Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c8.1

c8.1

There is the manuscript of a small work entitled *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* (G. 9660 ; foll. 1B-3B) in the library of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta. While entering it in the *Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Government Collection under the Care of the Asiatic Society of Bengal*,¹ Pandit H. P. Sastri remarked that it may ‘be part of some Tantra’; but he did not try to find out the Tantra to which it belongs. The *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* is, however, actually the seventh Paṭala of Book III of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*. There are four fragmentary manuscripts of this Tantra in the Society’s library; but only one of them² contains the section in question. A few years ago, Book I (Kālī-khaṇḍa) of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, edited by B. Bhattacharya, was published in the Gaekwad Oriental Series ; but the remaining Books are still in manuscripts. Bhattacharya, formerly Director of the Oriental Institute, Baroda, kindly sent me, at my request, a copy of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, Book III, Paṭala vii. His letter to me dated the 2nd April, 1941, reads : “This reading is based on four manuscripts.........We have in our library only one manuscript of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*; but the readings found in it contain omissions and errors which are corrected with the help of other manuscripts. I feel that the accompanying reading is fuller and free from errors as far as the manuscript material permits.” In my edition of the *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* published here, I have therefore utilised the following three manuscripts :—