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.