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The Sarasvati Purana and its Manuscripts : The Sarasvati Purana, is a local Purana of Gujarat. This purana
speaks, mainly of the holy places on the banks of the Sarasvati and the
Sahsralinga lake built by Siddharaj Jayasimha who ruled at Patan (1093-1
143 A.D.). It has 2890 verses and 15 sargas. Seven Manuscripts of this
purana are available (a) Four MSS are preserved in Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute, Poona Vi/ No.8 1872-72. No. 231. 1880-81, No.
124,1881-82, No. 429 - Known as Visrambag Copy, (b) One Ms. from the
collection of Shri Punya vijaya Maharaja, deposited at L.D. Institute of
Indology, Ahmedabad, (c) One Ms from the collection of Shri Rajeba Sastri
of Patan, and (d) One Ms from Sri M.M. Ayachi, Patan. Only two sargas 15
and 16 are edited and traslated in to Gujarati by Shri Kanaiyalal B, Dave
under the patronage of Shri Forbes Gujarati Sabha, Bombay in 1940.
The Sarasvat Purana describes the tirthas on the bank of the river
Sarasvati, as well as the brief historcal sketch of the Gujarat through which it
flows. It was composed during the region of King Siddharaj Jayasinha of
Anahillapur Patan of North Gujarat, It is datable of 12th / 13th Century A.D.
The author has made much use of puranic materials to emphasise the
importance of the tirthas. This Purana gives in details some of the glorious
deeds of king Siddharaj of Patan. He built a lake Sahasralina at patan. It was
filled in with the waters of the river Sarasvati through a big canal.
The Sarasvati Purana has fairly described this lake in two Sargas,
fifteenth and Sixteenth. Muslim invasions on Gujarat resulted in the
destruction of this lake and other monuments constructed by the King. This
Purana considers the triple Sarasvali as one. It says that the Sarasvali
originated from the Himalays and flowed to Kurukshetra and then
disappeared at Vinasana. It is then said to reappear from the Arasurhills in
Gujarat near Ambaji. It then passes by Siddhapur in North Gujarat and flows
into the Run of Cutch. It, then, reappears from the Girnar-hills in Saurashtra
and meets the Arabian Sea near the place where Krisan is believed to have
abandoned his mortal coil.
The Purana describes the different ghats, temples on the margin of the
lake and on the bank of river Sarasvati. The description of the lake tallies
with the archaelogical finds. The Purana purports to sing the glory of
Siddharaj Jayasinha, while recording some political and historical
information.
This Purana is not a part of any of the Purans but it itself is an
independent book. The Puspikit or the end of the Adhyayas mention [it &o
makRDeyokte srSvtIpura` e but it is not at all found in the Markandeva Purana. (1) Description of Mss & critical apparatus.
Sthal-Purana have not received sufficient attention from scholar in
general. It has, therefore been found necessary to prepare a critical edition of
unpublished whole 'Sarasvati Purana' (Sargas : 1 to 18). The whole Purana is
not published but only chapters 15-16 are edited with an introduction and a
translation in Gujarati by K.D. Dave. In this context, the present work seeks
to fulfil longfelt need by presenting for the first time in India a critical
edition prepared from a collation of representative manuscripts from various
Institutions. The edition will be prefaced with a critical and appreciative
introduction in which various issues arising out of a study of the text will be
discussed.
(1) Obtained three manuscripts of "Sarasvati Purana' from the following
Institutions
- One Ms. from Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. Poona.
- One Ms. form L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad.
- Two MSS from Jain Gnan Mandir, Patan.
(2) Collected the other critical apparatus.
(3) Examined the variants by collation and corruption of the manuscript
copies.
(4) haphazardness and Efforts to Eliminate it.
(5) Compilation
(6) Recording of the observations.
(7) Editing of the text following the principles of textual crticism.
(2) Method of the critical edition.
Observed the Catalogues of manuscripts of the following institutions
to collect the information about the manuscripts of Sarasvati Purana :
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona
L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad.
Hemchandracharya Jain Gnan Mandir, Patan
Govt. Oriental Manuscript Library, madras.
B.J. Institue of Learning and Research, Ahmedabad.
(3) By observation the Catalogues of Mss., the fact came to my notice
that seven Mss. of Sarasvatipurana are diposited in the following
Institutions as under :
(a) Four Mss. are preserved in BORI, Poona. Viz. No. 8, 1872-73, No.
231, 1880-81, No. 124.1881-82, NO.429-Known as Visrambag-Copy.
(b) One Ms. from the collection of Shri Punya Vijaya maharaj, Deposited
at L.D. Institute of Indology, hmedabad. No. 280, No of Pages : 172
(c) One Ms. from the collection of Shri Rajeba Sastri of Patan, deposited
at Hemchandracharya Gnan Mandir, Patan,
(d) One Ms. form Sri. M.M. Aychi, Patan, Deposited at
Hemchandrachaya Gnan Mandir, Patan.
(4) Made correspondance with the concerned instituions, to obtain the
copies of Manusripts of this Purana.
(5) Thus, obtained the following three manuscripts of Sarasvati- Purana
from the following institutions and decided to prepare a critical text of
this Purana on the basis of these three manuscripts.
One Ms. from L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad (No.
280)
One Ms. from Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Poona (NO. 231)
One Ms. from Hemchandracharya Gnan Mandir, Patan (No.
300)
(6) Collected the following other critical appartus :
Books written on the subject "Textual Criticism "
Critical editions of Mahabharat, Ramayana, Visnupurana
and Bhagvatpurana.
Copies of published Sthalmahatmya / Caste Puranas of
Gujarat.
(7) We examined the three manuscripts for our study and prepared a
detailed account of the manuscript materials.
(8) Completed the first reading and observation of the Mss.
(9) Examined and recorded the variants of the first Sarga of Sarasvati -
Purana by collation and corruption of the Mss. Copies.
(10) Gujarat has number of Sthalmahatmya- Puranas published and
unpublished to its credit. One of them is Sarasvati - Purana. In this
context, we prepared an article in detail on the various Sthalmahatmya
and caste - Puranas of Gujarat.
(11) Noted the references regarding Sarasvati - Purana from the following
articles and reference - books.
Articles :
(1) The Sarasvati Purana by S. K. Dave, published in " purana" , Vol. X,
No.1, Jan. 1968 ( All India Kashiraj Trust, Varanasi )
(2) Gujaratnun Purana - Sahitya ( in Gujarati) by S. K. Dave, published in
" Swadhyaya " Vol-23, Aug. 1986 (Oriental Institute, Baroda)
(3) Gujaratnan Gantipurano tatha Tirthmahatmyo ( in Gujarti ) by K. B.
Dave, published in Swadhyaya, Vol. 5, Nov. 1967 ( Oriental Institute,
Baroda)
(4) Puranas of Gujarat by Prof. Dr. S.G. Kantawala, published in
Contribution of Gujarat to Sanskrit Literature (Dr. M. I. Prajapati
Felicitation volume), 1998.
References Books :-
(1) Prabandhadiman Aitihasika ane Samajika vastu by Dr. Bhogilal
Sandeara, published by. B.J. Institue of Learning and Research,
Ahmedabad 1977.
(2) The critical and cultural study of the valkhilya Purana by Dr.
Sureshchandra K. Dave, Published by Indlogical Research Institute,
Dwarks, 1988.
(3) Srikalika - Purana, Edited and translated by Dr. Arunoday N. Jani,
published by Kalika - Purana Research Board, Baroda, Nasik 1973.
(4) Sarasvati - Purana (out of eighteen only two sargas : 15 and 16)
Edited with introduction by Kaniyalal Dave, published by Farbas
Gujarati Sabha, Bombay, 1940.