The Mah?nubh?va sect is a K_r_s]naite sect within the Vai]snava tradition, founded by Shri Chakradhar Swami. The present book is a revised doctoral dissertation conducted on the sect.
The founder of this sect was born in Bharuch in 1194 in the Solanki kingdom of Gujarat. He became an ascetic in the Vidarbha region, and the sect became popular in Maharashtra. The title touches upon the literary composition of the Mah?nubh?va sect, known as S?trap?]tha, which is dedicated to Chakradhara Swami. The S?trap?]tha consists of 1172 s?tras, and is divided into thirteen sections. However, the unique feature is that it was written in Classical Marathi, not in the usual Sanskrit language.
The book discusses the theological aspects, soteriology, cosmological understanding, and the rituals and rites followed by the Mah?nubh?va sect.
The book also covers S?trap?]tha's textual tradition, which includes textual variants, translation from Classical Marathi into English, and manuscript tradition, which involves the comparative study with other manuscripts of S?trap?]tha found in various repositories.
Acknowledgement vii
Part I Introduction 1
Part II The Edition of the Sutrapatha 69
Part III Translation 171
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Bibliography and Abbreviations 260
Index to Introduction 265
Sutra Index 268
Glossary 281
Index of Names of Persons in the Sutrapatha 284
Index of Place Names in the Sutrapatha 286
Anne Feldhaus is a Distinguished Foundation Professor of Religious Studies, at Arizona State University. She specializes in anthropological, philological, and religious studies in Maharashtra. She is the author of several books such as, Water and Womanhood: Religious Meanings of Rivers in Maharashtra (1995); The Deeds of God in Rddhipur (1985); Say to the Sun, 'Don't Rise', and to the Moon, 'Don't Set': Two Oral Narratives from the Countryside of Maharashtra (2014).