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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
EXTENT OF THE PĀÑCARĀTRA LITERATURE
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names of the Pancarătra Sambitás as mentioned in the five lists found in the Kapiñjala, Padma, Vişnu, Hayasīrşa Samhitas and the Agnipurāņa, besides five more not included in the above list. The extensive nature of the Pañcarătra literature may be gauged from what the learned Doctor has himself said The Samhita literature of the Pañcarătras must have once amounted to not less but probably more than one and a half million slokas; and states further that according to Sripraśna (II, 41), Vişnutilaka (I, 140 and 145) and similar texts the original Păñcarătra was believed to have had an extent of one and a half crores of verses.
The SamhitĀS AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION. The definition of a Saṁhitā as given in the Pauşkarasanhitās shows that any work belonging to the Pāñcarātra school extending to a maximum figure of 12000 granthas can be called a Samhita.
In several Samhitãs the Pañcarătra literature is classified in four groups, though in this also difference in opinion is noticeable. For instance, in the Isvarasaṁhită 4 the first is mentioned as Agama, the second as Mantra, the third as Tantra and the fourth as Tantrāntara. But in the Fädmasamhita 5
1. Op. cit. p. 14, 2. Ibid. foot-note. 3. Pegue a quimi difenei MAI
et ar arata ...... gariafera: ava:11 सर्वेषां संहितासंहा बोदव्या कमलोद्भव ।
पौष्करसंहिता Ms. in the Institute
4oth Adhyāya fol. 156 a. 4. gui Isi PRITET OTTH: 1
पूर्वमागमसिद्धान्तं द्वितीयं मंत्रसंज्ञितम् ॥ तृतीयं तन्त्रमित्युक्तमन्यत्तन्त्रान्तरं भवेत् ।
Pritem. 39. 21, 560-561, 5. प्रथमं मन्त्रसिद्धान्तं द्वितीयं चागमाभिधम् । तृतीयं तन्त्रसिद्धान्तं तुर्य तन्त्रान्तरं भवेत् ॥
parts Tufa . 19.
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