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
22 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
21
Modern writers like Kane (HDS, Vol. V, Part II
P.1146) Teuen Goudriaan and Sanjukta Gupta etc. (History
of Indian Literature (Hindu Tantric and Sakta Literature)
Vol. II, Ed. J.Gonda, wiesbaden, 1981 p. 114) unhesitatingly
carve out a place for SLP under Tantric literature
While scholars like G.U.Thite, appears to hold a different
view by not only calling it a treatise of Tantra only but
some thing bigger than that - an encyclopaedia of
magico-religion (vide 'Sambodhi' L.D.I.Ahmedabad 1978-79
p. 35 ff.)
P.K.Gode on the otherhand, outrightly rejects any such
claim and summarily disapproves its being called a tantric
text.
Says he, "
..... the work has no connection whatever
with the tantric literature proper and the name ABh.K given
to it in the colophons is quite misleading".
("ABh.K.
an unknown .... Vijayanagar" SILH Vol. II P.123). Thus SLP
appears to have generated two diametrically opposite views
regarding its nature. In the following lines we also
propose to make an attempt to be able to formulate some
workable conclusions with regard to the nature of SLP.
Normally, to pass judgement on the nature of a treatise
as to whether it is tantric or otherwise, depends on how far
it fulfils the norms of a tantric text proper.
