ŚRĪ Parāśara Samhitā (English) – Introduction – Part One (1)

ŚRĪ PARĀŚARA SAMHITĀ – The Total LifeStory of Lord Hanumān (English)

Collection, compilation and original Telugu commentary
By
Ācārya Dr. Annadānam Chidambara Śāstry

English rendering
By
Ācārya Dr. Nadiminty Sreerāmachandra Śāstry

INTRODUCTION

Ācārya Annadānam Chidambara Śāstry

Parāśara Samhitā

There is a lot of the ancient Indian literature that has not yet seen the light of the day. One among them is the thousand years old Parāśara Samhitā, the complete history of Lord Hanumān, contained in 150 parts. The Parāśara Samhitā was composed by the great saint Parāśara, father of Bhagwān Vyāsa. 

Like Rāmāyaņa to know the life history of Lord Srī Rāma and like Bhāgavata to know the life history of Lord Srī Kŗşņa, Parāśara Samhitā is the work to know the complete life history of Lord Hanumān. All should study this book and imbibe the righteous aspects of Hanumān enshrined there in. It contains not only every aspect of the history of Lord Hanumān in all the Ages of the World (Yugas) and also gives the best Hanumān related Hymns part (mantra) and rituals part (tantra), as well as the various invocations, the skill of making water, fire and wind immobile etc. In fact, every aspect is covered in this book. Keeping this book in the house is equal to keeping Lord Hanumān Himself in the house. Studying this work with devotion and worshipping it bestows the benevolence of Lord Hanumān. There is need for every Hanumān devotee to understand Parāśara Samhitā, tell others about it and spread the knowledge about Hanumān’s life history to all the corners of the world. 

Opinion of Scholars

What seer Parāśara himself said about the work is as follows – “By worshipping this book, one becomes auspicious and competent, gets liberated, and becomes free from untimely death.”

“Sri Parāśara Samhitā is the greatest Vedic Tantrik Scripture, (mystic hymns of Veda origin)” said the eminent scholar, ‘Brahma Vidyālankāra’ (highly knowledgeable about the Supreme Being), ‘Taraka Vedanta Visarada’ (versatile in the art of reasoning), Mahōpadyāya (great teacher), Srī Mudigonda Venkatrāma Śāstry. Hanumān is Chiranjeevi – lives eternally. One cannot know about his whole history in the Rāmāyaņa. There is no scope for that too, because Rāmāyaņa is only His history in the Trēta Yuga or the 2nd Age of the World. But Hanumān lives eternally in all the Ages of the World. Hence there is no scope for giving the full history of such a magnificent Lord in the Rāmāyaņa story.

My literature Guru, ‘Darśana Āchārya‘ (scholar with insight into Holy Scriptures) and ‘Mahōpādhyāya’ (great teacher) Srī Jammalamadaka Mādhavarāma Śarma, called it a “Sampradaya Samhitā“, the Traditional Treatise. His first disciple, ‘Sāngvēda Bhāskara’ (eminent scholar of the Nature and the Supreme Being) and ‘Purvōttara Mīmānsa Vidyāranya’ (scholar in the art of deliberation into the ancient scriptures) Srī Kuppā Lakşmāvadhāni mentioned that the Parāśara Samhitā is very holy and vast. It is the most virtuous and worthy of worship. It is in the form of a conversation between Seers Parāśara and Maitrēya and tells every aspect of Lord Hanumān. This is the king of all standard texts for Hanumān devotees, providing total information on every aspect of Hanumān in all Ages of the World.

Srī Tāllapāka Annamāchārya, Sri Pushpagiri Timmana and such other great saint poets of earlier centuries have accepted it and spread its knowledge to people by incorporating aspects from it in their works. 

It’s Discovery

Many devotees of Hanumān had been safe keeping the versions of Parāśara Samhitā handwritten on palm leaves in bits and parts, and following it. My Guru Sri Pālaparti Subbāvadhānlu, bestowed upon me the holy Hanumān hymn in 1972. He also gave me a small part of the handwritten script of Parāśara Samhitā that was available with him. He blessed me and also commanded me to collect all the parts of this Hanumat Purāņa (ancient Hanumān history), somehow or other, and bring it to the notice of all the people in general. Many great Hanumān devotees of yore considered it as everything of their lives and kept this great work very secretly, passed on secretly only to their disciples, who, in turn, passed it similarly  to their disciples, thus conserving it as a great treasure of gold. Indeed, such an invaluable holy treasure trove it is.

Considering that, instead of keeping such a golden treasure trove secretly, it will be useful to give it to ardent and deserving Hanumān devotees, I decided to start this difficult work of collecting, compiling and bringing this holy trove before people. From then on, I have gone to hundreds of places, met many great Hanumān devotees, and collected whatever little bits and parts of this Samhitā available with them. I had to correct several missing and wrongly written parts of that and then translated into Telugu language. There was great help and encouragement from many good people, as a result of which, I could bring 17 parts into the light. I am very grateful to all those who have cooperated with me in this huge holy task.

Bringing into the Light

Through the Hanumdādhyātmika Kēndra – Hanumān Devotional Centre – that was established by respected Srī Tadēpalli Rāghavanārāyaņa Śāstry on the 3rd of April 1982 at Arēpalli Agrahāram village, my native place,  I started releasing Parāśara Samhitā and many other of my Hanumān works. My life ambition is service of Lord Hanumān. That is why, apart from working on this book, I tried to spread the knowledge and life history of Hanumān in the state of Andhra Pradesh through lectures, radio and TV programmes, articles in newspapers and journals and giving special devotional discourses.

Especially propagated by me were the facts of my research findings like – a) proving that Hanumān was born on the Tirupati hill, b) marriage between Hanumān and Suvarcchala, c) history of the incarnations of Hanumān, d) the camel being Hanumān’s vehicle, e) Hanumān worship routine and f) the routine of consecration on Hanumān worship. I feel that I have succeeded in this mission to some extent. Andhra University was kind to give me Doctorate degree based on my research on Hanumān. I sincerely feel that the source for all the success is Parāśara Samhitā only.

(To be continued….)

(Click ŚRĪ Parāśara Samhitā (English) – Introduction – Part Two (2) to read Part Two)