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PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.
Saundaryalahari and the other works included in this volume
were edited by the Late Pandit Kasturi Rangacharya under the
then Curator, the late Mr. Mahadeva Sastri, and published as
No. 11 in the Sanskrit Series of this library. Copies of the first
edition were all exhausted and there was a continued demand for
the book. This has now been met by reprinting the works after
revising the texts with the help of fresh manuscripts added to the
library.
Saundaryalahari belongs to the class of works which treat of
what is known as the Tantra form of worship as opposed to the
abstract Aupanishada form. This form of worship is rather
eclectic in that it combines in itself the elements of every other
form of Sadhana that is in vogue: Karma, Jñana and Bhakti. It is
considered to be most suited to men of all capacities and equip-
ments and the easiest means of realising the Summum Bonum.
There are various forms of Tantra worship, each named according
to the deity that is worshipped. Thus there are separate systems
devoted to Vişnu, Siva and Sakti. Saundaryalahari deals with the
forms of worship of Sakti according to the Samayācāra which
aims at and claims to be in perfect agreement with the vedic
teaching.
Tradition ascirbes Saundaryalahari to Sri Sankarācārya, the
great exponent of the Advaita Vedanta. Commentators of the
work excepting Pravarasena and a few others ascribe the work
to Sankara. Bhaskararaya, a great authority on Tantra, states
more than once, in his commentary on the Lalita Sahasranama,
that the work is by Sankara. Jñanašivācārya of 16th century,
author of Saivaparibhasa, a work on South Indian Saivism, while
quoting the 24th stanza of the Saundaryalahari, in support of the
theory of the Pancakrtyas of Siva explicitly states that Saundarya-
lahari is by Sri Sankara; the Srividyārnava Tantra by Pragalbhā-
CC-0. Jangamwadi Math Collection. Digitized by eGangotri
Saundaryalahari and the other works included in this volume
were edited by the Late Pandit Kasturi Rangacharya under the
then Curator, the late Mr. Mahadeva Sastri, and published as
No. 11 in the Sanskrit Series of this library. Copies of the first
edition were all exhausted and there was a continued demand for
the book. This has now been met by reprinting the works after
revising the texts with the help of fresh manuscripts added to the
library.
Saundaryalahari belongs to the class of works which treat of
what is known as the Tantra form of worship as opposed to the
abstract Aupanishada form. This form of worship is rather
eclectic in that it combines in itself the elements of every other
form of Sadhana that is in vogue: Karma, Jñana and Bhakti. It is
considered to be most suited to men of all capacities and equip-
ments and the easiest means of realising the Summum Bonum.
There are various forms of Tantra worship, each named according
to the deity that is worshipped. Thus there are separate systems
devoted to Vişnu, Siva and Sakti. Saundaryalahari deals with the
forms of worship of Sakti according to the Samayācāra which
aims at and claims to be in perfect agreement with the vedic
teaching.
Tradition ascirbes Saundaryalahari to Sri Sankarācārya, the
great exponent of the Advaita Vedanta. Commentators of the
work excepting Pravarasena and a few others ascribe the work
to Sankara. Bhaskararaya, a great authority on Tantra, states
more than once, in his commentary on the Lalita Sahasranama,
that the work is by Sankara. Jñanašivācārya of 16th century,
author of Saivaparibhasa, a work on South Indian Saivism, while
quoting the 24th stanza of the Saundaryalahari, in support of the
theory of the Pancakrtyas of Siva explicitly states that Saundarya-
lahari is by Sri Sankara; the Srividyārnava Tantra by Pragalbhā-
CC-0. Jangamwadi Math Collection. Digitized by eGangotri