Padmasri Dr. Satya Narayana Rajaguru is a legendary personality of Orissa. Born in the illustrious Rajaguru family of Paralakhemundi (Southern Orissa) in the year 1903, he was a profound scholar in Sanskrit as well as in Oriya language and literature. Having successfully completed Indological courses he obtained "ubhaya-bhasa-pravina" (both Sanskrit and Oriya) degree from Andhra University in 1935. Next he opted for Epigraphy which opened a new vista of life for him. Thereafter working as a research scholar in the Kalinga Historical Research society at Kalahandi, he came over to Orissa State Museum, Bhubaneswar in the year 1950 as Epigraphist-cum-Curator and worked there as such till 1971. During his incumbency as Epigraphist-cum-curator he has immensely contributed to the all-round growth and development of Orissa State Museum.
Dr. Rajaguru throws new light on many aspects of Orissan history. His contributions in the field of research are a perennial source of inspiration and encouragement for the scholars of later generation. He has authored History of Gangas (Vols. I - II), History of Orissa (Vol. I)., Inscriptions of the Temples of Puri and Origin of Sri Purusottama Jagannatha (Vols I-II) in English and 13 more books in Oriya language. He has also edited Inscriptions of Orissa (Vols I-V) and Invocatory verses from Inscriptions (Parts I-II), but the Part III of the latter and the History of Orissa Vol. II are still unpublished. Besides, Dr. Rajaguru has to his credit more than five hundred papers published in English, Hindi, Oriya and Telugu. Because of his unfatigued absorbing interest in research and outstanding scholarly output he was honoured with the most prestigious Padmasri award by the Government of India in 1974 and honorary D. Litt. degree by the Berhampur University, Orissa in 1975. It is a unique trait in his character that despite the physical ailments in his advanced age, he made himself thoroughly engrossed in research till the last days of his life.
Dr. Rajaguru collected the text of 'Anyapadesa-Sataka' from a palm-leaf manuscript of Orissa State Museum as far back as 1977. Though he had edited this text with an Introduction, still it was incomplete in many respects and was not worth-publishing in that stage. In the year 2004 when I asked his son Sj. Sitakanta Rajaguru to provide me with a copy of Naga Itihasa (History of the Naga Dynasty) Part II, he requested me to work on 'Anyapadesa-Sataka left half-finished by his father. Accordingly, Sj. Rajaguru handed over to me a Xerox copy of the text as was prepared by late S.N. Rajaguru in the year 1977.
As I went through the text of 'Anyapadesa-Sataka with its Introduction, I was clearly impressed that it must have many a correction, emendation, addition and alteration before it is sent to the press. Then with the consent of Sj. Sitakanta Rajaguru I started the job of re-editing it and prepared the entire text in Deva-nagari script as it was there in the Oriya script in the palm-leaf manuscript.
At the time of re-editing this text I noticed that whatever footnotes are provided by Dr. Rajaguru in the year 1977, they are insufficient in nature. In the footnotes he has mostly shown the difference between the two texts - the palm - leaf manuscript and the Rasa-kalpa-druma (R.K.D.) citing the verses from the former. He has neither suggested the better reading nor pointed out the grammatically incorrect words. So keeping in view these lacunae, I have given first of all, the correct version of the sloka and then it is followed by detailed foot-notes clearly hinting at which word is a better reading in the two texts mentioned above and which word is grammatically correct and hence preferable.
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