Product Description
The literature of the Paucaratras, like other
sectarian literatures, falls into two broad divisions
comprising respectively works of inspired or divine origin
and such as are of human authorship. The latter class,
entirely dependent on the former, consists chiefly of what
are called vidhi and prayoga : digests, commentaries,
extracts and studies on special subjects, and the like.
The former class, with which alone we are here concerned,
consists of the Samhitas or " compositions " (compendia),
that is, metrical works dealing, in so many chapters
(adhydya, patala), with a number of topics, if not the
whole, of the Paficaratra system. The name Samhita, as
is well known, is also applied to the Law-books (" Mann
Samhita", etc.) and need not, therefore, indicate any
intention to imitate or replace the Vedic Sarnhitas, which
are compilations of a very different character. Instead
of Samhita the name Tantra is often used, evidently in
exactly the same sense, and both these words, as also
the word Kancla,* are also applied to each of the main
topics of a philosophical or religious system. For instance,
in the twelfth chapter of Ahirbudhnya Samhita we read
of the Bhagavat Samhita, Karma Samhita, Vidya
SamMta, and seven other Samhitas, and equally of the
Pati Tantra, Pas'u Tantra, Pas-a Tantra, etc., constituting
respectively the Sattvata and the Pasrupata systems.
sectarian literatures, falls into two broad divisions
comprising respectively works of inspired or divine origin
and such as are of human authorship. The latter class,
entirely dependent on the former, consists chiefly of what
are called vidhi and prayoga : digests, commentaries,
extracts and studies on special subjects, and the like.
The former class, with which alone we are here concerned,
consists of the Samhitas or " compositions " (compendia),
that is, metrical works dealing, in so many chapters
(adhydya, patala), with a number of topics, if not the
whole, of the Paficaratra system. The name Samhita, as
is well known, is also applied to the Law-books (" Mann
Samhita", etc.) and need not, therefore, indicate any
intention to imitate or replace the Vedic Sarnhitas, which
are compilations of a very different character. Instead
of Samhita the name Tantra is often used, evidently in
exactly the same sense, and both these words, as also
the word Kancla,* are also applied to each of the main
topics of a philosophical or religious system. For instance,
in the twelfth chapter of Ahirbudhnya Samhita we read
of the Bhagavat Samhita, Karma Samhita, Vidya
SamMta, and seven other Samhitas, and equally of the
Pati Tantra, Pas'u Tantra, Pas-a Tantra, etc., constituting
respectively the Sattvata and the Pasrupata systems.
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