FOREWORD

What is S’rîmad Bhâgavat is to the Vaisnavas, the Devî Bhâgavatam is to the S’âktas. The question of the priority of the two Bhâgavatas has been often discussed more in the spirit of partisans rather than that of sober scholars. We reserve our opinion on the subject till the publication of the complete translation of this work.

This translation has been inscribed to the sacred memory of my friend the late Râi Bâhâdur S’rîs’ Chandra Vidyârnava who induced me to undertake the translation of this work. He had thoroughly read the two Bhâgavatas and it was his opinion that the priority of composition belonged to the Devî Bhâgavatam. The other Bhâgavat, according to him, is a modern compilation attributed to Bopadeva – the author of Mugdhabodha Vyâkaranam.