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 34

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the end where the number of the chapter is not indicated, while the end of the first chapter is marked on fol. 18A. The latter has two chapter colophons (I, fol. 29A, III, fol. 60A). The latter portion of the Society's MS.1 (fol. 38B-67B) has no corresponding portion in the MS. of the Parisad, which seems to be incomplete.
C. STOTRAS.
Sanskrit possesses a vast literature on stotras. An idea of the extent of this literature may be formed from the fact that descriptions of MSS. of stotras cover three big volumes (Nos. 17-19) of the Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit MSS. belonging to the Madras Oriental Library. The Society has also a fairly rich collection of stotras scattered over three volumes of its Descriptive Catalogues (Vols. V, VII and VIII).
The stotras described in the present volume, however, do not all belong to the Tantras nor are they all Tantric in character. Similar remarks apply to stotra manuscripts described in other volumes which though devoted to subjects other than Tantras deal with stotras belonging to Tantras.
A limited number of the stotras are extremely popular and highly interesting both from the standpoint of philosophy as well as poetry. Some of the hymns attributed to Sankarācārya in the present volume (e.g. Bhavāny-aştaka, p. 818, mānasapūjā, pp. 832-3, Rāma-pañjara and Bālāstaka, p. 851 and Gangāstaka, p. 861) cannot be traced in the Works of Sankaracharya (Sree Vanivilas Press, Vols. XVI-XVIII).
Reference is made below to the works chiefly of an exegetical character, belonging to the different groups of stotras dealt with in the volume.
(i) Kali.
The commentaries on the well-known Karpūrastotra, of which there are seven described in the following pages, are all new. Of these the commentary of Durgārāma (6628-9) is dated though the verse containing the date is evidently corrupt in both the MSS. and the date cannot thus be ascertained. One commentary (6632) is attributed in the colophon to the great Sankara.
1 The section ending in fol. 38A agrees with the one ending in fol. 56A of the Parisat MS.