiddhi give clear evidences to the pre-existence of this school. Krama-the system which held on to the cyclic structure of the path to reality-is the cult of 碍腻濒墨.

In the commentary of 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补, Jayaratha proposes a two-fold classification of Tantric schools thus: 

1. 罢补苍迟谤补辫谤补办谤颈测腻鈥攃onsisting of Krama, Trika and 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and
2. 碍耻濒补辫谤补办谤颈测腻鈥攚hich exclusively includes Kula.^[2]

Krama, in the present study is considered as a branch sprouted from early Kula School and hence deserves to be addressed Kaula^[3] in the sense of that which originated from Kula. By standing on the point that Krama is Kaula system, its meaning may be determined as the successive stages or cyclic movement of the life process starting from the birth and ending in death. The awareness about the functionalities of time and the emergence of the concepts having much more philosophical character, are considered merely as a development from the preceding stream of thought.

That is why 顿别惫墨辫补帽肠腻艣补迟颈办腻 recognises the Krama as superior to Kula:

啶曕ぞ啶侧た啶曕ぞ啶曕�嵿ぐ啶�啶�啷傕ぐ啷嵿さ啶� 啶む�� 啶膏ぞ啶班�� 啶曕�屶げ啶� 啶曕�佮げ啷嬥い啷嵿い啶班ぎ啷� 啷�
啶呧え啶膏�嵿い啶�啶苦い啶むい啷嵿じ啶距ぐ啶� 啶曕�屶げ啶溹�嵿�炧ぞ啶ㄠ�� 啶�啶灌ぞ啶︵�嵿き啷佮い啶�啷� 啷�

k膩lik膩kramap奴rva峁� tu 蝉腻谤补峁� 办补耻濒补峁� kulottaram |
anastamitatat蝉腻谤补峁� 办补耻濒补箩帽腻苍补峁� mah膩dbhutam ||^[4]

As a result, the thrust area of this system can be linked with the time (办腻濒补) which resembles with the notion of the principle- 鈥槹�腻濒墨鈥�.

According to K. C. Pandey, 

The Krama system is very much allied to the Kula system somuch so that the teachings of this system are referred to as the Kaulik墨vidy膩 in Ni艣膩峁璦natantra. It is recognised to be an aspect of the Kula system which was revealed by the 碍腻濒墨 in her incarnation as 痴腻尘别艣惫补谤墨. Hence for this additional action also, 碍腻濒墨 is called 痴腻尘别艣惫补谤墨 or 痴测辞尘补惫腻尘别艣惫补谤墨.^[5]

From Birth to Death: Shifted Pattern of the Tantric Accent The Tantric concept of 艢补办迟颈 as supreme mother who brings life into the world, slightly changes here as the deity of death. Even though there developed a unique metaphysical concept in the Krama system is known as 碍腻濒补蝉补峁卥补谤峁�i峁嚹�, it explicitly shows the relation with the Kula absolute 碍丑别肠补谤墨. 

Many references are available to the close connection between Sa峁卥ar峁�i峁嚹� and 碍丑别肠补谤墨:

啶栢�囙�氞ぐ啷�啶灌�冟う啶�啶距が啷嵿�溹じ啷嵿ぅ啶� 啶�啶距ぐ啶�啷嵿お啶班�嵿く啶曕�嵿ぐ啶�啷嬥う啶苦い啶�啷� 啷�
啶掂�嵿く啷嬥ぎ啷囙ざ啷�啶�啶苦え啷嵿う啷佮き啶距さ啶膏�嵿ぅ啶� 啶栢�囙�氞ぐ啷�啶�啶苦ぐ啶班ぞ啶оた啶むぎ啷� (啶班え啶苦え啷嵿う啶苦い啶�啷�) 啷�

khecar墨h峁沝ay膩bjastha峁� p膩ramparyakramoditam |
vyome艣墨bindubh膩vastha峁� khecar墨bhirar膩dhitam (raninditam) ||^[6]

Nonetheless, Sa峁卥ar峁�i峁嚹� is bestowed by 碍丑别肠补谤墨s. Kal墨krama mainly represents the forms of 艢补办迟颈, with great emphasis on the process of destruction. Here the 碍腻濒墨 in various forms is performing the processes of withdrawal through the stages prayoga (emission), 蝉补峁儁辞驳补 (persistence) and 蝉补峁僪腻谤补 (destruction)^[7].

The contemplative practices in this system leads to the supreme goddess 碍腻濒补蝉补峁卥补谤峁�i峁嚹�. Aleksandra Wenta in this regard observes, 

Mental stability, so comprehended, reaches significantly farther, or we might rather say, to the final destination, for, it terminates with the ultimate realization of the nature of 碍腻濒墨.^[8]

Kramasadbh膩va, one of the fundamental texts of the 碍腻濒墨krama avers: 

鈥淟ay hold of this strength, the essence of mental firmness (dhairyasadbh膩va), which is named 碍腻濒颈办腻, and stainless (苍颈谤补帽箩补苍腻)鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

K膩lasankarsi峁嚹�, the essence of the 蝉补峁僾补谤迟补尘补峁囜笉补濒补 and of 碍腻濒墨kula exists (acts) as the fourteenth goddess. 碍腻濒墨s of this Krama, represent the importance of withdrawal than creation or sustenance. Otherwise every creative process ends in the destruction followed by it. The principle here embodied mainly is death and the next is time related to death. The Reality is not only the power of creation instead, it emphasizes on the circle of life and death.

碍腻濒补蝉补峁卥补谤峁�i峁嚹� is the reality of Krama system which provides evidence to the change in the thought from birth to death. The major images and analogies present in the Krama scriptures such as cremation ground, skull, and blood symbolize the same. 

Alexandra Wenta quotes a passage bestowed to represent the imagery of 办腻濒腻驳苍颈:

Once the fire of time has been made dense, the supreme radiant energy dissolves away. The light of consciousness, the supreme secret, has arisen as the sun of Kula (12 碍腻濒墨s). It has 12 days and endowed with good power, it shines like many suns. It is the life of the living being and it illuminates the living beings which are of that same nature. In this same way the power of the fettered soul increases.^[9]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Christopher Wallis, Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History and Practice of a Timeless Tradition, Mattamayura Press, 2013, passim.

[2]:

罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补viveka, Vol. 1, p. 24.

[3]:

The term Krama is used in different meanings in different contexts.

[4]:

顿别惫墨辫补帽肠腻艣补迟颈办腻, I. 49.

[5]:

K. C. Pandey, Op.cit, p.506.

[6]:

顿别惫墨辫补帽肠腻艣补迟颈办腻, II. 58. Also see, III.50cd: 鈥�dhy膩yetparame艣膩ni khacaratvasya siddhid膩m鈥�;
惭补丑腻谤迟丑补尘补帽箩补谤墨辫补谤颈尘补濒补 (惭补丑腻谤迟丑补尘补帽箩补谤墨辫补谤颈尘补濒补), p.188: 鈥�anupravi艣ya yogena khecar墨khacitaukhas膩鈥� |

[7]:

顿别惫墨辫补帽肠腻艣补迟颈办腻,, II. 48.

[8]:

See Alexandra Wenta, 鈥淚magery of Withdrawal, Violence and destruction in the 碍腻濒墨krama鈥�, Journal of Kashmir Studies, Vol. VI, No. 1, p.51.

[9]:

颁颈帽肠颈峁嚹玬补迟补蝉腻谤补蝉补尘耻肠肠补测补 (CMS), VII. 208- 209, Mark Dyczkowski (Tr.), quoted in Alexandra Wenta, Op.cit, p.62.