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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
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occupying the position in the 17th century was the author of several Sanskrit works of which the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal definitely possesses the manuscript of one. A manuscript of a second work, the Kalpavṛksa composed in 1733 V.S., is reported to be in the possession of Pandit Madhusudan Kaul, Superintendent of Archaeology, Kashmir, who claims to be a descendant of this illustrious personage. The work of which a manuscript is possessed by the Society, is the Devinama-vilāsa (6703) composed in 1723 V.S. It is a work in 16 chapters, dealing with 1,000 names of the Divine Mother. Every chapter of this work ends with a versecolophon, which occasionally refers to other works of the author.
The designation of the author, far more than the works which possess few marked characteristics, is in the present case highly interesting. The functions attaching to the position and the real nature of it are not known. But our author apparently takes pride in referring to what seems to have been a highly dignified position.
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
He refers to it at least three times in his Devinama-vilāsa (verse 2, chapter colophon and date verse). It is referred to once in the concluding verse of the Srividya-nityapūjā-paddhati (6354) which is also attributed to a Sahib Kaula.
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The present author is evidently different from Sahebrām or Sahibram of the 19th century whose works are referred to by Aufrecht in his Catalogus Catalogorum (I. 716, II. 171). There is reference to a Sahib Kaula who flourished in the 19th century and hymns to whom were composed by his disciples-Jyotiḥprakāśa and Cidrupa (6815, pp. 868-70). The hymn of Jyotiḥprakāśa was commented on by his disciple Govinda in 1830 S.E. or 1908 (loc. cit.).*
Of other works attributed to Sahib Kaula who may or may not be identical with the present author the Society possesses the MSS. of the following:
(1) Śrīvidyā-nityapūjā-paddhati, a big ritualistic work dealing with the details of the worship of Tripura.
(2) Sārika-stava (6400, p. 568), a hymn to the goddess Sarikā. (3) Stray verses (6400, p. 569).
It may be pointed out in this connection that the epithets Mahāmāhesvarācārya and Sahiba-kaulanandanatha are used either
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