श्रीशक्तिसङ्गमतन्त्रम्: Saktisangama Tantra (4 Parts in 2 Volume)

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I have great pleasure in presenting before the world of scholars and seekers the second edition (Vol. I-Kalikhanda & II-Tarakhanda) of the Saktisangama Tantra which deals with the whole field of tantric culture of different schools. The Saktisangama Tantra, edited by Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya (1897 1964), the first Director of the Oriental Institute was published under the Gaekwad's Oriental Series in four volumes Vol. I - Kalikhanda -GOS No. 61-Pub. in 1932 Vol. II - Tarakhaṇḍa -GOS No. 91- Pub. in 1941 Vol. III- Sundarikhanda -GOS No. 104-Pub. in 1947 Vol. IV - Chinnamastakhanda - GOS No. 166 - Pub. in 1978Due to untimed death of Dr. Bhattacharyya, he could not complete the fourth volume and a detailed introduction he had promised to present after the completion of the entire work was wanting. The work then entrusted to Pt. Vrajavallabha Dwivedi, the then Professor of Yoga and Tantra, Sampurnanada Sanskrit University, Varanasi. Prof. Dwivedi's erudite Introduction in Sanskrit of the work is appreciated worldwide. I am thankful to my Research Officers Dr. Sharmila Bagchi, Mr. Nandkishor Mishra and Dr. Vipul Patel whose whole-hearted efforts helped bringing out this edition. I'm obliged to the University Authorities for releasing the necessary grant for reprinting the book. I'm grateful to Mr. Jatin H. Somani, Manager, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda Press and his staff for neat printing of this publication. I hope that the present edition will be appreciated by the academic world and the Tantra -the unique mystic science will be given its due respect that what the editor had looked forwarded to.

The first instalment of one of the most popular, one of the most authoritative and one of the most extensive Tantric works of the Hindus known as the Saktisangama Tantra is now presented to the Sanskrit knowing public as No. LXI of the Gaekwad's Oriental Series. This work deals with the whole field of Tantric culture and divides the subject matter under an amazing variety of topics. To the research scholar the portion dealing with the different Saiva and Vaiṣṇava schools will be found to be of great interest, not only because the schools are found here elaborately defined, but also because it points out the broader and more minute differences existing amongst the different schools including the heterodox schools of the Jaina and Buddhist systems, and gives their peculiar religious tenets and dogmas. The work by reason of its wealth of information and variety of topics makes a very interesting reading and will prove useful to all those who are engaged in a critical and comparative study of the Tantras belonging to the two greatest religious systems of India Hinduism and Buddhism. As this instalment comprising the Kalikhaṇḍa only is a fraction of the entire work, a general introduction here seems to be quite uncalled for, and, therefore, this is reserved for some future occasion, when further portions of the work comprising the other three sections, namely, the Tarakhanda, Sundarikhanda and the Chinnamastakhanda will also appear in print. The Saktisangama Tantra is quoted extensively by Krisananda Agamavagisa in his Tantrasara, Umanandanatha in his Nityotsava and is referred to by name in the Pusparatnakara Tantra, and in this last work the Saktisangama Tantra has been given the same place as the most authoritative works of the Hindu Tantrics, such as the Rudryamala, Saradatilaka, Merutantra, Manthanabhairava, Kulacuḍamani, Bhavacudamani and a host of others. This shows that in A.D. 1850 when the Pusparatnakara Tantra was written, the Saktisangama Tantra had already acquired a reputation of authority in Tantric circles, and had become an object of veneration. Again, as Umanandanatha quotes from the work and as he flourished sometimes in A.D. 1775, the Saktisangama Tantra seems to have been composed much earlier. Moreover, in the Tantrasara of Kṛṣṇananda Agamavagisa, the Saktisangama Tantra is extensively quoted. This Krisananda was the disciple of Purnananda who in his turn was a disciple of Brahmananda, Purṇananda wrote a work, Tattvacintamani, which was composed in the Saka year 1499 which corresponds to A.D. 1577; therefore, the time of Krisnananda would be roughly A.D. 1607 if we take 30 years for one succession between a guru and his disciple. It becomes, therefore, apparent that in 1607 the present work Saktisangama Tantra was well known, and this may be taken as the terminus ad quem for the composition of the work. In the Saktisangama Tantra, as has already been pointed out, ten names of Vaisnava Schools are given and among them we notice the names of the Nimbarka, Ramananda, Radhavallabha and Harivyasa schools, and these evidences enable us to fix the terminus a quo for the composition of the work. The year of Nimbarka's death has been put down approximately by Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar as 1162 A.D. and the date of Ramananda's birth as A.D. 1300. Harivamsa Goswami, the founder of the Radhavallabha sect of the Vaisnavas, was born at Agra in Samvat 1559 or A.D. 1503. He belonged to the village Devavanavasa in Saharanpur District, U.P. When he came up of age he went to Vṛndavana, started a new sect and called it the Radhavallabha sect, the name being derived from the image of Radhavallabha given to him as a present by his father-in-law. He is reputed to have built a costly Matha at Vṛindavana of Radhavallabha in Samvat 1641 which corresponds to 1585 A.D. when he must have been about 82 years of age. Harirama Sukla, the founder of the Harivyasa sect of the Vaisnava school belonged to Bundelkhand and was born in the year 1510 A.D. He was also known as Harivyasa Muni and was the disciple of Sribhaṭṭa and guru of Parasurama. He wrote a commentary on the Dasasloki of Nimbarka, and at the age of 45 in A.D. 1555 went to Vrindavana and entered into the Radhavallabha sect founded by Harivamsa Goswami, and later on, started a newsect of his own which was known as the Harivyasa sect.

**Contents and Sample Pages**