'BAGINA" - S. V. Ranganna Felicitation Volume (1954)

 

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'The Two Bhagavatas' by Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri (1933)

It is well known that of the two Puranas – Devi Bhãgavata and Sri Bhagavata, the Saktas and Vaisnavas claim that their own sectarian work is the real Mahapurana composed by Vyasa and the other is a mere Upapurana. In his introduction to the Devi – Bhagavata, Nilakantha asserts that the authority of the Matsya and Saiva Puranas is in favour of the priority of Devi Bhagavata. He quotes the following verses in support.

Bhagavatyas ca Durgayas caritam yatra vidyate
Tattu Bhagavatam proktam na tu Devipuranakam
(Saiva – Madhyesyara mahatmye)

Here Devipuranaka means the Upapurana Kalika Purana
yadidam Kalikakhyam tanmulam Bhagavatam smrtam
(Hemadrsu)

The chief characteristics of Bhagavata are these enumerated in the Matsya: -

यत्राधिकृत्य गयात्रीम् वर्णयते धर्मविस्तर |
वृत्रासुरवधोपेतं तभ्दागवतमिष्यते ||
सारस्वतस्य कल्पस्य मद्ये ये स्युर्नरामरा: |
तद्वत्तान्तोभ्दबं लोके तभ्दागवतमिष्यते ||

Puranantare: -
हयग्रीवब्रह्मविध्या यत्र वृत्रवधस्तथा |
गायत्र्या च स्मारम्भस्तद्वै भागवतं विदु: ||

Thus, the Bhagavata is that work which commences with Gayatri and deals extensively with Dharma, and the story of the killing of Vrtra, in the Sarasvata kalpa, and Hayagriva Brahmavidya. All these are only applicable to the Devi Bhagavata which begins with this mantra.

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CONQUESTS OF ŚÌLÁDITYA IN THE SOUTH by S. Srikanta Sastri

Mayùra, supposed to be the father-in-law of Bãņa, the biographer of Harşa Šìlãditya, is credited with the following stanza eulogising Šrì Harşa:-

Bhùpãlãh Šašibhaskarãnvayabhuvah ken am nãsãditãh |

Bhartãram punar ekameva hi bhuvastvãm deva manyã mahe |

Yenãńgam parimŗşya Kuntalamathãkŗşya vyudasyã yatam |

Colam prãpya ca madhyadešamadhunã Káncyām karah pātitah ||

 

Here reference is made to southern conquests of Harşa – Kuntala, Cola and Madhyadeśa and Kãñcì. 

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Foreword to 'Shudramimamse' by S. Srikanta Sastri (1958)

 

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Viveka Prabha (Kannada Magazine) featuring extract from Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri's "Bharathiya Samskruthi"

 

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"Sources of Karnataka History - Vol I" - (KANNADA TRANSLATION)

  


"Sources of Karnataka History - Vol I" - (KANNADA TRANSLATION)

Translation done by Dr H. S. Gopal Rao

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'Karnataka Bhashabhyudaya' by S. Srikanta Sastri (Aug, 1926)

Page 1 of 3

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“Gommaṭa Rāya” by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri (1953)

The ancient sacred place of the Jainas in South India, sometimes called Jaina Badari, was the Kaṭavapra or Kalbappu giri, later called Sravana Belagola or Sramana Belagola and Sukla Tirtha in the Jaina scriptures. Even as early as the Mauryan age its fame had spread in Northern India and tradition asserts that the great emperor Chandragupta Maurya and his preceptor Bhadrabahu Srutakevali came and resided here for twelve years. Chandragupta is said to have passed away here and a cave at Sravanabelagola is named after him. Regarding the historicity of this episode, Fleet and others were skeptical. That the tradition is at least as old as the 7th century A. D. is proved by the Sravanabelagola inscriptions and literary works. Therefore there is nothing inherently improbable in the tradition and much stronger evidence must be produced before we can endorse Fleet’s opinion that it was Ekangadhara Bhadrabahu and Guptigupta of about the first century A. D. who were associated with Sravanabelagola.

Through the succeeding early centuries of the Christian Era, Kaṭavapra was the sacred Tirtha attracting Jaina Sadhus of different Sakhas and different parts of India. The inscriptions of about 700 A. D. mention the names of several saints who ended their days here. The surnames Kirti, Sena, Deva, Nandi which distinguish the four sakhas of Mula Samgha, Konda Kundanvaya were of already prevalent from the beginning of the seventh century.

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'Itihasa Sarvagna' - Article on Dr S. Srikanta Sastri by Dr S. M. Vrishabendra Swamy (book - 'Shatamanada Kelavu Smaraneeyaru')

'Itihasa Sarvagna' by Dr S. M. Vrishabendra Swamy

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'Dr S. Srikanta Sastri' - Kannada Article by Raghusutha (KASTHURI - Kannada Magazine - December, 1965)

Dr. S. Srikanta Sastri - Kannada Article by Raghusutha (Kasthuri - Kannada Magazine - Dec 1965)

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ರೋಮನ್ ಚಕ್ರಾಧಿಪತ್ಯದ ಚರಿತ್ರೆ and ಗಂಡಭೇರುಂಡದ ವಿಕಾಸ

ರೋಮನ್ ಚಕ್ರಾಧಿಪತ್ಯದ ಚರಿತ್ರೆ and ಗಂಡಭೇರುಂಡದ ವಿಕಾಸ

Tenth book in a series of publications (and reprints) in last twenty four months authored originally by S. Srikanta Sastri - This is a combination volume incorporating S. Srikanta Sastri's 1949 Kannada Monograph on Roman Empire and its vicissitudes titled "ರೋಮನ್ ಚಕ್ರಾಧಿಪತ್ಯದ ಚರಿತ್ರೆ" and latest Kannada translation of his authoritative work on the royal insignia of Mysore - 'Gandaberunda'. This had come out originally in English as "Evolution of Gandaberunda" (1941) and is now brought out in Kannada as "ಗಂಡಭೇರುಂಡದ ವಿಕಾಸ". The Credit for the Kannada translation goes to H. M. Nagaraj Rao.

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M. H. Krishna - A Brief Biography

M. H. Krishna

Mysore Hatti Krishna Iyengar (M. H. Krishna: 19 August, 1892 - 23 December, 1947) was born in Mysore to parents Ranga Iyengar and Lakshmamma. His father was a Sanskrit scholar and teacher to Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar during the Maharaja’s younger years. Ranga Iyengar was Chief of Treasury at the Palace. This was a position afforded to a person of high integrity. This person was required to reside in quarters close to the Palace – in accommodations referred to as “Hatti”; hence the inclusion of “Hatti” in the names of all family members! Ranga Iyengars’ ancestors were closely associated with the Mysore Royal family since generations. One such ancestor was Ramaswamy who was Dharma-adhikari in the court of Mummadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar. They were all natives of a region by name Kalale. Ranga Iyengar and Lakshmamma had five boys and M. H. Krishna was the second of these five children.

Education

M. H. Krishna had his initial schooling at ‘Jayacharya Patashala’ followed by a brief tenure at the ‘Wesleyan Mission High School’ where he was a year junior to the doyen of Kannada literature – Masti Venkatesh Iyengar with whom he retained a close friendship for several years to come. Krishna then gained admission to Maharaja College, Mysore in 1911 to pursue his B. A. degree. Here, he was a classmate of noted Kannada writer Talakina Venkanayya and both studied under Denham. His early interest in Cultural Studies, Numismatics, Archaeology, Indian History, Economics and Political Science was evident by this time. By 1917, Krishna secured a M. A. qualification from Madras University.

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"A Votary of Truth" - Biographical documentary on Dr S. Srikanta Sastri (All Episodes)

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episodes of "A Votary of Truth" 
documentary on the 
official website. 

Sources of Karnataka History, Vol I (2018 Second Edition)

 

Sources of Karnataka History, Vol I (2018 Second Edition)

'Nolamba Pallavas' by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri

One of the great feudatory families that played a prominent part in the history of Karnataka for a period of three centuries (circa 750 to 1055 A. D.) is that of the Nolamba-Pallavas. This family had important relations with other rulers in South India like the Banas, the Rashtrakutas, the Gangas, the Chalukyas and the Vaidumbas. They started their career under the Western Gangas of Talakad, as governors of the territory called Nolambalige 1,000 which comprised portions of Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh), Chitradurga and Tumkur Districts (Mysore State). Nolambalige 1,000 means the district of Nolambalige consisting of 1000 villages and hamlets. This tract was probably bounded by the east by river Pennar and on the West by the river Hagari. In course of time they acquired more territory until it became a 32,000 district in the beginning of the tenth century. This province of 32,000 covered the districts of Tumkur, Chitradurga and portions of Bellary, Anantapur, Kolar and Bangalore. 

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Reviews of "Early Gangas of Talakad"

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Reviews of Bharathiya Samskruthi

 

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"Advaitãcãryas of 12 & 13 Centuries" by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri

In the history of the development of the various Advaitic Schools, the period which witnessed the rise of Visistadvaita and Dvaita is of importance, because it shows the state of the Advaita philosophy and the criticisms provoked by it. The two main schools of Advaita-Vivarana prasthãna and Bhãmati prasthana had already secured adherents throughout India, Vãcaspati had been criticised by the Prakatãrthakãra as a follower of Mandana who had criticised Sankara. Therefore it is important chat we should note the relative chronological position of the various outstanding authors after Sañkara.

Sankara, as I have pointed out elsewhere (1), cannot be placed later than 620 A.D. since he is later than Diñnãga and far earlier than Bhavabhuti-Srikantha (720 A.D.) and was the older contem porary of Dharmakirti. Mr. Kunhan Raja has doubted the testimony of I-tsing as to the date of Bhartrhari and gives evidence to show that Bhartrhari must be assigned to an earlier date probably the 5th century (2). Surésvara, the disciple of Sañkara is earlier than Patrakesari Vidyananda, the disciple of Akalañka (c. 6oo A.D.) (3). Sarvajnãtman can no longer be assumed to be the disciple of Surësvara, as he mentions Dëvèsvara, Dévananda and Sresthãnanda as his guru, parama guru and parãtpara guru (4). Sarvajñätman is later than Vimuktatman, the author of Istasiddhi, who was later than Bhäskara (5). Bhaskariya Vedãntins are mentioned by Prabhäcandra (6), who is a pupil of Akalañka and Vidyananda. Therefore Bhaskara cannot be placed later than the middle of the 7th century. Moreover Sãntiraksita and his disciple KamaIasiIa (740 A.D.) criticise

1. QJMS, 1930. Proc. VIII. Or. Confer. 1935, p. 562.

2. S. K. Iyengar Comm. Vol.

3. An. Bh. Or. Inst., 1931.

4. Prarnãna Laksana, JOR., 1937 Mad. Uni. Journal, 1937

5. lstasiddhi, GOS, p 375

6. Pramëya Kamala Mãrtanda.

I.H.Q., JUNE, 1938

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Introduction to YGK's 'Constituent Assembly and Indian Federation' (1940) by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri

It is with great pleasure that I introduce this work of my friend and pupil Mr. Y. G Krishnamurti to the scholars and patriots of our country. In this small but comprehensive work he deals with a topic of great importance for the future of the nation. The wide range of scholarship and the sweep of imagination displayed in this work are sufficient evidence as to his capacity and fitness for the task he has undertaken. Not merely for the concrete suggestions he has put forward but also because of what is implicit, his book deserves earnest consideration. On the foundation of facts and theories he has not advocated, it is possible to build up a theory of government as it ought not to be. He justifiably say with Montesquieu have not drawn my principles from my prejudices but from the nature of things." He thus makes a realistic approach to the problems that confront the nation. There is a type of idealism in our country which tries to mask hard facts with sentiment, and is nothing but wishful thinking, but his idealism is of a purer variety—never suppressing the verities or resorting to terminological in-exactitudes but striving to visualise and realise future possibilities.

He deals with the nature and history of the constituent assemblies and points out the conditions on which their success depends. The questions of representation, minorities, economic and social planning and the defects of the Federation as contemplated in the Government of India Act of 1935, the partial of provincial autonomy are dealt with. Finally he has discussed in the light of the most recent and authoritative discussions on the subject, the problem of Dominion Status and Independence.

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An Appeal for the Lost Manuscripts, Articles and Audio Recordings of Dr S. Srikanta Sastri

                                                                An Appeal

We, the family members of Dr S. Srikanta Sastri intend to set up “Dr S. Srikanta Sastri Indology Research Centre and Library” at Mysore. We have been collecting manuscripts, books, photographs, audio recordings and also memoirs recorded by his innumerable students in Kannada & English. The following articles, manuscripts and his writings done in Telugu, Hindi & Sanskrit have gone missing. If, any person has preserved his classroom notes or manuscripts, the above mentioned trust will welcome either a complete donation or a facsimile copy of the same. Any addition made to the library will be treated as a value addition, which will go a long way in helping the research scholars pursue their research work in Ancient Indian History, Culture & Philosophy. Anybody having any information regarding the works of Dr S. Srikanta Sastri or any memorabilia connected with the Late Dr S. S. Sastri’s family may contact the webmaster at admin@srikanta-sastri.org

           We are glad to inform that we are making a bilingual biographical documentary on Dr. S. S. Sastri. Twenty three eminent men have shared their memories and experiences as students of Dr S. S. Sastri. This documentary produced in Kannada & English will be put on the website shortly.

The List of Manuscripts, Articles and Audio recordings missing from our collection:

1.Ishta Siddhi (English Translation) – 1930 – 32

2.Dynastic History of Karnataka – 1940

3.Religious History of Karnataka – 1940

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