16. Chronology of Dharmapradipa and Bhojavyakarana

16. Chronology of Dharmapradipa And Bhojavyakarana Composed Under the Patronage of Rao 03 Bhojaraja of Kaccha-A. D. 1631-1645 * est Dr. P. V. Kane makes the following remarks about a King of the name Bhoja in his History of Dharmasastra Vol. I, (1930):Page 279-"There is a work named Dharmapradipa by Bhoja (Deccan College No. 26 of 1874-75 ). It is a work by another Bhoja later than 1400 A. D., as it quotes Vijnanes vara and the Madanaparijata. It was composed by an assembly of Pandits at the bidding of King Bhoja of Asapura, Son of Bharamalla. The MS was copied in Samvat 1695 (i. e. 1638-39 A. D.)" 99 Page 569-"ac¹ of a composed between 1400 and 1600 A. D. Page 719 - "bhojadeva son of bharamalla, King of kaccha . Between 1400-1600 A. D., author of c." As Dr. Kane has not identified the kings Bharamalla and his son Bhoja it is necessary for me to record the following evidence which throws some light on the chronology and history of these Kings :-The Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. V (Bombay, 1880), pages 136-137 gives us the following information about these Kings of Cutch and their chronology:Rao Khengar I of Cutch -- A. D. 1548-1585. Rao Bharmal I-A. D. 1585-1631. During his reign the Government of Gujarat passed from Ahmadabad Kings to the Mughal Emperors. He was one of the greatest Zamindars of Gujarat. He died in A. D. 1631. Rao Bhojaraj--A. D. 1681-1645. Bharmal was succeeded by Bhojaraj, who ruling till 1645 A. D. was succeeded by his nephew Khengar II. * Poona Orientalist, XVI, Nos. 1-4, pp. 1. Aufrecht makes the following entries about Dharmapradipa and its author in his Catalogus Catalogorum, Part I, p. 269--- " by Bhojadeva of Kacha. B A 18. B. 3. 94 (Bhojaraja). dharmapradipe prayascittadhyaya . Bik. 882. " Page 419-", son of Bharamalla, King of Kacha: dharmapradipa dw

Chronology of Dharmapradipa 1415 I have no doubt that Bhojaraja, the reputed author of the work Dharmapradipa (MS of A. D. 1638) is identical with Rao Bhojaraj of Cutch (A. D. 1631-1645). Unfortunately the Bombay Gazetteer gives no information about the biography of Bhojaraja or his literary interests. It appears, however, that he had some interest in literature and patronised some authors. Though the work Dharmapradipa 1 is stated to be the work of Bhojaraja it was composed by an assembly of pandits as stated by Dr. P. V. Kane. The B. O. R. Institute MS No 26 of 1874-75 begins as follows:- " sri ganesaya namah || sri asapurayai namah || ya srstisthitisamhrtipranayini devarividhvamsini kamaripriyakarini munijanadhyanaikagamya sada | indropendra virimcivamditapadadvamdvaravimda bhrsam vamde tam jagadambikam bhagavatimasapuram parvatim || 1 || om namah kamalalolavilocanavilasine | sakradivibhavavaptikarine muravairine || 2 || asitpratyapracetah smaraharabhajane palakah sajjananam dinanathaika bamdhuh vikulakamalollasado vasaresah | praudhottapapratapapratihatavitataratigadhamdhakarah satkirtistomaso bhollasitakuvalayo bharamallah ksitisah || 3 || tasyatmajah sriyutabhojaraja mahimahemdro mahaniyakirtih | ahladakah sujnacakorakanam ksirambudherimdurivavatirnah || 4 || samgrame vijayapriyah sarabhasam duryodhanamarddano dharme dhiramatiryudhisthira iva pradhvastaduhsasanah | dainyadhvamtanivaranah kavikulollasi vivasvaniva prodyadvaidhavidhanakrdvijayate sribhojarajah krti || 5 || tasyajnaya bhupatimaulimalamaneh sadacaravivekalipsoh | nanadigamtagata pamditali karoti varnocitadharmmadipam || 6 || etc. " con ax (0) The MS ends on fol. 56 a:- - 66 suryedravahnividhivisnusivadirupa - matmanamaha sakalopanisatprasiddham | 1. Vide p. 94 Catalogue of MSS in private libraries in Gujarat, Cutch etc., Fase III. 1872. - MS No. 165 of dharmapradipa of bhojaraja in the Palace Library at Bhuj in Cutoh ( "bhujastha- rajaprasade " ) is recorded by Buhler but this MS bears no date.

30 bimdutrayena nijarupamumagatena sasapura bhagavati paripatu bhojam || 1 || vihitasumativrttih snehasampurna murti- rjagati vitatakirtih klrptadharmarthapurtih | iti sujana hitartham bhupattirbhojarajo admob of eval I adi Autole 21-11 ans leade ds revewod 6 munimatamavalokyaciklapaddharmadipam || 1 || iti sri sakalasamamta mukutamani rau sribharamallatmaja rau sribhojaraja- viracito dharmapradipah sampurnah || || srirastu || srimadvikramatah charamkarasabhuvarse'yane daksine | mase sravanakevalaksakadale bhaume dasamyam tithau || maitre bhe yuji sukla ke bhujapure dharmapradipam maha devo bhojamahipaklrptama likhacchrimannrsimhoktitah || 1 || bhuyobhuyah subham bhuyat || sri || svasti srisamvat 1726 varse sake 1591 pra0 ravau ruttara'yana sisirakrtau pausasya mase krsnapakse tithau 8 mamgalavasare sribhujanagaramadhye govarddhanena likhitamidam pustakam dharmapradipasya sri || " The foregoing extracts from the beginning and end of the MS of Dharmapradipa supply us the following information about its author:-- (1) Asapura was possibly the tutelary deity of Bhojaraja, the author of the Dharmapradipa. (2) Asapura was identical with the goddess Parvati, consort of God Siva. (3) King Bharamalla was the father of King Bhoja. He was deeply devoted to God Siva and was a patron of poets. (4) Bhojaraja or King Bhoja was also a patron of poets like his father. (5) The work Dharmapradipa was composed by an assembly of Pandits gathered from different quarters by the express order of King Bhoja. (6) The colophon states that Dharmapradipa was composed by Rao of Rao Bharamalla Bhojaraja ( "rau sri bhojaraja " ) son ("rau sri bharamalla " ). (7) The colophon states that first copy of the Dharma-pradipa was made in Vikrama Samvat 1695 ("sara, amka, rasa, bhu ") = A. D. 1689. at Bhujapura which is evidently the town of Bhuj, the capital of Cutch, where Rao Bhojaraja was ruling (A. D. 1631-1645). This was evidently a contemporary copy of the work Dharmapradipa.

Chronology of Dharmapradipa 1 143 vo The work itself, composed by pandits by the order of Bhojaraja, can be assigned to the period of about 7/8 years - A. D. 1631 to 1639 if the dates of Rao Bhojaraja given by the Bombay Gazetteer are correct. (8) The B. O. R. Institute MS of the Dharmapradipa, No. 26 of 1874-75, was copied in Vikrama Samvat 1726 (A. D. 1670) or Saka 1591 at Bhujanagar (modern Bhuj ) by a scribe of the name Govardhana. abas From the foregoing data we can easily conclude that the work Dharmapradipa was composed between A. D. 1631 and 1689 and was subsequently copied in the years A. D. 1689 and 1670 at Bhujapura or Bhujanagara ( = modern Bhuja) the capital of Cutch in Kathiawar. Both the Kings of Cutch viz. Bharamalla and his son Bhojaraja were patrons of learned men. Works and authors mentioned in the MS of Dharmapradipa are as follows:-- chamdogaparisista, sarasamgraha, katyayana, yajnavalkya, manu, sankha, smrtyarthasara, vijnanesvara (fol. 4 ), gobhila, daksa, vasistha, yama, narada, garga, visnu, paraskara, sumamtu, vyasa, jabali, yogiyajna ( valkya ), sata, bhrgu, satyatapah nrsimhapurana, kalikapurana, brahmamdapurana, brahmapurana, vaisnavagramthasamgrahakara, limgapurana, "kalpataruvacaspatigovimdadevadharesvara kamadhenubhava deva- niruddhasridattaharadatta harinatha rudradhara hemadrimadhavapara smrticamdrikakara vijnanesvaramadanaratna 1- karanamtabhattadivodasetyadi yajnikaharisvabhidhurtasvamika ki divrttikaradi " ( fol. 12 ), narada- pamcaratra, hayasirsa pamcaratra, mahakapila pamcaratra, gautamatamtra, viramcikalpa, sanatkumarakalpa, agastya- samhita, samdilyakalpa, kurmapurana, padmapurana, skamda, visnurahasya, jnanamala, pamcaratra, vrddhaparasara, visnupurana, harita, vrddhamanu, bhavisyatpurana, adityapurana, brhaspati, devala, markamdeya, saunaka, visnudharmottara, skamdapurana, matsyapurana, marici, bharata, devipurana, baudhayana, jamadagni, varahapurana, sattrimsanmata, pracetah bhavisyottara, saurapurana, brhannaradiya, etc. Aufrecht makes the following entry in his Catalogus Catalogorum, part I, p. 418: - " bhojavyakarana grammar, written in the reign of - Bhojadeva of Kach, by Vinayasagara. B. 3. 16. Bikaner 268, Gu 4. W. 1636. " 99 1. Vide p. 393 of P. V. Kane's History of Dharmasastra, Vol. I (1930). Dr. Kane places Madanaratna " about 1425-1450 A. D. "

MS " Gu 4" is identical with MS No. 82 of 1871-72 in the Govt. MSS Library at the B. O. R. Institute. This MS begins as follows:- " srivighnahartre namah || The MS ends :- 10 g - pranamya lokesa manamtasaktim srisaradaya vacanaprasadat | 6 sri bharamallatmaja bhojatustayai viracyate vyakaranam navinam || 1 || " " sakalasamihitataranam haranam duhkhasya kovidabharanam | sribhojavyakaranam pathantu tasmatprayatnena || 30 || sridharmmamurttipadamanasaraja hamsah kalyanasagara gururjayataddharayam || sisyah samagra .....cittavinodakari yasyasti satvinayasagaranamadheyah || 31 || sribharamallatanayo bhuvi bhojarajo rajyam prasasti ripuvarjitamimdravamdyah || tasyajnaya vinayasagarapathakena satyaprabamdha racita sutrtiyavrttih || 32 || huan iti srivinayasagaropadhyayaviracite sribhojavyakarane trtiyavrttih samapta || 3 || || samvat 1928 na asadha vadi 7 saptami tithau ravivasare samaptoyami0 This MS is a copy made for Buhler in Samvat 1928 ( = 1872 A. D. from some old MS in Gujarat. It is clear from the extracts given above that the Bhojavyakarana is a work on grammar composed by Vinayasagara, pupil of Kalyanasagara, by the order of king Bhojaraja son of Bharamalla. I have no doubt that the Bhojaraja son of Bharamalla mentioned by Vinayasagara as his patron king is identical with Bhojaraja the reputed author of the Dharmapradipa composed between A. D. 1631 and 1638 as I have shown above. The Bhojavyakarana was composed while Bhojaraja was ruling as 1. Vide p. 115 of Systems of Sanskrit Grammar by S. K. Belvalkar, Poona 1915. Dr. Belvalkar observes. 66 Bhoja-vyakarana by Vinayasundara-written for the benefit of a King Bhoja, son of Bharamalla. This work like the above, is metrical in form, following the usual topical arrangement." Vinayasagara is the author of this work and not Vinayasundara as stated by Dr. Belvalkar.

Chronology of Dharmapradipa 145 stated by Vinayasagara. As this king ruled between A. D. 1631 and 1645 we may fix up the date of the Bhojavyakarana between A. D. 1681 and 1645. Prof. H. D. Velankar records the following MSS of the Bhoja-vyakarana in his Jinaratnakosa (B. O. R. Institute, Poona, 1944):Page 299 -- "bhojavyakarana (Gram 2000) by vinayasagara of Aficala Gaccha. BO. p. 43; Buh. II, No. 82; CC I. p. 418. JB. 161; JG p. 298; Limdi No 1187. " On p. 247 of the Jinaratnakosa Velankar records a work called " sahasranama " by Kalyanasagarasuri of the Ancala Gaccha. Most probably this Kalyanasagara is identical with Kalyanasagara, the guru of Vinayasagara who composed the Bhojavyakarana between A. D. 1681 and 1645. The data recorded in this paper will, I hope, be found useful in fixing the chronology of any other works of Bhojaraja, Vinayasagara and Kalyanasagara, if they come to light hereafter. At any rate I have fixed up within narrow limits the dates of the Dharma-pradipa and the Bhoja-vyakarana, which were left undecided by other scholars. The Prasastisamgraha (ed. by A. M. Shah, Ahmedabad ), Part II contains the following dated prasastis in which Kalyanasagara is mentioned:- -- Page 187 MS of Samvat 1678 (= A. D. 1622)- it was presented to kalyanasagarasurisvara (mentioned as " amcalagacchadhi- raja " ) by samgaka of bhujanagara (modern Bhuja ). Page 188 MS of Samvat 1678 (= A. D. 1622)-copied by AMT when kalyanasagarasurisvara was ruling at amcalagaccha . Page 195 MS of Samvat 1684 (= A. D. 1628) - it was presented by amcalagacchadhirajakalyanasagarasuri to ratnasimha for study. Page 209-MS copied at ca (Bhuj) in Samvat 1698 (= A. D. 1642 ) when kalyanasagarasuri was ruling at amcalagaccha . 1 t will be seen from the above dated prasastis that Kalyanasagara, the guru of Vinayasagara, the author of Bhojavyakarana, was living between A. D. 1622 and 1661. Part II of the Prasastisamgraha contains the following prasastis mentioning vinayasagarah- 19 Page 186 A MS was copied in Samvat 1676 (= A. D. 1620) by hemasagara, pupil of vinayasagara .

ala Page 195-A MS was copied in Samvat 1688 (A. D. 1627) and Sea presented to vinayasagaragani . Page 198 A Ms was copied in Samvat 1667 (= A. D. 1611) by vinayasagaramuni at dilli nagara, when jahamgira patisaha was ruling. Vinayasagara mentioned in the above prasastis dated A. D. 1611, 1620 and 1627 was contemporary of Kalyanasagara, who was living between A. D. 1622 and 1661. It is possible to suggest that this Vinayasagara is identical with Vinayasagara, the pupil of Kalyanasagara, who composed the Bhojavyakarana between A. D. 1631 and 1645. More definite evidence is, however, required to prove the identity of Vinayasagara of the prasastis with his namesake, the author of the Bhojavyakarana. urs to figug Es et