Preface

Yoginīhṛdaya and Dīpikā

The first part of the first edition of the Yoginīhṛdaya and its commentary, the Dīpikā, edited by the venerable Gurudev Pandit Shri Gopinath Kaviraj, was published in 1923, and the second part in 1924. The second edition was printed in a single volume in 1963, which also included the Setubandha commentary by Bhaskararaya. The third edition was released in 1981. This popularity reveals the significance of this text, which expounds upon internal worship centered on the Goddess. Dr. André Padoux, a renowned scholar of Tantra from Paris, is translating it into French. I received some inquiries from him, which led me to realize the need for a new edition of the original text and the Dīpikā. The first edition was based on only two manuscripts available at that time. Subsequent editions were also based on these same sources. Fortunately, we found many manuscripts of the original and the commentary at the Sarasvati Bhavan Library. During trips to Vadodara and Udaipur, more manuscripts were discovered there as well. Having prepared a revised edition of the original and the Dīpikā with their help, along with a translation, we feel fulfilled. The Hindu University library also holds 11 manuscripts in Devanagari and Sharada scripts. We had intended to compile the text from three of the Sharada manuscripts, but this was not possible.

Introduction to the Manuscripts

Before introducing the text and the author, it is necessary to say something about this revised edition and the manuscripts used. The brief details of the manuscripts are as follows: