Book Title: Alphabetical List of Manuscript in Oriental Institute Part 02
Author(s): Raghvan Nambiyar, Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra
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penetrant Time So and th was made the Kalas
Tless.
and is popular in all countries of the North including Tibet, China and Japan. There are besides such valuable mines of information on Buddhist rituals and religious practices as the Kriyasamgiahapañjika and the Vajrávali nama Mandalopaġikā. Another original Tantra work is the Kālacakra Tantra which is followed by its voluminous commentary, entitled the Vimalaprabha. Both these works are historically and culturally most important; they give for the first time an account of the origin and development of the Kalacakra School of the Buddhists in which an attempt was made to bring the warring elements of the Buddhists and the Hindus under the common banner of the Great Time God Kalacakra “ Circle of Time" against the cultural penetration of the Mlecchas against whom both proved powerless. The Kalacakra Tantra has been taken up for publication in the Gaekwad's Oriental Series as the source book of information on the Kālacakra School. There are scores of other philosophical and psychic books which when published will throw a considerable light on the history and culture of the Buddhists. The Nişpannayogāvali already published in the G. O. S. as No. CIX shows the connection of the Indian Buddhism with the religion, culture and the pantheon of China, and is undoubtedly a remarkable work which shows the influence of Sanskrit culture in the deepest regions of China in Greater India. Buddhism has a special claim on the Indian scholars of today not only because Buddhism took its origin in India but also becausc it subsequently became a World Religion claiming over one third of the population of the globe as its adherents. Although Buddhism vanished from the land of its birth due to persecutions of the Vedic Hindus and the foreigners, it nevertheless left valuable remnants in art, architecture, customs and manners. Only through the Buddhistic studies it would be possible to discover to what extent India is indebted to Buddhist religion and culture. It is hoped that better treatment will be accorded to Buddhism in a New India by a few scholars who are engaged in this laborious but profitable field of research.
As has been pointed out already this volume contains a list of 9077 (Nine Thousand and Seventy seven) manuscripts in all. This large number is distributed under 27 heads. A list of these 27 subjects is given below :
1. Purāņa 2. Māhātmya 3. Vrata 4. Itihasa 5. Gitā 6. Bhakti 7. Stotra 8. Kavya
9. Nātaka 10. Katha 11. Niti 12. Alankara 13. Chhandas 14. Kosa 15. Kámasāstra 16. Sangita