Books by Peter Bisschop
Studies on the History of Śaivism, 1. University of Napoli L’Orientale Press., 2021
A Śaiva Utopia centers on the eleventh chapter of the Śivadharmaśāstra, known as the Chapter on ... more A Śaiva Utopia centers on the eleventh chapter of the Śivadharmaśāstra, known as the Chapter on Śiva’s Discipline (Śivāśramādhyāya). A critical edition and annotated English translation of the Sanskrit text of this chapter is preceded by a comprehensive study of the Śivadharma’s revision of the Brahmanical ‘laws on class and discipline’ (varṇāśramadharma), tracing its utopian vision of a society bound by Śiva devotion. An edition and English translation of a Sanskrit commentary on the chapter, preserved on a unique palm leaf manuscript in Malayalam script, is included as well. The book concludes with an appendix, which addresses the revision of the Śivāśramādhyāya in the Bhaviṣyapurāṇa, where the Śivadharma has been turned into a Sauradharma ('religion of the Sun'). A Śaiva Utopia should be of interest to all historians of Indian religions.
Collection Indologie 148. IFP/EFEO, 2021
The city of Vārāṇasī in North India is one of the most sacred Hindu places. Its unique location o... more The city of Vārāṇasī in North India is one of the most sacred Hindu places. Its unique location on the banks of the Gaṅgā adds to its special claims of holiness. These claims found expression in an extensive body of literature called Māhātmyas, texts composed in Sanskrit with the specific aim of promoting the “greatness” (māhātmya) of the town through the narration of tales of origin of individual sites. The present study presents a little-known Vārāṇasīmāhātmya which has survived in a unique compendium of such Māhātmyas in a palm-leaf manuscript in Nepal. It contains a critical edition of the text with an introduction & annotated English synopsis. In making this material available, this study aims to contribute to an understanding of the emplacement of Brahmanical Hinduism, in particular Śaivism.
Copies can be ordered here: https://www.ifpindia.org/bookstore/ci148/
Groningen Oriental Studies Supplement 6, 2021
Skandapurāṇa V presents a critical edition of Adhyāyas 92-112 from the Skandapurāṇa, with an intr... more Skandapurāṇa V presents a critical edition of Adhyāyas 92-112 from the Skandapurāṇa, with an introduction and annotated English synopsis.
The text edited in this volume includes the extensive myth of Viṣṇu’s manifestation as the Boar (Varāha), who conquers Hiraṇyākṣa and wins back the Earth for the gods; its aftermath, which involves the birth of Varāha’s son Vṛka and Skanda’s finishing of Viṣṇu’s Boar manifestation; Devī’s instructions to the goddesses about donations, fasts and penances; and the continuation of the Andhaka cycle.
The introduction addresses the incorporation of Vaiṣṇava mythology in the text, the composition and revision of Adhyāya 112 in the different recensions, and the Dharmanibandha citations of Devī’s teachings.
https://brill.com/view/title/59532
Beyond Boundaries 8, De Gruyter, 2021
Stone inscriptions, manuscripts, monuments, sculptures, ceramic fragments: these are just some of... more Stone inscriptions, manuscripts, monuments, sculptures, ceramic fragments: these are just some of the primary sources for the study of premodern Asia. How might scholars chart new directions in Asian studies following these historical traces of past societies and polities? To address this question, this book unites perspectives from leading scholars and emerging voices in the fields of archaeology, art history, philology, and cultural history to revisit the primary historical sources that ground their respective studies, and to reflect upon the questions that can be asked of these sources, the light they may shed on Asian pasts, and the limits of these inquiries.
Gonda Indological Studies 18, Brill, 2018
A critical edition and annotated translation of the sixth chapter of the Śivadharmaśāstra `Treati... more A critical edition and annotated translation of the sixth chapter of the Śivadharmaśāstra `Treatise on the Religion of Śiva’, the so-called Śāntyadhyāya 'Chapter on Appeasement’. The Sanskrit text is preceded by an extensive introduction on its composition, transmission and edition.
The Open Access E-book is also available for free download here: https://brill.com/view/title/39141
Groningen Oriental Studies Supplement 5, 2018
Skandapurāṇa IV presents a critical edition of Adhyāyas 70-95 from the Skandapurāṇa, with an intr... more Skandapurāṇa IV presents a critical edition of Adhyāyas 70-95 from the Skandapurāṇa, with an introduction and annotated English synopsis.
The text edited in this volume includes the myths of Viṣṇu’s manifestation as the Man-Lion (Narasiṃha), the birth of Skanda, the birth of Andhaka, and Hiraṇyākṣa’s battle with the gods culminating in his victory and capture of the Earth.
The Open Access E-book is also available for free download here: https://brill.com/view/title/39245
Groningen Oriental Studies Supplement, Apr 2014
Skandapurāṇa IIb presents a critical edition of Adhyāyas 31-52 from the Skandapurāṇa, with an int... more Skandapurāṇa IIb presents a critical edition of Adhyāyas 31-52 from the Skandapurāṇa, with an introduction and English synopsis. The text edited in this volume includes central myths of early Śaivism, such as the destruction of Dakṣa's sacrifice and Śiva acquiring the bull for his vehicle. Also included is an extensive description of the thirteen hells (Naraka).
Groningen Oriental Studies 21, Forsten, 2006
Skandapurāṇa 167 is concerned with a description of Śaiva sacred sites and may be dated to the la... more Skandapurāṇa 167 is concerned with a description of Śaiva sacred sites and may be dated to the latter half of the 6th or first half of the 7th century. As such it is a very valuable source for the history and topography of early Saivism. In addition it contains an account of the origins of the Pasupata movement in its descriptions of Karohana, the site of Siva's descent as Lakulisa.
The present volume contains a critical edition of two different versions of Skandapurāṇa 167, one transmitted in early Nepalese palm-leaf manuscripts, another transmitted in two later recensions styled Ambikakhanda and Revakhanda. The latter version has never been published before and opens up new perspectives for the study of the transmission of Puranic literature and the historical development of Śaivism. The introduction deals with the sacred topography of Śaivism, the early Pasupata movement and editorial principles. The editions are preceded by an English synopsis and are accompanied by an extensive philological and historical commentary.
Articles by Peter Bisschop
This study by the late Paul Dundas presents a detailed analysis of the narrative of Goyama and th... more This study by the late Paul Dundas presents a detailed analysis of the narrative of Goyama and the ascetics of Mount Aṭṭhāvaya in the Āvaśyaka Cūrṇi, including text and translation. By identifying a range of themes, intertexts and allusions in the narrative, a variety of Jain perspectives on the nature of asceticism are uncovered. Topics covered include the Āvaśyaka Cūrṇi as "commentary", the Āvaśyaka Niryukti background to the Āvaśyaka Cūrṇi narrative, some possible Śaiva allusions in the narrative, the significance of Goyama's physical appearance, Goyama's explanation of the canonical story of Puṃḍarīa, and Goyama's power of bestowing limitless food. In addition to the narrative told in the Āvaśyaka Cūrṇi, its earliest metrical version in the Uttarādhyayana Niryukti is discussed and translated as well.
Indian Economic and Social History Review, 2021
To show how kingship was enacted and materialised in specific contexts within the 'Gupta Ecumene'... more To show how kingship was enacted and materialised in specific contexts within the 'Gupta Ecumene', writ large, this article presents a detailed analysis of two sites that served as centres for political performance, devotional practice, and artistic production between the fourth and the sixth century CE: Eran and Sondhni in the Indian heartland of Madhya Pradesh. Eran is commonly held to be a key site for the study of Gupta art and architecture and holds several important inscriptions from the beginning to the end of the Gupta period, including one issued by Samudragupta. Sondhni is marked by two inscribed columns of Yaśodharman, a former Gupta subordinate who challenged the imperial rulers using metaphors borrowed from Samudragupta's Allahabad Pillar Inscription. Examining these two sites in dialogue presents an opportunity to identify a shared cultural realm in which local polities participated and developed a transre-gional 'Gupta' political discourse. This study normalises a Gupta-centred imperial history and, in doing so, participates in a wider departure from dynastic history by emphasising the ways in which localised polities and rulers negotiated the political idioms of their day, challenged them, and created spaces for innovation.
Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2021
In the fifth–sixth century CE the rulers of the Kadamba dynasty claimed the town of Halsi (ancien... more In the fifth–sixth century CE the rulers of the Kadamba dynasty claimed the town of Halsi (ancient Palāśikā) in modern Karnataka as the northern capital of their expanding polity. Their investments in this locale are recorded in a corpus of copper-plate inscriptions spanning four generation of kings. The plates record the growth of a thriving Jain community at Palāśikā and are revelatory of their relationships with the Kadamba rulers and their agents. This study of the donative and political processes converging in Palāśikā shows that the use of Sanskrit inscriptions
as media for royal representation and public self-fashioning was highly
developed in the Kadamba polity, where idioms and trends developed independent of the Gupta royal model. Moreover, the evidence from Halsi is indicative of the centrality of Jain religious communities, ideologies, and institutions in the administration of the Kadamba polity and the expression of a lineage identity.
[Includes one correction of a missing heading.]
Indo-Iranian Journal, 2021
Commencing from a critical reading of two recent publications on the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa and the Dev... more Commencing from a critical reading of two recent publications on the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa and the Devīmāhātmya, this article argues that, contrary to what is maintained by the author of the two books under review, what is ailing Purāṇic studies is not a reliance on traditional modes of textual criticism, but a misunderstanding about its utility for accessing the dynamic history of Purāṇic text corpora.
History of Religions, 2019
Identification of the Śivadharmaśāstra as the source of a doctrinal verse about the worship of th... more Identification of the Śivadharmaśāstra as the source of a doctrinal verse about the worship of the liṅga in the Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra, and the possible broader implications of this quotation, in particular in relation to the question of the origin of the six-syllabled mantra oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ and its Śaiva counterpart oṃ namaḥ śivāya.
Indo-Iranian Journal, 2016
FOR DOWNLOAD OF REVISED VERSION GO TO BAKKER 2019, HOLY GROUND
This article offers a new iconog... more FOR DOWNLOAD OF REVISED VERSION GO TO BAKKER 2019, HOLY GROUND
This article offers a new iconographic reading of the sixth-century architrave of the
gateway of the Mahādeva Temple at ancient Madhyamikā (Nagarī). It is argued that the
eastern and western face of the architrave should be read in conjunction. The eastern
face shows Śiva’s entry as a naked mendicant into the Devadāruvana, while the western
face depicts the Kirātārjunīya, a story that is foreshadowed in the panels of the eastern
face. The motif that ties both stories together is the Brahmaśiras or ‘Head of Brahmā,’
which is simultaneously the skull that forms Śiva’s begging bowl and the Pāśupata
Weapon acquired by Arjuna. The theme of the winning of the Pāśupata Weapon may
have had particular resonance for the Aulikara rulers in their troubled times.
The hill-fort of Kālañjara (Kalinjar), has been an important centre of Śaivism for many centuries... more The hill-fort of Kālañjara (Kalinjar), has been an important centre of Śaivism for many centuries. Its presence in the list of Śiva's abodes (āyatana) in Skandapurā˙na 167 and in other early sources indicates Kālañjara's importance in early Śaivism. The major royal inscriptions from the Chandella period have been edited, but many other inscriptions from the hill remain unpublished. Following a survey of references to Kālañjara in early literary sources, this paper presents two pre-Chandella inscriptions from Kālañjara: 1) an inscription already reported by Cunningham, but never transcribed beyond the opening verse, and 2) a newly discovered inscription. for their comments on earlier versions of my reading and interpretation of the two inscriptions which form the subject of this paper. Any remaining errors in reading and interpretation are naturally entirely my own.
The article introduces chapter 6 of the Śivadharmaśāstra which contains a lengthy mantra invoking... more The article introduces chapter 6 of the Śivadharmaśāstra which contains a lengthy mantra invoking all cosmic powers and deities for appeasement (śānti). Following a brief introduction to the Śivadharma corpus of texts, the form and characteristics of the mantra are illustrated by means of a few examples of invocations to individual deities. The mantra includes references to various iconographical and mythological aspects of the deities invoked that can be used fruitfully for historical research into their development. It is argued that the invocation systematically presents all deities and powers as oriented towards Śiva, thus establishing the authority of Śaivism. A brief discussion on the use of the mantra as attested in the Śivadharma and in inscriptions concludes the article. It is shown that the mantra was specifically used for securing the wellbeing of the kingdom ruled by a Śaiva king.
Journal of Indian Philosophy, 2014
The term Pañcārtha in the title of Kauṇḍinya's commentary on the Pāśupatasūtra, the Pañcārthabhāṣ... more The term Pañcārtha in the title of Kauṇḍinya's commentary on the Pāśupatasūtra, the Pañcārthabhāṣya, is usually taken to refer to the five categories (padārtha) distinguished by Kauṇḍinya: Kārya, Kāraṇa, Yoga, Vidhi, and Duḣ-khānta. The term in fact also occurs in a string of verses quoted by Kauṇḍinya in his commentary on Pāśupatasūtra 5.30, indicating that it was already in use in Pāśupata circles before him. In these verses the term Pañcārtha is used in a different sense. These and other passages in the Pañcārthabhāṣya are examined to identify an earlier phase of Pāśupata thought, and to consider the role of the author of the Bhāṣya in developing the Pāśupata doctrine.
e figure of Caṅḋeśa (Caṅḋeśvara) in earlyŚaivism has been the subject of two recent studies by Di... more e figure of Caṅḋeśa (Caṅḋeśvara) in earlyŚaivism has been the subject of two recent studies by Diwakar Acharya and Dominic Goodall. e present article proposes to identify a sculpture in the British Museum, hitherto identified as Lakulīśa, as representing Caṅḋeśvara. Attention is drawn to the iconographical similarities to aŚaiva deity depicted on the Cālukya shrines of Mahākūṫa and Paṫṫadakal. A passage from the layŚivadharma proves crucial in understanding the identity of Caṅḋeśvara in earlyŚaivism, which leads to a renewed consideration of the deity invoked in the final line of the Mathurā Pillar Inscription of Candragupta. Finally theŚivadharma's descriptions of two other Gaṅas, Bhṙṅgiriṫi and Vināyaka (Gaṅeśa), are briefly analyzed in the light of the significant fact that both Gaṅas are referred to as 'son of Rudra'. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, . *) e present paper was written as part of the research project 'EarlyŚaiva Mythology: A study of the formative period of an integrated religious vision', a collaboration between Peter Bisschop and Harunaga Isaacson (Hamburg), kindly funded by a three year grant of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). I would like to thank Hans Bakker and Harunaga Isaacson for their comments upon an earlier version of this paper. Peter Bisschop / Indo-Iranian Journal () -
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Books by Peter Bisschop
Copies can be ordered here: https://www.ifpindia.org/bookstore/ci148/
The text edited in this volume includes the extensive myth of Viṣṇu’s manifestation as the Boar (Varāha), who conquers Hiraṇyākṣa and wins back the Earth for the gods; its aftermath, which involves the birth of Varāha’s son Vṛka and Skanda’s finishing of Viṣṇu’s Boar manifestation; Devī’s instructions to the goddesses about donations, fasts and penances; and the continuation of the Andhaka cycle.
The introduction addresses the incorporation of Vaiṣṇava mythology in the text, the composition and revision of Adhyāya 112 in the different recensions, and the Dharmanibandha citations of Devī’s teachings.
https://brill.com/view/title/59532
The Open Access E-book is also available for free download here: https://brill.com/view/title/39141
The text edited in this volume includes the myths of Viṣṇu’s manifestation as the Man-Lion (Narasiṃha), the birth of Skanda, the birth of Andhaka, and Hiraṇyākṣa’s battle with the gods culminating in his victory and capture of the Earth.
The Open Access E-book is also available for free download here: https://brill.com/view/title/39245
The present volume contains a critical edition of two different versions of Skandapurāṇa 167, one transmitted in early Nepalese palm-leaf manuscripts, another transmitted in two later recensions styled Ambikakhanda and Revakhanda. The latter version has never been published before and opens up new perspectives for the study of the transmission of Puranic literature and the historical development of Śaivism. The introduction deals with the sacred topography of Śaivism, the early Pasupata movement and editorial principles. The editions are preceded by an English synopsis and are accompanied by an extensive philological and historical commentary.
Articles by Peter Bisschop
as media for royal representation and public self-fashioning was highly
developed in the Kadamba polity, where idioms and trends developed independent of the Gupta royal model. Moreover, the evidence from Halsi is indicative of the centrality of Jain religious communities, ideologies, and institutions in the administration of the Kadamba polity and the expression of a lineage identity.
[Includes one correction of a missing heading.]
This article offers a new iconographic reading of the sixth-century architrave of the
gateway of the Mahādeva Temple at ancient Madhyamikā (Nagarī). It is argued that the
eastern and western face of the architrave should be read in conjunction. The eastern
face shows Śiva’s entry as a naked mendicant into the Devadāruvana, while the western
face depicts the Kirātārjunīya, a story that is foreshadowed in the panels of the eastern
face. The motif that ties both stories together is the Brahmaśiras or ‘Head of Brahmā,’
which is simultaneously the skull that forms Śiva’s begging bowl and the Pāśupata
Weapon acquired by Arjuna. The theme of the winning of the Pāśupata Weapon may
have had particular resonance for the Aulikara rulers in their troubled times.
Copies can be ordered here: https://www.ifpindia.org/bookstore/ci148/
The text edited in this volume includes the extensive myth of Viṣṇu’s manifestation as the Boar (Varāha), who conquers Hiraṇyākṣa and wins back the Earth for the gods; its aftermath, which involves the birth of Varāha’s son Vṛka and Skanda’s finishing of Viṣṇu’s Boar manifestation; Devī’s instructions to the goddesses about donations, fasts and penances; and the continuation of the Andhaka cycle.
The introduction addresses the incorporation of Vaiṣṇava mythology in the text, the composition and revision of Adhyāya 112 in the different recensions, and the Dharmanibandha citations of Devī’s teachings.
https://brill.com/view/title/59532
The Open Access E-book is also available for free download here: https://brill.com/view/title/39141
The text edited in this volume includes the myths of Viṣṇu’s manifestation as the Man-Lion (Narasiṃha), the birth of Skanda, the birth of Andhaka, and Hiraṇyākṣa’s battle with the gods culminating in his victory and capture of the Earth.
The Open Access E-book is also available for free download here: https://brill.com/view/title/39245
The present volume contains a critical edition of two different versions of Skandapurāṇa 167, one transmitted in early Nepalese palm-leaf manuscripts, another transmitted in two later recensions styled Ambikakhanda and Revakhanda. The latter version has never been published before and opens up new perspectives for the study of the transmission of Puranic literature and the historical development of Śaivism. The introduction deals with the sacred topography of Śaivism, the early Pasupata movement and editorial principles. The editions are preceded by an English synopsis and are accompanied by an extensive philological and historical commentary.
as media for royal representation and public self-fashioning was highly
developed in the Kadamba polity, where idioms and trends developed independent of the Gupta royal model. Moreover, the evidence from Halsi is indicative of the centrality of Jain religious communities, ideologies, and institutions in the administration of the Kadamba polity and the expression of a lineage identity.
[Includes one correction of a missing heading.]
This article offers a new iconographic reading of the sixth-century architrave of the
gateway of the Mahādeva Temple at ancient Madhyamikā (Nagarī). It is argued that the
eastern and western face of the architrave should be read in conjunction. The eastern
face shows Śiva’s entry as a naked mendicant into the Devadāruvana, while the western
face depicts the Kirātārjunīya, a story that is foreshadowed in the panels of the eastern
face. The motif that ties both stories together is the Brahmaśiras or ‘Head of Brahmā,’
which is simultaneously the skull that forms Śiva’s begging bowl and the Pāśupata
Weapon acquired by Arjuna. The theme of the winning of the Pāśupata Weapon may
have had particular resonance for the Aulikara rulers in their troubled times.
Did you know that Sanskrit is one of the oldest surviving members of the Indo-European language family? And that Sanskrit left its traces all over Asia and beyond? Sanskrit is a vehicle through which ideas and tales have been conserved and passed on. Leiden University shows this summer the rich heritage of Sanskrit: Buddhist scriptures on twelfth-century palm leaves, luxuriously illuminated manuscripts of the Ramayana epic,
next to an instruction manual for yoga and some spectacular loans from the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen. The exhibition is the second of three in the Leiden Asia Year. Leiden University holds one of the oldest and richest Sanskrit collections.
The exhibition has been conceived and curated by Peter Bisschop, Elizabeth Cecil and Daniele Cuneo.
The accompanying annotated English translation by Hans Bakker is available on his Academia page: https://www.academia.edu/102894337/The_Five_Realities_Kaundinya_s_Commentary_on_the_Pasupatasutras_Chapter_1
Version: 4 Jan 2023.