In honor of 2024 Guru Purṇima, Tripurā Tallikā is pleased to release our latest publication: Sarvānanda Taraṅgiṇī by Śivanātha Bhaṭṭācārya.
Sarvānanda Ṭhakūr (15th-16th cent. CE), a guru in our lineage, remains a relatively unknown figure beyond Bengal, nonetheless he plays a pivotal role in the broader Tantric tradition, according to which he is the 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.
Link to Download Sarvānanda Taraṅgiṇī
