As a Sanskrit student at Bangalore, my attention was first drawn to a Poona manuscript of the Lalitasahasra-namabhasya in 1886. Five years later, while collecting old Sanskrit manuscripts for the Theosophical Society Library, where I was the pandit between 1891 and 1902, more manuscripts came into my hands. During that period, I had to translate the Bhasya into English for the use of the late Dr. Subramania Iyer (then Mr.) whose pandit also I was. And in 1899, it was printed for the use of the public who, 1 thought, would be very few, belonging to the Theosophical Society and capable of understanding such an abstruse subject drawn from Mantra-S'astras. The difficulties of securing old manuscripts and the dilapidated condition of those secured, rendered the work of translation very difficult.
Since then the subject has become very popular due to increased knowledge in every department and to the publication of Sir J. G. Woodroffe's works on Tantras in which my English translations of Lalitasahasranama-bhasya and Anandalahari were freely quoted and criticised. Then while collecting MSS. for the Mysore Government Oriental Library in the next ten years under Mr. A. Mahadeva Sastri, a great Sanskrit scholar, I took special interest in securing the rare manuscripts referred to in the commentary. Next, I worked for the formation of a Sanskrit Library for the State of His Highness the enlightened Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda. Almost all the important manuscripts connected with the study of Mantra-S'astras are available now in the Baroda, Mysore and Adyar Libraries. Many of these have since appeared in print. The S'ivasutras frequently referred to for occult doctrine in the commentary especially from names 64 to 84 are printed in the Kashmere series. The Parasuirama-Kalpasutras on which the whole Tantra works are based are printed in the Gaekwad Oriental series. And almost all the Tantrika works current in Vamamarga can be procured in Bengal printed in Bengali character. (For the names of the Tantras, Agamas and Samhitas, see No. 17 Gaekwad Oriental Series Nos. 1466 to 1820.)
Though the demand for this work was very great for the last 10 years or so, 1 could not undertake a second edition owing to pressure of work. For on the 5th of October, 1922, when I closed my work with the Baroda Government, the great Poet Rabindranath Tagore engaged me as an Honorary worker to help in forming the Visva-Bharati Library at S'antiniketan. Another cause for delay was the financial consideration. The great occult work of Lalita could not be made a commercial concern. The 2,000 copies of my Tamil translation of the Sutasamhita printed a few years back with the help of the late lamented Zamindar of Andipatti who wanted to distribute them gratis among deserving devotees, unfortunately fell into other hands for sale. Then my endeavours to give the proceeds thereof to the Ramakrishna Students' Home at Mylapore, proved futile. I was anxious that my present work should not meet with the same fate.
A few earnest devotees have now come forward, among whom are a ruling chief in Kathiawar and two Maharanis, to meet the expenses, considering it a "Punya" to spread the spiritual knowledge, and so we have together undertaken the work. The sale proceeds of the work after meeting the expenses of printing, etc., will go to a charitable institution as did the proceeds of my English translation of Visnu and S'iva Sahasranamans in the last stage of the sale to the T.S. funds. Mr. Ramachandra Iyer, a true disciple of that great Yogi, the late Maha-Svamigal of Sringeri-Math was also urging me to bring out a second edition and offered me his notes prepared under the guidance of that Great occultist. I was corresponding with him on the matter but before anything could be arranged, unfortunately (for us) he became a Mukta, a liberated soul.
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