The credit for having ushered the first publication of one
Vaikhanasa Literature goes to Sriman Raghupati Bhattacharya
familiarly famous as Sri Vasudeva Bhattacharya of
Konerirajapuram, Tanjore. He had printed and published the
Vaikhanasa Smartasutra and the Smarta part of Vaikhanasa
Mantra prasna in Granthakshara in Kumbhakonam in the year
The veteran scholar and Agama pandit Sriman Pandita
Vallipuram Raghunatha Chakravarti Bhattacharya and the
famous M.M.Vyakarana Setumadhavacharya edited
Vimanarcana Kalpa of Marici and published it under
T.T.Devasthanams auspices in the regime of Vicaranakartas
in 1926. At the same time it was published by the Vaikhanasa
Granthamala of Egavaripalem in Telugu Script in 1927. Later
the eminent scholar M.M. Sri T.Ganapati Sastri published the
works Vaikhanasa Dharma Prasna and Marici Vimanarcana
Kalpa in the Sanskrit series edited by the Government of
Travancore in 1935. For various reasons Marici alone was
imperfectly edited without proper care regarding the readings
and that too incompletely. Though some publications are
complete in respect of furnishing the mere material they do not
give satisfaciton with regard to correctness of the readings and
proper get up. It has become absolutely necessary to revise it
critically after perusing the different sources available and the
alternate Samhitas with full commentary and with English
translation. A little later two brilliant scholars Sri Vallipuram
Raghunatha Chakravarthi Bhattacharya (above mentioned) and
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Sri M. Ramakrishna Kavi, M.A., author of Bharata Kosa together
supervised the publication of Samurtarcanadhikaranam of Atri,
another Vaikhanasa Samitha under the auspices of T.T.
Devasthanams, Tirupati in 1943 and I had the opportunity of
lending my Vidyanilayam manuscripts for the purpose.
Subsequently the Travancore Government expressed their
intention of publishing the Khiladhikaram of Bhrgu and in
pursuance of it had a manuscript copy of the work prepared
with the aid of various copies available in their library. It was
sent to me for necessary critical revision with standardised
readings where different texts in evidence. To fulfil the task
assigned to me at the time I had consulted the following originals
with the help of scholars and proposed the correct texts for
publication.
1.The palm leaf manuscript (incomplete) available in
S.V.U.O.R. Institute, Tirupati.
2.The palm leaf manuscript with Sri Uttanur Pandita Arcakam
Narasimhacharya of Uttanur.
3.The palm leaf and paper manuscripts in the Sri Vaikhanasa
Vidyanilayam, Akulamannadu.
4.The palm leaf manuscript with Pandita Sri Konnur Sundara
Bhashya Bhattacharya of Villivakkam.
5.The paper manuscript of Sri Arcakam Peddinti Srinivasa
Dikshitulu garu, Tirupati.
6.The palm leaf manuscript available with Arcakam Sri
Soumya murthi Bhattacharya of Tirukkottiyur.
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Under the impression that the said work by them. Would
be published duly edited the publication of Jnanakandam
(Kasyapa Samhita) and Bhrgu Samhita (Kriyadhikaram) was
undertaken and brought out by me under the auspices of the
T.T.Devasthanams in 1948. Subsequently there was
correspondence with the Curator of the Travancore Library
regarding the publication of Khiladhikaram with no fruitful result.
Finally learning that they had dropped the idea of such a
publication altogether, I, with the good offices of the
T.T.Devasthanams had taken up that task while I was reader in
S.V.U.O.R. Institute. At that time I had the chance of consulting
an original and old palm leaf manuscript furnished by the sons
of Agama pandita late Sri Arcakam Alagasingara Bhattacharya
of Nagamangalam. Mysore State and a transcribed paper copy
of palm leaf manuscript from Adyar library got by Sri V.M.
Narasimhan, B.A., B.E., M.I.E., M.R. San.I.(Lon) the famous
architect of South India, Triplicane. Taking Travancore
manuscript collection as the basic text, I had consulted the
above two texts for endorsing the readings and other materials
or research value and got the edition revised. But due to change
over of the Sri Venkateswara Oriental Research Institute to the
S.V.University, I had to retire from service under age rules and
consequently the work and the publication was delayed.
However, the manuscript prepared by me was handed over to
the University with the fond hope of its being published under
University auspices. But there the copy lay idle for some time.
The T.T. Devasthanams realising that the efforts bestowed on
the work should not go in vain without recognition, obtained the
permission of the University for the publicaiton of the work under
my supervision. The editing was begun in 1959. Due to paucity
of different versions the work being a rare one dealing with
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material of intircate and complex nature, there had been difficulty
felt at times regarding the perfection of the readings. The correct
readings at certain stages were arrived at by greater mental
strain. Yet the matter peresented here confirms mostly to the
Nagamangalam version with necessary fixation of readings
wherever needed bearing in mind the contextual topics. In this
venture some project, I had in good measure the advice of my
friend Sri Vedantam Jagannathacharyulu Garu, the T.T.D.
Asthana Vidwan and erudite scholar in tarka and vedanta. I take
this oppurtunity of expressing my gratitude to him.
In the Vaikhanasa Bhagavachastra which is derived from
the entire Vedic tradition (agama), including both the Purva and
Uttara portions, the nature of God is interesting. God is
allpervasive, full of infinite attributes and is beyond all the faults
of the world and transcending all. He is capable of being
worshipped both in the amurta or formless manner as well as
the formed (murta). God is the supreme personality and has
five statuses. They are the Supreme transcendent Vishnu, and
the Vyuhas comprising Purusa, Satya, Acyuta and Aniruddha,
the Vibhava forms of the innumerable avataras he had taken
for the restoration of dharma of which the ten are the most
well-known, the Harda form of immanent resident in the hearts
of all as their inner ruler immortal, and the Arca form which is in
the idols or icons in temples. These icons are all descents of
the Supreme Visnu though some of them ar Svayamvyakta,
self-manifested as Sri Venkateswara on the Tirumal Hill, some
of them are Rishi formed, some others by devas and by men .
The Vaikhanasa sastra shows that from earliest times iconic
worship (the substance of Uttara bhaga) went followed by the
Yajna forms of worship (which form the substance of the
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teaching of the Vedic Purva bhaga) and therefore it is not a
later innovation. All these five statuses of Vishnu are one only
and are helpful to the final realisation and attainment of the
Highest State of Vishnu’s world which is he goal of all souls.
‘भक्त्या भगवन्तं नारायणमर्चयेत्तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं गच्छतीति विज्ञायते
(श्रीवैखानससूत्रे ४ प्रश्नः)
Vaikhanasa Sastra also speaks of the individual souls as
seeking God. But due to beginningless ignorance or avidya,
some souls are caught up in the bondage and are unable to
know God and even lose their own natue. Such souls could
attain freedom from avidya by worshipping the Archa form of
Vishnu, known as Narayan with devotion as prescribed by the
Vaikhanasa Sastra. By worshipping with devotion Narayana,
one attains the highest place of Vishnu says the Sastra.
God in the Vaikhanasa Sastra must be considered as the
self of the individual devotee and the world - sariri. Thus He is
sarvasariri. The individual souls are of atomic size and
conscient and subservient to God. The bond souls have to
realise this selfhood of God through devotional worship
according to the sastra and gain freedom. Thus the liberated
ones form a group of souls and there are said to be some souls
which have always been free from this bondage known as
Nityas. The individual souls through worship attain the highest
worlds and attain Salokya, Samipya, Sarupya and Saujya and
gain the supreme felicity of serving the Divine (nitya Kainkarya).
Of course those who attain this highest abode of Vishnu do not
return to the world of rebirth and sorrow.
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‘विश्वतश्चक्षुरूतविश्वतो मुखो विश्वतो हस्त उत विश्वतस्पात् ।
सम्बाहुभ्यां नमति सम्पतत्रैर्द्यावाभूमी जनयन् देव एकः’ इति श्रुतिः । तत्
सर्वव्याप्यशरीरः परमात्मैव सर्वभूतानां प्रभवरक्षणसंहृतिनिमित्तिश्शरीरी भवति’
क्षेत्रज्ञाश्च बहवः । तेऽपि नित्याः । अनाद्यविद्यासञ्चितपुण्यपापफलं
भोक्तुं बहुविधं देहं प्रविश्य तत्तदात्माभिमानिनस्तत्र तत्र शुभाशुभकर्माणि
कृत्वा तत्तत्फलानुरूपं देहं पुनः पुनः प्राप्य वर्तन्ते’
‘इत्येवं संसारसमुद्रोत्तरणाय साधनं ज्ञानयोगञ्च ब्रह्मणा पुरा मम
प्रणीतम् । तदेव युष्माकं मया चोक्तम् । ज्ञानोपदेशं गुरुशिष्यमार्गेण ज्ञात्वा
परमात्मानं सदा पश्येत् एवं सदा ध्यातुमशक्यत्वात् प्रतिमादिषु
पञ्चमूर्तिनामभेदैः समावाह्याभ्यर्चयेदेतत्समूर्तार्चनं सर्वसिद्धिप्रदम् । तस्मात्
गृहे देवायतने वा समूर्तार्चनमेव कारयेदन्यथा न परमं पदमवाप्नोति ।
तस्मात् श्रुतिचोदितं परमं गुह्यमेतत् ज्ञानयोगञ्च ज्ञात्वा समाचरेदिति
विज्ञायते’ । (तत्त्वज्ञानोपदेशपटले मरीचिः ।)
In general the Vaikhanasa philosophy of God and the souls
conforms naturally to the Upanishadic philosophy expounded
by Sri Ramanuja. For Ramanuja tried to show how Narayana
is the supreme object for our devotion, through whom alone
we can attain the Highest purushartha of Vishnu, Brahma
sannidhya and Kainkarya, who is spokesn of as the Sariri (Self)
of whom the universe and the souls are body (sarira), and
showed that semusibhakti is most important for the worship of
the Area form of God Srinivasa.
To conclude, I feel great pleasure in expressing my heartfelt
gratitude to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Board of
Trustees and to the eminent Executive Officer, Sri C. Anna Rao,
B.A., for having given me this opportunity of bringing out a rare
xiii
work attractive in such a manner. I owe much to the owners of
manuscripts consulted by me as aforesaid, for placing their
originals with me. My gratitude is also in great measure due to
the Superintendent and the staff of T.T.D.Press who got the
work completed neatly and properly. I crave in indulgence of
the scholars if any mistakes have crept into this work.
Akulamannadu
R. PARTHASARATHI BHATTACHARYA
Agamacharya
Tirupati
1-11-1961
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