Buddhist Goddess Parnasabari and Hindu Goddess Sitala (A Comparative Study of Remedial Deities)

Book Specification

Book Description

About the Book

In the early Buddhist era, image worship is condemned. But in later phase, it was accepted. In India, Hinduism and Buddhism developed well-filled pantheons, but it is very difficult to ascertain in which of these two religious systems a particular image should be assigned. This study is an investigation about the emergence of two deities belong to two different religious believes. This comparative study will not only enhance further inquisitiveness, but also afford knowledgeable reading to the general readers who are interested in this subject.

About the Author

Dr. Saheli Das, Nalinaksha Dutta Stipend holder of the Dept. of Pali, C. U. (Ist class 3rd in M.A.), JRF & SRFCUGC,NET) obtained Ph.D. degree from the University of Calcutta. She is trained in Ancient Indian Palaeography, Prakrit Language and Literature, Museum Studies, Manuscriptology and Tibetan Language. She was also worked as a Research Associate (post Doctoral Fellow), Dept. of Pali, C.U., UGC-UPE Scheme(West Asian Buddhism). She worked as a Guest Lecturer in the Dept. of Pali, Govt. Sanskrit College. Now she is working as a Guest Lecturer in Pali, Dept. of Languages, in Sanskrit Dept. and in Buddhist Studies, under Faculty of Arts, University of Calcutta.

She is the Life Member of The Asiatic Society, Kolkata and Indian Society for Buddhist Studies, Jarrunu. She has more than thirty research papers (national and international) on different fields of Buddhism. She is the Acharya Buddhaghosha Award recipient of the year 2007.

Paramita Roy is B.A. Honours in Sanskrit and M.A. in Buddhist Studies University of Calcutta. Her specialization is in Applied Buddhism. She is working as a sub-editor of Abar Yugantar(daily), Kolkata.

Preface

It is a well-known fact that from the earliest times in India and other’ countries where Buddhism has spread, a greater portion of Buddhists usually welcome indigenous religious believes. The local demonological believes introduced the manifestation of spiritual evils and paved its development and evolved a new pantheon of minor deities. In Vajrayana tradition, a developed form of Mahayana, local deities got esteemed status, even accepting some of their cults as a supplementary of liturgies in honour of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. As a consequence, a well organized pantheon had been formed based on the local believes. But it must be said that social need causes to include local gods and goddesses into the pantheon as the protectors. In this respect, the present study is very necessary. The present study consists six chapters. Chapter- I is the introduction. Chapter – II .deals with the origin of the image of the goddess Parnas