Srinarada - Pancaratram (An Introduction, Sanskrit Text, English Translation, Notes & Appendix

DETAILS : 

• ISBN‏ : ‎9788171101016
  
• Translator : Swami Vijnanananda
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Parimal Publications
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ Sanskrit
  
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 660 pages
  
• Weight : 1000 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

Srinarada-Pancaratram (An Introduction, Sanskrit Text, English Translation, Notes & Appendix), translated into English by the profound scholar-saint Swami Vijnanananda (Hari Prasanna Chatterji) and published by Parimal Publications, is an essential scriptural and philosophical classic of the Vaishnava tradition. The text belongs to the vital corpus of the Pancaratra Agamas, which provide the foundational ritualistic, theological, and esoteric architecture for the practice of Bhakti (devotion) and temple worship centered on Lord Vishnu and his manifestations.

The primary objective of this edition is to make the highly cryptic, archaic Sanskrit verses of the Narada Pancaratra completely accessible to modern international researchers and spiritual seekers. This specific text is structurally presented as a series of sacred dialogues between the celestial sage Narada and various cosmic divinities, including Lord Shiva, Gautama, and the Goddess Durga. Through these conversations, the text systematically outlines the five-fold knowledge systems (Pancaratra) that govern the universe, exploring themes such as cosmic creation, the nature of ultimate reality (Brahman), liberation through unalloyed devotion, and the absolute spiritual identity of Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani.

A defining scholastic feature of this volume is its rigorous structural arrangement. Swami Vijnanananda provides the original Sanskrit text in clear Devanagari script, followed by a faithful, fluid English translation that preserves the deep mystical sentiment of the original work. The book includes an extensive introductory essay detailing the antiquity and evolution of the Agama literature, comprehensive explanatory footnotes that unpack complex theological concepts, and an exhaustive appendix. This makes the work an indispensable reference manual for scholars of Indology, Hindu theology, and comparative religion, detailing how ancient ritualistic systems translate into profound personal devotion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Swami Vijnanananda (1868–1938), born Hari Prasanna Chatterji, was an intellectual titan, an accomplished civil engineer, and a direct, monastic disciple of the great mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He graduated from the prestigious Calcutta University and studied engineering at the College of Engineering, Pune, subsequently serving as a highly successful District Engineer for the government before renouncing his material career to join the Ramakrishna Order under the guidance of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vijnanananda was a versatile polymath who uniquely combined scientific precision with deep, realized spiritual illumination. He went on to become the fourth President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. His translation style is characterized by its strict philological fidelity, mathematical clarity, and deep philosophical insight. Beyond his monumental translations of major Puranic and Agamic texts like the Devi Bhagavatam and the Narada Pancaratra, he personally designed and supervised the construction of the magnificent, architectural marvel that is the global temple of Sri Ramakrishna at Belur Math, leaving behind an enduring legacy of cultural and spiritual synthesis.