Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts Asiatic Society Vol 08 Part 02

SR No.: 020275
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hariprasad Shastri, Chintahran Chakravarti
Publisher: Asiatic Society
Publication Year: 1940
Total Pages: 340
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue
File Size: 19 MB

Page 19

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6214. Agama-tattva-vilāsa 6604. Sāra-samuccaya 6511. Dipa-prakāśa 6303. Syāmāsaparyā-vidhi 6228. Dharma-vitāna 6439-41. Kaulikārcana-dipikā 6573. Mudrā-prakāśa 6215. Agama-tattva-samgraha 6661. Syāmāsantoşaņa-stotra 6647. Kaula-gaja-mardana 6617. Goraksa-sataka-tikā
1609 S.E. 1770 V.S. 1677 S.E. 1699 S.E.1 1779 V.S. 1700 S.E.1 1752 S.E. 4933 Kali Era. 1756 S.E. 1910 V.S. 1943 V.S.
(ii) Nature of contents of the works. The works described in the present volume, are mainly of a ritualistic character. There are few works here which directly expound the philosophy proper of the Tantras. The following pages, however, contain enough material that will be of interest to students of anthropology, iconography 2 and Sanskrit literature, particularly the later phases of it. It must still have to be admitted that this volume like the volume on Smrti and Purāna contains much that is of little value and importance.
It will be noticed that works on the details of the worship of different aspects of Sakti or the Divine Mother by far outnumber those on all the other deities taken together. Of the ten major manifestations (mahāvidyā) 3 of the Divine Mother, again, Tripurā, Kāli, Tārā and Bhuvanesvarī claim in a descending order the largest number of worshippers and consequently the largest amount of literature. Chhinnamastā (also known as Pracanda-candikā or Sumukhi), Dhūmāvati and Vagalā are principally worshipped in connection with the performance of the black rites for the attainment of ulterior objects. They have few regular worshippers who regard them as their tutelary deities, so that the literature on
1 The date of one of the works must be wrong, as the first work, which according to the date given appears to be earlier, refers to the second, which is given a later date.
2 Anthropomorphic descriptions of little-known deities like Asuri (6070-1), Kālarātri (6063-4), and Tvaritarudra (6464) are highly interesting in this respect.
3 Kāli, Tārā, şodaśī (Tripura), Bhuvanesvari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamastā, Dhūmāvati, Vagalā, Mātangi and Kamalā.