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 32

( xxviii)
days in Bengal or elsewhere. Scholars like Arthur Avalon were not aware of the existence of this work or of any other work of Laksmana except the Sarada-tilaka though a number of them are referred to (Cat. Cat., I. 536). It is an independent work having no connection with the Sarada-tilaka though it is suspected by some to be a commentary on the latter (Cat. Cat., I. 536).
(c) Siva. The cult of Pañcanana, Pañcānanda or Pāñcu Thakur, presumably a popular aspect of Siva, is immensely popular among the women-folk of West Bengal, specially of the lower class, who worship the deity, as the Guardian Deity of children, for the protection and welfare of their young ones. The known literature on the cult, unlike other folk-cults, is, however, extremely meagre. The Society, fortunately, is in possession of three MSS.-perhaps all that are known-of a Tantric text called the Bṛhadrudra-yamala (5866-7) sections of which deal exclusively with this cult. These sections in the manner of mangala-kavyas of medieval Bengal, one of which may not unlikely have been the basis of the Sanskrit version given here, record legends concerning the powers of the deity in causing destruction when offended and bringing prosperity when propitiated. The MSS. are especially interesting in view of the fact that Sanskrit works pertaining to folk-cults are rare, if not totally unknown 1.
Of later digests on the cult of Siva the Vatukarcana-samgraha (6466) of Balambhaṭṭa appears to be the most comprehensive, while the fragment of the Bhairavarca-pārijāta is interesting being associated with the name of a royal author, Jaitrasimha of the Vaghela dynasty. Balambhatta has referred to a number of digests and authors (p. 629). Kāśīnātha, the polymath, has got the largest number of works in this section. Of the ten works of Kaśīnātha that we have in this section, as many as five seek to demonstrate the greatness and supremacy of the deity.
We have little information about a number of authors whose works are included in this section: e.g., Siddheśvara (6462), Lakṣmidhara (6463), Ganga-suta (6464), Dhanaraja, son of Kesava (6465) and Ramacandra whose work seems to be based on a similar work by Kṛṣṇabhatta (6467).
1 For details of the MSS. and the legends cf. D. R. Bhandarkar Volume, pp. 77-81.