Essay name: Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (Study)
Author:
Artatrana Sarangi
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages
This is a study in English of the Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (written by Lolla Lakshmidhara) representing an encyclopedic manual for emperors. The Samrajyalaksmipithika encompasses about 3870 verses in addressing topics such as public festivals, governance, warfare (military strategy), and rituals associated with the Tantric worship for the deity Samrajya-Lakshmi.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
21 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
20
benediction is most appropriately appended at the end
probably, as cathartic elements to purge the heart of the
readers who have gone through the guiles of war etc.
This arrangement, we feel, is quite natural and is in
agreement with our poetic tradition. We may note here that
epic Ramavana also incorporates the benedictory verses at the
end of Yuddhakanda obviously to bringout the purging effect
in the readers and significantly, signalling the end of the
main epic theme with that.
We presume, the author of SLP also serves the aforesaid
purposes by incorporating the prayer to goddess SL soon
after the description of war etc. And, thus we are led to
believe that the text of SLP is not only not incomplete
but within its present limits, does excellently serve its
purpose as a politico-religious manual of a righteous
Hindu king.
SLP, its Tantric connections
SLP,
though primarily given to the worship of
goddess SL, is repeatedly proclaimed to be belonging to
ABh.K(T) in the colophons of the MSS. We are further informed
by the learned editors of the printed text (of SLP) that
ABh.K, in its turn, belongs to the background (lit. green-
room or neipathya sala) of Rudrayamala traditions.
15.
15 rudrayamalakhya-natpathya sala (ya
akasabhairavakalpa pratis盲rantaragatya ....!
(Sanskrit Introduction to SLP, p.7)
