Woodroffe translated the Mah?nirv??atantra? from the original Sanskrit into English under his
nom-de-plume of Arthur Avalon: a play on the magical realm of Avalon and the young later-to-be, King Arthur, within the story-cycle of tales known generally as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; specifically according to Taylor (2001: p. 148), Woodroffe chose the name from the noted incomplete
magnum opus, the painting 'Arthur's Sleep in Avalon' by Burne-Jones. Moreover, Taylor (2001: p. 148) conveys the salience of this magical literary identity and contextualizes by making reference to western esotericism, Holy grail, quest, occult secrets, initiations and the Theosophists:
"This is quite important to know, for here we have a writer on an Indian esoteric system taking a name imbued with western esotericism. The name at any rate seems to hint at initiations and the possession of occult secrets. The Arthurian legends are bound up with the story of the Holy Grail and its quest. This was a symbol of esoteric wisdom, especially to Theosophists who appropriated the legend. Anyone who named himself after King Arthur or the mystic isle of Avalon would be thought to be identifying himself with occultism, in Theosophists' eyes."
Unfortunately, the most important point is not made by Taylor (2001: p. 148) and that is of the Eternal return (of "the once and future King") a narrative, motif and archetype that pervades the two traditions of entwined esotericism, East and West.
The Mah?nirv??atantra? is an example of a nondual tantra and the translation of this work had a profound impact on the Indologists of the early to mid Twentieth Century. The work is notable for many reasons and importantly mentions four kinds of Avadhuta.