Isvarasamhita : Critically Edited and Translated in Five Volumes

Contents: Vol. I. Introduction to Pancaratra, its Ritual and Philosophy: Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Vedas -- their importance, Tantra and Agama. 2. Classification of Agamas. 3. Vaisnava Agamas: general nature. 4. Vaisnava Agamas: their home and period. 5. Vedas and the Vaisnava Agamas. 6. The sources of the Pancaratra. 7. Validity of Pancaratra. 8. Contents of the Pancaratragama. 9. Division of the Pancaratragama. 10. Brahman -- the supreme being. 11. Sakti. 12. Cosmology -- I. 13. Cosmology -- II. 14. Cosmogony. 15. Tattvas. 16. Jiva. 17. Means of liberation. 18. Moksa. 19. Sthiti and Laya. 20. Yoga. 21. Kriya -- planning the village. 22. Measurements. 23. Balalaya. 24. Diksiddhi. 25. Prathamestakavidhi. 26. Types of Basements and temple structures. 27. Murdhestakavidhi, deities in the Vimana and attendant deities. 28. Collection of Slabs of wood and measurements for Dhruvabera. 29. Postures of the forms of God. 30. Measurements for the Dhruvabera. 31. Sulasthapana and Dhruvabera. 32. Painting with colours. 33. Other Beras. 34. Icons of God’s divine descents and others. 35. Entourage deities. 36. Preparations for consecration. 37. Consecration. 38. Consecration of other deities and objects. 39. Kinds of temples. 40. Cosmic character of the temple. 41. Daily routine of a Pancaratrika. 42. Ijya. 43. Preceptor and pupil. 44. Mantras and Mantroddhara. 45. Requisites for worship. 46. Diksa. 47. Agnikarya. 48. Japa and Dhyana. 49. Mental (internal) worship. 50. External worship. 51. Mahotsava. 52. Minor festivals. 53. Worship and festivals of the Vyuha, Vibhava and other deities. 54. Snapana. 55. Pavitraropana. 56. Prayascitta. 57. Jirnoddhara. 58. Funeral rites and Sraddha ceremony. 59. Ethics. 60. Pancaratra literature. 61. Brief summary of the contents of the Isvarasamhita. 62. Commentary on the Isvarasamhita. 63. Conclusion.

Vol. II. Text and Translation: 1. Introducing the system. 2. Directions for mental worship. 3. Procedure for the worship of the deities on the outer walls of the temple. 4. Procedure for Nirajanamta -main part of the worship upto the rite of illustration. 5. Procedure for preparing and offering of food and for performing fire sacrifice. 6. Procedure for offering oblations to manes and the rite of sending the deities to bed. 7. Process of worshipping Laksmi and Sudarsana. 8. Procedure for worshipping Garuda and his retinue. 9. A description of the characteristics of the deities stationed at the entrance and enclosures. 10. Procedure for celebration of great festival, upto the ceremony of hoisting the flag.

Vol. III. Text and Translation (contd.): 11. Procedure for Mahotsava. 12. Method of performing the festival in the fortnight. 13. Procedure for celebration of Krsna’s birthday. 14. Method of performing Pavitrotsava. 15. Procedure for Snapana. 16. Procedure for the installation of prasada and the rest. 17. Characteristics of idol and others. 18. Method of installation.

Vol. IV. Text and Translation (contd.): 19. Method of acts of expiation. 20. Yadavacalamahatmayam. 21. Procedure for initiation. 22. Rules regarding regulations. 23. Rules for the formation of Mantras.

Vol. V. Text and Translation (contd.) and Slokardhanukramani: 24. Features of Mudra (hadn-gestures), method of meditating on Bhagavan. 25. Cooking of the oblations. 26. Slokardhanukramani.

“Visnuism has given rise to two very important schools of ritual and philosophy, namely Vaikhanasa and Pancaratra. Isvarasamhita is an important text of the Pancaratra school of Visnuvism.

Whereas Vaikhanasa is relatively archaic in character and leans more upon the Vedic tradition for its repertoire of Mantras used in religious rites and ceremonies, the Pancaratra 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 Visistadvaita philosophy of Ramanuja (11-12 c.). In most of the Vaisnava temples in South India, especially in Tamilnadu, worship is conducted in accordance with the prescription of one of the important Pancaratra Samhitas.

Isvarasamhita is an important text of the Pancaratra School and is followed meticulously for conduction of daily Puja ceremony and performances of various religious festivals in the Narayanasvami temple of Melkote. It can safely be dated to eighth - ninth century at least on the basis of its reference in the Agama Pramanya of Shri Yamunacarya. It is supposed to be a simpler and smaller version of the older Sattvata-Samhita of this school which is the earliest available work of Pancaratra and it considered as one of three ratnas, (jewels), along with Pauskara - and Jaya-Samhitas. In 25 long Adhyayas the Isvarasamhita describes in great detail the rites, rituals and ceremonies taking place (or ought to take place) in a Vaisnava temple.

Palmleaf manuscripts of the Isvarasamhita were procured mainly from the Narayanasvami Temple of Melkote for the sake of authenticity. Also appended to the text the gloss of Alasimha Bhatta (early nineteenth 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 Visnuism.

A proper understanding of ritual is obviously indispensable for the study of art.” (jacket)