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GAEKWAD’S ORIENTAL SERIES Published under the Authority of the Government of His Highness the Maharaja Gackwad of Baroda Era arg AARAT | wait aT | mretars: | SAKTISANGAMA TANTRA CRITIGAYAT EEITED WITH a TRRFACE BENOYTOSH. BILATTACHARYYA Sneon ee IN FOUR YOLTMES You. 1 KALIKHANDA BARODA ORTENTAL INSTITUTE 1932 PREFACE, ‘The first inslaiment of one of the mest popular, one of the most authorilative and ene of the mest exiensive ‘Tintrie works © the Hindus known as the Saitisaigama Tanira is swe presented to the Sanskrit knowing public as Ne, LXI of the Guehwad’s Oriental Series, This work deals with lhe whole Held of ‘Tantric culture and divides the subject matler under an a of topics, To the research scuokir the partion the diferent Saiva and azing variety ling with a schocls will be found to be of great interest, not only because the sckools ar: founé here eluborstely defined, but also because it points cut the broader ard more minute difierences existing amongst the different schools including the hetecodox schaols of the Jaina and Buddhist systems, and yives their peculiar religious lencts and dogmas. ‘The work by reason of its wealth of information and variety of topics makes 4 very intevesting reading and will prove useful to all those who are engoged in a critical and comparative study of the Tantras belonging to the two yreatest religious systems of Inde Mindwism ed Buddhism. As this instalment comprising the Kélikbanda uly is a fraction of the entire work, a general introduction hes veems fo be quite uncalled for, and, therefore, this is sexerved for sume future occasion, when further portio sf the werk comprising the other three sections, namely, the Tarakhanda Sunderikharda and the Chinnamastihanga will also eppear im pent, eg: LS Sabtismigamna Tantra is quoted extensively hy Krpyinanda gnimacagifa in bis TanfzasSta, Untnandanattia in is il and is reierred to hy mame in the Pi in this last work the Sattisaigama Tantra has been elven Uh place as the most authoritative works of the Hindu uch as the Rudrydrata, Stra Phairava, Kidacagamani, Bhdoueng: This shows that in A. 1, 1850 was written, the Sativa 0 sparatnatara Tania, and Same entries, aka, Merutantra, Montana: ‘mani and a host of others, when the Pasharatidtara Taira igtina Tatra had alveady quired a sepalation of authority in Tantric cireles, and ad become an object of veneration. Again, ae Uménandanitha cuotes from the ‘work and ag he Hourished sometime in A.D, 1775, the Sattisai- gama Tantra seems to have been composed much earli Moreover, in the Tontracdra of Kroniaanda Aganavagts Sakiisargama Tantra is extensively quoted. This Ky the disciple of Pizytnanda who im his ‘un was a disciple of Brabminanda, Parginanda wrole a work, Tat 5, which eas composed in the Saka year 1499 which corresponds to therefore, the time of Kyspinanda would be roughly ‘ALD, 1607 if we take 30 years for one succession between a guru fand iis disciple, Tt becomes, therefore, apparent that in 1607 the prosent work Sakinaigana Taniva was well known, and this may be taken as the fernuimus ad quem for the composition cf the work. In tho Satfisargama Tantra, as bas already been pointed out, ten names of Vaighava Schools are given and among them Ge aolice the namnes of the Nimbirka, Ramtnanda, Radhavallabha Sod Harivyisa schools, and these evidences enable us io fix he terminus a quo for the composition of the work, The year of Nimbirla’s death has been put down approximately by Dr, RG. Bhandarkar og 1162. D. and the date of Raminands’s birth as A.D. 1300. Harivernsa Coswimi, the founder of the Raghavallabha acct of the Vaignavas, was born at Agra in Sapvat 9 or A, D, 1303, He belonged to the village Devavanavisa in Saharanpur District, U, P. When be came up of ago he to Vendivana, started a new sect and called il the Radha vallsbha sect, the name being derived from the image ct Radha: yallabha given a fim as a present by his father-in-law. He js reputed to have built a costly Matha at Vindivana of Radha ‘vllabha in Semwwat 1641 whiel: ponds to 1585 ALD. when hhe must have been about &2 years of age. Tiatirima Gakla, the founder of the Varivyisa sect of the Yaisnava school belonged to Bundelkhand and was bom in the year 1510 A.D. Te vias also known as Harivyésa Muni and was The disciple of Sabhajta and gura of Paragurima. Te wrote a commentary cn the Dudastots of Nimbirka, and at the age of 45 in ALD, 1555 to Yindavara and entered into the Radha vallabha sect funded by Herivathéa Goswtim, and later on, started a new sect of his own which was kaowi as the Harivyiisa sett. As the presont work, the Saktsmiyaina, mentions these sects, it stands to reason thal the work was written sometime alter 1855 A. D. when Harieyasa Mua wenl to Vmudavana, and this shomld, therefore, be considered the terminus a quo for ihe composition of the present work, It is ressonable, uniter the cisoumnstances, to suppose that the preseul work was composed sometime between AD. 1553 and (607, and if we take the actual date of composition as circa 1581 A. D, it will nat be very wide of the raat The populwity of the Sabiisangama Tantra can be gauged from tho number of eatint MSS, of the work, and the different places where Ihist are now oblainable, Copies ot the work are available in the public and private bravies in Virianagrany, Ramoicha Matha in the Madura District, Adyar, several places in Bengal, Nepal, Henares, Kyzabad, North West Provinee, Alwar, Bikaner, Baruda aud Poona. Several MSS, of the same work have also. migrated beyond the seas to be preserved in. the Bodleian Library of Oxford and the India Office Library. Tho seripts employed in these MSS, are genetally Nagari, Bengali and Nevaut in the ease of Northeru MSS; the exact script used in the Sonthesn MSS. is nct available from the printed Catalogues here they are described, but it appears yery probable that the Grea character has been used in the MSS. found in the South particularly in the private collections in the Tamil country. ‘Three among the twenty MSS. extant are dated, and the dates correspond to A.D, 1752, 1768 and 1820. Two commentaries of the Sabtisuiigansa Tastra are also known and these are found in private collections in the Nerth Westera Provines and cheit authors are mentioned as Mulundalala and Premanidhic A list of all extant MSS. of the Saitisedgama Tantra and commentaries is given below with the name of the Library, their number uf fulia, seripl aud reference wherever found i— 2, 'Dowsan College BOR Ia Tibrury at | Ngan Blaney Petace| 202 Wager 4, Rengat Govem-| 319 Bengal Boney Coilestion ‘oxford Tudia OMice ws Calewina, moat Cafe on Gow andra SB) | ‘iriagecarata px |utvar Ian 5 [un Yor) | Roloien Liar 28 Rangel ete ssanactes egtatogne of Berri Inoomptet, Ras. in the Adyar Liner, Velo 1, 13 Gatsogua of MBALin| Rita Te Se teas alls Boab 2h Ustalogns wf Singlets Soom tobe AIS. in che Jsmarg complete of His Tighets the from the Rfahara, oF Bieeven, Aosergie bp aon Sotioay of Sanat! ated ia SONS poe ba chapters Calle o¢ Sant Scheer |oligineetonal Toe Uma 87 Sean Cxtolngt ——_Ctienen| Teavnp tate Afanaceriptormm, Vel, 1830 As De fabs Ccxtalogne of Seuskeitf 1768 A, USS tn the. Tatvany | enupel sate Tadia Oiiew Yul. Kann Sum tv, p. 860 st of Nang: W188, Ne in” “private Lilyarieg satin ‘a Sine tisen Ty Yo, Tp 518