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Sarvānanda Taraṅgiṇī

Published: July 19, 2024

In honor of Guru Purṇima, Tripurā Tallikā is pleased to release our latest publication: Sarvānanda Taraṅgiṇī by Śivanātha Bhaṭṭācārya.

Sarvānanda Ṭhākur (15th-16th cent. CE) remains a relatively unknown figure beyond Bengal, nonetheless he plays a pivotal role in the broader Tantric tradition according to which he is first person to realize the siddhis of the 10 Mahāvidyās (sarvavidyā). Despite being completely illiterate, he attained spiritual enlightenment through the blessings of the Divine Mother by reciting a mantra while seated on the corpse of his servant Pūrṇānanda. Sarvānanda and his descendants are also known by the name Sarvavidyā, as all forms of the Mother were revealed to him. His legacy continues to be revered, and his descendants maintain a substantial following throughout Bengal to this day.

Several key texts – Sarvollāsa Tantra, Navāvaraṇa Pūjā Paddhati, and Tripurā Arcana Dīpikā, are attributed to him, with the last two highlighting his connection to the Śrī Vidyā tradition. His profound experiences and contributions were recognized by Arthur Avalon and depicted in Robert Svoboda’s “Aghora”. Dr. Alexis Sanderson mentions that the earliest dateable evidence of the ten Mahāvidyās known to him “is to be found in the Śakta Sarvollāsatantra compiled by Sarvānandanātha.”

Sarvānanda’s life and spiritual accomplishments are chronicled in the Sarvānanda Taraṅgiṇī, in the form of a dialogue between a daṇḍī sannyāsi from Kāśī and the King/zamindar (landowner) of Mehār region (present day Bangladesh). This work, penned by his son Śivanātha, not only details Sarvānanda’s miraculous story of liberation but also devotes time to discussion of key tantric concepts contained in Sarvollāsa and Jñānārṇava tantras. Furthermore, Sarvānanda Taraṅgiṇī contains six rare stotras spontaneously recited at pivotal moments of the story by its key characters.

Tripurā Tallikā has acquired a rare 1909 first edition of this seminal work, which contains the main text in Sanskrit, scripted in Bengali alongside a commentary, and a narrative retelling of the main story in Bengali. This publication marks the first time the Sarvānanda Taraṅgiṇī has been translated into English, offering readers a unique glimpse into the life of this remarkable saint.

In preparing this book, the text, originally in Bengali script, underwent transcription and corrections to align with proper Sanskrit spellings. Various textual errors were identified, including a missing word from the Daṇḍyāṣṭakaṃ and other minor issues. Corrections were made where necessary without specific annotations, except where the changes significantly affected the meaning or were speculative, especially considering that only one manuscript was available for reference.

image credit: Goddess Kālī and Sarvānanda Ṭhākur.
Hindu Print Kalyan (Hindi magazine) Gita Press, Gorakhpur.

Full translation

Translation of the Bengali retelling of the Story