The Samvatsarapradipa
Summary
The article presents a critical study of the Samvatsarapradipa, a Sanskrit work dealing with calendrical and ritual matters that has long been cited in Smrti literature but whose identity has remained unclear. Srikantha, the author of Krtya-tattvarnava, references the Samvatsarapradipa eight times as a secondary source for verses from the Puranas and Smrti-samhitas, sometimes calling it a ‘Gauda-samgraha’ and at other times specifying a Gauda-Samvatsarapradipa. Gadadhara in his Kalasara also mentions a Gauda-Samvatsarapradipa. To determine whether these references point to a single text or multiple works, the author examines manuscripts in the Dacca University collection. An incomplete manuscript (No. 4632) comprises 58 folios; its opening verses, invoking deities and outlining topics such as sankrantis (solar transitions), correspond closely to the description of the Samvatsarapradipa given by Haraprasad Shastri in his Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts. Though anonymous, the manuscript’s content matches the quotations attributed to the Samvatsarapradipa in various Nibandhas, confirming its identity. The manuscript ends abruptly in the section on Prakirpaka, lacking an author’s colophon. The author also describes a complete manuscript (No. 388 in Shastri’s catalogue) whose opening and closing verses are quoted; it bears the title Samvatsarapradipa and includes a colophon but still omits the author’s name. A third manuscript from the Nepal Durbar Library similarly lacks attribution. By collating these manuscripts and the citations in Smrti-texts, the author demonstrates that there is a single work known as the Samvatsarapradipa, also called Gauda-Samvatsarapradipa when associated with the Bengal school. The work was composed in eastern India and served as a compendium for determining auspicious times, sankrantis and religious observances. The article reproduces several references from Krtya-tattvarnava, Durgadasa’s Samvatsara-pradipa, Daurogata’s Kalasara and other Nibandhas, linking them to passages in the manuscripts. The author notes that the Samvatsarapradipa does not include certain spurious verses ascribed to the Siva-Purana, confirming its reliability in Smrti-literature. Despite extensive references, the author admits that the composer’s name remains unknown and calls for further research into its provenance. Through this philological analysis, the article clarifies the textual identity of the Samvatsarapradipa and its role in medieval Hindu ritual literature.
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Conclusion
The study concludes that the Samvatsarapradipa cited in various Smrti-texts and the Gauda-Samvatsarapradipa are in fact the same work, originating from Bengal. Manuscripts in the Dacca University collection and the Nepal Durbar Library confirm its contents and structure, although the author’s name remains uncertain. The text served as an authoritative manual on solar transitions and ritual timings, and it was frequently quoted by later compilers. By identifying the Samvatsarapradipa with extant manuscripts, the article resolves confusion over its existence and underscores the need for a critical edition to make the work accessible to scholars of Hindu ritual tradition.