Isvarasamhita

Lakshmithathachar, M. A. [u.a.] (Hrsg./Übers.):
Īśvarasaṃhitā / ed. and transl. by M.A. Lakshmithathachar. Rev. by V. Varadachari. - 5 vols. - Delhi : Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts ; distr. by Motilal Banarsidass, 2009. - xix, 1887 S. - (Kalāmūlaśāstra series ; 42-46)
Einheitssachtitel: Īśvarasaṃhitā <Sanskrit, engl.>
ISBN 978-81-208-3216-9 / 81-208-3216-7
Rs. 6000,00
US$ 125,00 (Eastern Book Corp.)
US$ 133,33 (Motilal Banarsidass)
US$ 162,85 (Biblia Impex)
US$ 265,49 (Saujanya Books)
US$ 386,10 (Bagchee)

Beschreibung
Viṣṇuism has given rise to two very important schools of ritual and philosophy, namely Vaikhānasa and Pāñcarātra. Īśvarasaṃhitā is an important text of the Pāñcarātra school of Viṣṇuism.
   Whereas Vaikhānasa is relatively archaic in character and leans more upon the Vedic tradition for its repertoire of Mantras used in religious rites and ceremonies, the Pāñcarātra is more liberal and open in its approach. It has a text tradition going back to some two thousand years - which has also been the main source of the Viśiṣṭādvaita philosophy of Rāmānuja (11th – 12th c.). In most of the Vaiṣṇava temples in South India, especially in Tamilnadu, worship is conducted in accordance with the prescription of one of the important Pāñcarātra Saṃhitās.
   Īśvarasaṃhitā is an important text of the Pāñcarātra School and is followed meticulously for conduction of daily Pūjā ceremony and performances of various religious festivals in the Nārāyaṇasvāmi temple of Melkote. It can safely be dated to 8th-9th Century at least on the basis of its reference in the Āgama Prāmāṇya of Shri Yāmunācārya. It is supposed to be a simpler and smaller version of the older Sātvatāsaṃhitā of this school which is the earliest available work of Pāñcarātra and is considered as one of three ratnas, (Jewels), along with Pauṣkara- and Jaya Saṃhitās. In 25 long adhyāyas the Īśvarasaṃhitā describes in great details the rites, rituals and ceremonies taking place (or ought to take place) in a Vaiṣṇava temple.
   Palm leaf Manuscripts of the Īśvarasaṃhitā were procured mainly from the Nārāyaṇasvāmi temple of Melkote for the sake of authenticity. We have also appended to the text the gloss of Alasiṃha Bhaṭṭa (early 19th c.) which shall be helpful in comprehending certain difficult or sectarian expressions. The English translation on the opposite (right) page has been provided for the facility of the modern scholars working on philosophy, Ritual and Iconography of Viṣṇuism. [Verlagsinformation]

Herausgeber/Übersetzer
M. A. Lakshmithathachar, Academy of Sanskrit Research, Melkote, Karnataka. Vgl. die Präsentation bei e-ternals.com.

Quellen: Motilal Banarsidass; Bagchee; Saujanya Books; Eastern Book Corp.; Biblia Impex.