Kanyakā Purāṇa - an upapurāṇa of Ārya Vaiṡyas

Vāsavī Kanyakā Paramēṡvarī is the Kula dēvatā (tutelary deity or patron goddess) of Telugu-speaking Vaiṡyas (Arya Vysya in particular). Her legends and history are narrated in an Upa-purāṇa (minor Purāṇa) called the Kanyakā Purāṇa. Originally narrated in Sanskrit by the revered kula-guru Bhāskarācārya, it has been translated into regional languages like Telugu, Kannada, etc. It is said that the episode of Vasavi-Kanyaka has its basis in the Skanda Purana (in the Sanat-sujātīya or Ūrujōpākhyāna). It is certainly possible given that accounts of Vaiṡyas are present even in today’s extant Skanda Purana.

Here are the places you can buy them:

1. Sri Vasavi Kanyaka Purana: Srimate Ramanujaya Namah (Telugu) published by “Victory Publishers” and “Sri Ranganatha Arya Vysya Sri Srinivasa Suprabhata Goshthi”. Author: Garre Satyanarayana Gupta, rewritten in simplified language by Kompella Ramakrishna Murti
2. The same is also on Amazon but this doesn’t seem to be in simplified Telugu but granthika (old / literary) style. The same work by Garre Satyanarayana is available on archive.org
3. Same book available at Pustaka Nidhi.

Some online resources:

1. Kanyaka Puranamu (dvipada) - poetical translation
2. Vasavi Kanyaka Toharāgānamu - poetical translation. Another copy here
3. Sri Vasavi Puranam - poetical translation by Dr. Chintalapudi Venkateswarulu Gupta. It is based on a 1951 Sanskrit mūla text published by Arya Vysya Yuvajana Sangha as “Sri Vasava Kanyaka Puranamu”. Sanskrit’s 60 chapters are expanded to 102 chapters. Includes list of Gotras (both Sanātana-gotra and nūtana-gotra).
4. Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Charitra - poetical translation
5. Sri Kanyaka Puranamu - poetical translation by Satavadhani Do.Ma.Venkataswami Gupta (published by Jamili Nammalwar Dharmanidhi)
6. Kanyakā Puranamu (Telugu) - prose translation along with gōtra-pravara.
7. Sri Kanyakā Prameswari Puranamu - prose translation.
8. ‘Agni Dīpti’ Vasavi Kanyaka Charitra - prose translation
9. Vasavi Charitre (Kannada)
10. Kanyapa Parameswari Suprabhatam. Another copy here and here.
11. Vasavi Suprabhatam and ashtottaram along with Navagraha ashtottara, etc.

I could not find any publication of the original Sanskrit epic. However, an unpublished Sanskrit manuscript is available as No. 2341 “Kanyakāpurāṇam” at the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Chennai (earlier Madras), Vol. 4, Part .2.

The beginning and ending verses are transcribed as follows:

srī-lakṣmī-ramaṇaṃ viṣṇuṃ jagad-rakṣā-parāyaṇam
vandē’ravinda-nayanam-indīvara-dala-prabham

akṣayāṇi suvastrāṇi kṛṣṇāyai karuṇāmbudhēḥ
yaḥ prādāt-puṇḍạrīkākṣaḥ taṃ vandē bhakta-vatsalam

daitēya-ṡatruṃ prahlāda-vākya-pālana-tatparam
vajrāyudha-nakhōdāraṃ ṡrī-nṛsiṃhaṃ namāmy-aham

ṡrīkaṇṭham-ambikā-nāthaṃ candra-ṡēkharam-avyayam
jagat-patiṃ mahādēvaṃ vandē’haṃ tripurāntakam

vināyakaṃ namaskṛtvā natvā vāṇīṃ prapūjya ca
vālmīki-mukhyān sukavīn stutvā pūrvakathāvidaḥ

It is interesting to note that the benedictory verses start with Sri Lakshmi-Narayana, then Lord Krishna, then Lord Narasimha, then Ambika-Mahadeva, then Vinayaka and finally Sarasvati (Vāṇ̄ī). Though in popular practice Lord Gaṇēṣa is supposed to be worshipped first, He is mentioned only much later.

It seems to be a syncretic tradition with first preference for Vaishnavism though. It is not exactly panchayatana because Sūrya bhagavān or Kārttikēya is not praised but instead Dēvī Sarasvatī is separately glorified.

sanatkumāra-maunīndra-prōkta-paurāṇikīṃ kathām
jn̄ātvā tad-anusārēṇa vakṣyē’haṃ vaṇijāṃ kathām

satya-lōkē parē pūrvaṃ brahmaṇā kalpitō rathaḥ
kramād-adhō’dhaḥ patitō nimnōnnata-mahītalē

nēmi-bhaṅgō’bhavat-tatra visṙutaṃ naimiṡaṃ vanam
pāvanaṃ muktidaṃ tasmin tiṣṭhanti muni-puṅgavāḥ

atyanta-puṇya-nilayē naimiṡāraṇya-nāmani
vanē ṡinānā-muni-vṛtē muni-ṡiṣya-niṣēvitaḥ

ṡruti-smṛti-purāṇajn̄aḥ ṡālaṅkāyana-saṃyamī
vēda-ṡāstra-purāṇēṣu yad-gōpyaṃ yac-ca durlabham

tat-sarvaṃ ṡiṣya-kōṭibhyaḥ ṡrāvayan-sadasi sthitaḥ
… … …
iti ṡālaṅkāyana-vaiṡya-muni-saṃvādē prathamō’dhyāyaḥ

End:

kāntāṣṭādaṡa-paṭṭaṇeṣu kalitāvāsāḥ kubērāsinaḥ
sphūr-jagad-gōkula-vēṅgi-vaiṡya-nikarạh satya-vratās-sādhavaḥ

vartantāṃ bhuvi putra-pautra-vasubhir-yuktās-suvidyā-tapō-
bhāsvad-bhāskara-paṇḍitādi-mahitakṣōṇīsurēndrāṡiṣā

Colophon:

iti ṡālaṅkāyana-vaiṡya-muni-saṃvādē saptamō’dhyāyaḥ

ādau brahmōrujātā bhuvi ghana-tapasā tōṣayitvā mahēṡam
sthitvā kailāsa-ṡailē ciram-atha-ṡivayā rājn̄a udvāhakālē

vaiṡyā gōkarṇa-jātā bhuvi kudhara-mukhāṣṭādaṡa-grāma-nāthā
rājn̄ē kanyām-adatvā ṡatam-anala-mukhē dvau ca muktiṃ prayātāḥ

gō-rakṣanāya ṡaraṇāgata-rakṣaṇāya
trāṇāya bhūmi-marutāṅkula-rakṣaṇāya
prāṇān-tyajanti ca nijān madhurān janā yē
tēṣāṃ harir-diṡati divya-padaṃ manōjn̄am