Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE WORKS OF MAHDHARA, THE AUTHOR OF THE VEDADPA

AND MANTRAMAHODADHIBETWEEN A. D. 1530 AND 1610
Author(s): P. K. Gode
Source: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 21, No. 3/4 (1939-40),
pp. 248-261
Published by: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
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 THE CHRONOLOGY Off TI WORKS OF MAHDHAR,
THE AUTHOR OF THE VEDADPA AND MANTRA-
MAHODADHI- BETWEEN A. D. 1530 AND 1610.

BY

P. K. GODE, M.A.

Aufrecht 1 records several works of Mahldhara " Son of

Rmabhakta, grandson of Ratnkara, pupil of Ratnevara, a son
of Keava " who " lived at Benares. " These works include works
of Mahldhara composed in A. D. 1589 ( Mantramahodadhi ) and in
A. D. 1597 ( Visnubhaktikalpalatpraka ). Besides these works
Aufrecht records under rfiftir the works Rudrajapabhsya, and
Vedadipa 8 on Vjasaneyisamhit. Evidently Aufrecht's entry pre-
sumes the identity of the author of the (A. D. 1589) and
the author of the both authors having the same name Mahl-
dhara. Dr. Lakshman Sarup 3 assigned the author of the Veda -
dipa to the 12th century on the basis of an inscription 4 dated
1 CCI. 444- Works :- ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 )
o

SF5T, ( * ) sPTrTmqSraj'SI', ( 5 ) ( 6
Qfitol, ( 8 ) and its commentary for
rn%<^ or ( io ) ( u ) nm1 miter, ( 12) fintar
( 13 ) (%E2[>il%5FlT^|!nFt5T, written in 1597, ( 14 ) on ( 15 )

2 A Ms of Vedadipa at the B. O. E. Institute ( No. 41 of 1887-91 ) is

dated Fridayt %8th October 1614 . Its colophon on folio 37 reads : -
" ptf nf^ to 'Cprra* airqr
Foleman ( Indie Mss. in U, A.t 1938, , p. 6 ) records two Mss. of the Veda-
dipa in America, one of which is dated Saka 1715 =179$ A . D. Other Mss. of
Mahldhara* s works recorded by Foleman are
- Noa, 5069-70 ( No. 5069 is dated A . D 1800 ).
- No* 4381.

*pftnTn?*n - Nos. 1183-84 ( No. 1183 is dated A. D. 1678 ;;No. 1184 is

dated A. D. 1677 ).
8 Vide his paper on " Uvata and Mahldhara. " ( Pp. 10-12 of Summaries
of Papers - 5th A. I. O. Conf. Lahore, 1928 ).
* Ind. Ant XVIII, 1889, pp. 129-134.

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 Chronology of the works of Mahidhara 249

1175 A. D. in which two villages have been given 1 by Jaya-

candradeva of Kanoja to one Hrslkea Sarman who is described
as the grandson of " iTfmfflcT PTfterc " ( <ftTsr ). Two years ago I
had an occasion to read Dr. Sarup's remarks about an early date
for Mahidhara viz. the beginning of the 12th century. His re-
marks in connection with the identity of the two Mahidharas
failed 8 to convince me in the absence of any other corrobora-
tive evidence except the similarity of names. I had, therefore,
made some study of the available works of Mahidhara with a
view to see if Dr. Sarup 's date for Mahidhara is correct or other-
wise. Recently, however, Mr. K. M. K. Sarma of the Adyar
Library, published a paper * on the " Rudrabhsya and date
of Mahidhara and Venkatantha . " In this paper Mr. Sarma
makes the following remarks about Mahldhara's date as given
by Dr. Sarup -
" On the basis of an inscription which mentions a Mahidhara
Prof. Sarup assigns our author to the beginning of the 12th century
( Indics and Appendices to the Niruktai pp. 73-74 ). This date
cannot be accepted for this Mahidhara whose Mantramahodadhi
bears at the end the chronogram tcFfTf *rrr (1654
= A. D. 1597 ). The invocation to Laksminrsimha at the beginn-
ing of both the Mantramahodadhi 4 and the Vedadipa is proof of
the identity of the author, M

1 This copperplate grant was discovered 60 miles north-east of Benares.

It is dated Vikrama Samvat 1232 =-4. D. 1176 .
8 Aufrechs identity of the authors of the Vedadipa and the Mantra
mahodadhi is also repeated by Keith and Winternitz ( Cata, of Bodleian Mss .
1905) p. 36 - " Mahidhara wrote in A, D. 1598 the Vinubhaktihalpalatpraka
( Weber, Cata . 1, 158 ) and the Mantramahodadhi in A. D. 1589 ( Bodl . Cata .
p. 99) or 1597, Bendall British Mss . Cata . p. 45, n. 2 "
S Adyar Library Bulletin , December, 1940- Mahidhara mentions
and in his Rudrabhsya ( "spjoi, WPT SfarflSf: " ) impft-
qQ in the%^frq. As Mr. Sarma has pointed out is later than (14th
oentury ).
4 M of the Mantramahodadhi ( No. 653 of Vi. I at the B. O. R. Institute
begins: -

u JTOI^T srsff TT?T*rnPTi?f 3^ i

( continued on the next page )

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2$o Annals of the Bhandarhar Oriental Resech institute

In the B. 0. E. Institute Mss. of the Maniramahodadhi tie date

of composition is given as = A. D. 1589 ( Sam. 1645 ).'
I shall now consider the verses of invocation in the other works
of Mahldhara : -

(I) The qTRntRSFWnetr 8 ( B. O. R. Institute Ms. No. 653

of Vis. I contains a reference to Nrsimha as will be seen from
the verse at the commencement which reads-

( continued from the previous page )

The VedacRpa begins:-
" quTwr iTtit"
ir i

TEUJI II '
t See ^^i^^f|rT ( ccmmetanes by and
- N. S. Press, Bombay, 1912].
The objective identity of the 1st line of the Mantramahcdadh
1st line of the Vedadpa is not accidental. It proves the identit
ship for both the works as pointed out by Mr. Sarma.

i In the British Mus. .Ms. of q?5fiTfi^rN>[ ( ) the chronogra

date of composition is " " = A. D. 1589 ( Vide p. 46 of BendalFs
Cata. 1902 ).
2 Ms. No, S6S of 1888-84 ( B. O. R. I. ) of this Bhsya contains its date
of composition viz. Sunday 8th March 1690= Samvat 1646, Bavivra, Trayo-
dasl. (Ind. Ephemeries Yol. V, p. 382.) The chronogram of this date is found
in the colophon of the Ms. which reads as follows : -
" *n*q?t nf >
srtftf H ni
gfi: ^R^pri: I
ifTTi mffW i| * n

*n<R Trahit fw ^rt: II S H

Rnrw: I

^#.T ^i%: # g<2TRf^pfrii y

irrri^ u "
( God mentioned in verse 4 above is the same as *%...^|%
mentioned in verse 1 at the beginning of gft ct )t

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 Chronology of the works of Mahldhara 25 1

gSTPT f^fcT WTFTgmWi' '' "

The " " referred to by Mahldhara in verse 3 of the con-
cluding verses of the WTTVH^^rwwr was oomposed by
^rsTTPT^, who composed his $u^r^>rir in A. D. 1489 ( See Aufrecht
CO I, 513 ) or A. D. 1449 ( Kane H. D. Vol. I, p. 534 ).
( II ) In the concluding verses of Mahldhara's on the
tprrfresTf we find a reference to god or " in the
following extract : -
Ms. No. 75 of 1888-83- folio 71--" fRT
JT^hr^ rit SPPTOT il ' o H
ffrftfi wrr $mi

stt si^^q^rr ^37^ il? il

<<san H f^rsriiT K rcq-%*i
trw ^rorr 1% f^strmr *r 5# snfnnr sns: n ^ 11

?W9H sf R "i0 w li fntu

sftll"
The above Ms is dated Samvat 1775= A. D. 1719. Another
Ms of Mahldhara's nfa^Jt 1 on the ir*T^n%8"rrc viz. No. 7 4 of
1882-83 is dated " ffal "=A. D. 1674. On folio Ia of this
Ms we have the endorsement " FTCrrasrrrc: rt^ht
ST^T: " Ms No. 279 of 1892-95 is dated Samvat 1808= A. D. 175
( III) Mahldhara mentions God ffR in the following ver
at the commencement of the ra^r*TT%^5T5Tnt^or oomposed
A. D. 1597-8 ( = Samvat 1654 ) :- 8
1 Vide p. 194 of Bendall's Cata, of Brit. Mus. Mss, 1902- Ma. No. 1302
Mahldhara's Vivarna is dated A. D. 1782 .
2 The following verse at the end of the ms. contains the chronogram of
the date ( sjft, 5) ror, ^T, ).

Wf l%s#K I
TfWWft iiUlM-WJ
^f^i^^T^tirr^r^rTf f| il "
In the Ms. ( No. 6D of 1886-92 ) of 5^^#^ by * do not find any
reference to The Ms. of ^rrTff| fi ( No 82 of 1886-92 ) ends as
follows : -
( Continued on the next page )

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252 Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

Ms. No. 820 of A 1881-82-

" ftfrsri ii
fr sror 1
5^fl%aTiivr5 JPIOT
fasfw rama^TgOT <i % " "
( IV ) The work mentioned by Aufrecht as the
work of Wterc begins with an invocation to ffi, IWT and as
follows : -

Ms. No. 248 of J 1888-84 - dated Samvat 1875= A. D. 1819 1

Tf^T wisff ^ >1 ' H

( V ) The invocation of the of H#hlT reads as
follows : -
Ms. No. 5 of 1895-98 dated Saka 1775 = A. D. 1853. 2
" TOt^T 17 ^ SrSTT HSETTT wit I
fcfparcmw ^ffrqt 11 % 11 "

( contiuned from the previus page )

^rrcrsq 5%: "

1 The Mb. ends as follows : -

Folio 5 -

" WfaFTM rmai I

II II

51% il # il m. k W%I 11 "

2 The colophon of the Ms, reads as follows : -
Folio 10-11 -

s*mdw*n*r: ^tiri%^ H
?f?r il f^?iow^ li
sf sjRswflirat ^^iNi^r^ijiH^ 11 ^ sw
#1^ il fiim
li *fr il T

f^HWW I%l

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 Chronology of the works of Mahldhara 253

(VI) FtCro* refers to god in the concluding verse 1 of

his which reads as follows -
Ma. No. 81 of A. 1888-84 - folio 12.
" aprf ^
TTnwrfR I
far$rs?fr 3^3^%
ftiTHUTrt fr%frirTr^ il ' il
ffk srngi vrTr%n%T *m*rnrrs%: ^rmar 11
( VII ) In the TM'W^'Tr^r the author nf
*n5T etc. as follows : -
Ms. No. lis of 1882-88 dated Samvat 1778 3 =
" OTqm ^Toff T^T I
gprwOT %??T<1 11"
From the uniform references to god in his works it
appears that *Tfhr* was specially devoted to this god and hence
it is but natural that this god should be invoked in the as
also the and other works of TTfterc:.
In addition to the identity of invocations at the beginning
of the and the Mr. Sarma urges against Dr.
Sarup's date for the identity of the genealogy 4
1 The invocation at the commencement of the wok is as follows : -

" irihsr SWT^P- srm^r n: I

TiWfJNi ejrasfhr il i il "
The chronogram HTiJ, 3TT, ^<T=Saiii. 1660 (month of svina, Krsna-
paksa and Sunday ( jrrft ). This date may correspond to 16th or 23rd Octo-
ber 1608 ( Vide p. 9 of Vol. VI of Indian Ephemeris ). Aufrecht has recorded
only two dates of composition of two different works of v*z>
and 1597. The above chronogram gives us A. D. 1603 as the 3rd date of
composition of Mahdhara's work TIWif^T.
3 This date is recorded on folio 20- " ^-spr ^ TT^r ST3T OT":
Folio ss-" ut *rpTgr?nEn%f; "
The B. O. R. I. No. 68 of 1886-92 is Treq^ on the It does not
contain any reference to god either at the beginning or at the end. It
ends- '%?frq- "
4 This is given in the Vedadipu, , as also in the Mantramahodadhi : -
" f 3 *WWl(3TT)^: TPSrt:
TWJ: TTJ I
( continued on the next page )
13 [ Annali B. O. R, I. ]

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254 Annals of the Bbandarkar Oriental Research Institute

as recorded by him in the called and also

the Both these works give an identical genealogy
as follows : -

( of )
Son

"K3*Tg ( or TUWK )

Son
KfnJ ( author of 1 and composed in
A. D. 1589. )
The above identity of genealogy furnished by both the Veda -
dipa and the Mantramahodadhi is a conclusive proof of the iden

( continued from the previous page )

^T (Tflfr) Rtf wrf5 ti ''

( WBber F5j. Sani Various Readings and corrections of the Press} p. 19.

fi^Rt tpwp: Preise il

WTCHEnTflf i
T%?r^ *tt yiiioitf yr li
^RHt HTfR H5T )~TRH B2Tnq; I
-Mantramahodadhi ( Calcutta Edn. p. 898. )
i The B. O. R. Institute possesses the following dated Mas of the
Vedadipa
No. 81 of 1879-80 - Saka 1672= A. D. 17 BO.
No. 10 of A. 1881-82 - Sam. 1858 = A. D. 1802.
No. 32 of 19/19-80 - Ham. 1728 = A, D. 1672.
No. 41 of 1887-9 l-Sarh. 1671 = A. D. 1615.
Vide folio 37-

'' ^ 1^1 yr <ts nsrrcr arrerr-

^4ii^ur qa^rr rd'raRr STOTCT "
O S3

This appe
1615 i. e.
The Indi
1735 ( Vid
No. 933 o
Sai. 1690

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 Chronology of the works of Mahidhara 255

tity of authorship for both the works, one of which was composed
in A. D. 1589.
In the Manlramahodadhi Mahidhara refers to a son of his
called who along with other Brahmans helped Mahidhara
to compose the Mantramahodadhi in A, D. 1589. 1

' The colophon of the Mantramahodadhi is important as it gives us more

details about Mahdhara's family than what we find recorded in his other
works. I shall, therefore, reproduce it below
Ms. No. 1188 of 1886-92 - folios 150-151.

*?rr<f>fr tm srtcr ti H

*rNrc*?rcc(f)<<reT: |i 5.1 i|
imi gTTmr^ 3 1
=5T qqfii 3^1^ n *' [{
<*irqm%rg5N rrei'q 1
Il R II
TRWfFf: i
esin%: wrrei 11 ii
3##>n*reT: % Ft^Fr<i?mi{ i
*i<$iT*r sm^ qtpiqggtn: 11 11
fR: ^ifircs 1
v Tratit srtfl H ^ il
uRU JTf%n^n^Rs 1
5^ qft Tlissi ^rmrfcf 3 o*
fm? n i fro: I
fmf: ^ 11^ I Ii 11
*R ffmt ^ i
f^mn rfftr j STOTT ijffnr
%SI ^HTff^fT?"T...? j% i
M Ml
Tq^M^T i
*KT ^rnSH i^rt m M o 11
3T HFTfr 3T<l%f^(f I
"jf spfffrft: 11 3? 11

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2$6 Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

This reference by the learned father to his son proves that

the son was also devoted to the learned pursuits of his father.
It appears that mentioned by TfifhlT as his son in the Man
tramahodadhi is identical with ^rror who composed a work on
medicine called in A. D. 1587 1 i. e. two years before the
composition of the Mantramahodadhi. At the commencement of
his Balatantra Kalyna states that he composed this work on the
basis of Prayogasra , Suruta and other works. 2 At the end s. of

1 Aufrecht CCI , 86 - pqr&l, son of Mahldhara, grandson, of Rmadsa

composed in 1587.
- ( med. ) L. 818. K. 214. Ppters 3. 399,
CCI , 371 - " med. B. 4. 230.
-by Son of Mahldhara, L. 818 K. 214. P. Peters, 399.
CCII, 84 - " med. by son of Mahldhara. Oud h XX, 174.
Peters. 4. 40.
CC1I1, 79 - " 5|^R%^T or qff'iT in 14 Pataias by on of Mahl-
dhara, grandson of Rmadsa. AK. 999, AS p. 117. Bd. 900 Lz
1181 ( breaks off in ninth Patala ).
The Mss of the in the Govt. Mss. Library at the B. O. R. Institute
are as follows : -
No. 628 of J 895-1902 - dated Samvat 1682= A. D. 1626.
No. 598 of 1899-19 15-* dated Samvat 1848 = A. D. 179 2.
No. 999 of 1891-95- dated Samvat 1836= A. D. 178.
No. 1068 of 1886-92 - dated ( Samvat ) 1808 = A. D. 1752 .
No . 488 of 1884-86 - incomplete.
Possibly Ms No. 623 of 1895-1902 copied in A. D. 1626 , may prove to be the
earliest dated Ms of the Balatantra.
8 Ms No. 999 of 1891-95 of Balatantra begins--

SF5*nT FTCf l| 1 II
| ^ g^Tlfr: I
i t^ il R II
2 The above Ms ends as follows

UH^i^nT ti fq: li * il
TlflVR:

li s il
( continued on the next page )

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 Chronology of the works of Mahidhara 257

the work ha refers to his own father RfnOT as a devotee of god

and also to his grandfather *TiT^r*r who was a devotee
of god Rmacandra. He also records the date of composition
of the work viz. Sam vat 1644 ( =A. D. 1587 mentioned by
Aufrecht ). He belonged to the line. 1 Mahidhara also
mentions this line of Brahmans " ^ nisr "
in the Mantramahodadhi . Mr. Nanda Lai Dey ( p
Dictionary , 1927) identifies with Ramnagar, 20 miles west
of Bareli in Rohilkhanda. In the Plates of Gayadatugadeva
(J. P. A. S. B. Vol. V. pp. 348ff) the grantees are certain Brahmans
who originally came from Ahicchatra and settled in Ora-irisxya.
In a Jain rock Inscription2 of A.D. 1170 ( 5th February ) reference
is made to one a Brahman of the in It
appears to me that Mahidhara and his son K
that they belong to the line and the T?T*f5T were
descended from the line of Brahmans in having
the grWTTsr referred to in A. D. 1170. If this view is

( continued from the previous page )

^ wfa t
H * il

TH

imwi fT ^ fim 5 h h li
The Chronogram gir, 3T3>$r, = Samvat 1644 = A. D. 1587.
1 On p. 219 o Notices (Vol. II, 1874) Rajendralal Mitra desoribes Ms N0.8I8
of and observes: - " The author was born in Ahichatra but the work
was completed at Bnares on Sunday the full moon of ravana in the Saka
year 644 = A. D. 720. " These remarks are quite wrong as the Chronogram,
viz, 5*1,^, mi", 3Tr^I5T = 1644 and not 644 as stated by Mitra, The exact date
appears to be Sunday 28th July 1588 (vide Ind. Ephemeris Vol, V p. 379 ).
The Ms described by Mitra has the reading " STf^Srr^rrPT- " which is
obviously a wrong reading for " STf^Tr^ 5TRTJ " found in the oldest copy
of the work of A. D. 1626 which records the verse correctly as follows : -

*rer fft li ^ II ''

a Vide p. 51 of D. It. Bhandarkar : Inscriptions in Northern Ind . - Inseri.
No. 344 - Sam , ^-Inscription at Bijolia ( Udaipur State, Rajputana ).

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258 Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

accepted we have to state that his line flourished at Ahiochatra

( or Ramnagar ) for do less than 400 years and Mahldhara left
his country and went to Benares, 1 say between A. D. 1575 and
1590 for spiritual reasons after having passed his early life at
Ahicchatra ( or Ramnagar ).
As a result of the foregoing discussion we are in a position
to reconstruct the genealogy of Mahldhara as follows -
C. A. D. 1490 ( of ^*T3T ; at 3
I
Son
or 2 alias ( at )--C. A. D. 1520.
Son
ftere - Between 1540 and 1610 A. D. ( at Ben
I ( Son of Keava ).
Son
- Between 1575 and 1640 A. D. ( at Benare
The dates of composition of the works of Mahldhara and his
son Kalyna recorded in this paper, together with the dates of
Mss of these works noticed by me are given below with a view
to facilitate further study of the chror/ology of the works for
which no date could be fixed by me in this study -

1 Cf. u TRrSq TRf 3^" ( Mantramahodadhi). It

appears that Mahldhara's son Kalyna also migrated to Benares along with
his father and carried on his literary pursuits at this seat of learning.
2 Cf. Aufrecht CCI, 515 - " or TFRtB" Sn of Ratnakara, father of
Mahldhara, grandfather of Kalyna (Blatantra, 1581) L. 818, Oxf. 100a M
3 Aufrecht CCI, 86 makes the following entry : -
" a contemporary of Mahldhara ( 1589 ) Oxf. 100b "
Evidently the above entry is based on the wrong reading of Oxford Ms
wherein we have " " instead of " ^qrTQTTWS0T. 97 Mahl-
dhara is here referring to his son Kalyna. There was no such person as
This is only a comedy of errors.

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 Chronology of the works of Mahidhara 259

A. D. Samvat Saka Particulars

Dats of Composition
M = Mahdhara ; K = Kalyna

1588 1644 K refers to his father M in his

Blatantra
1588 1644 ,, Kalyna ( Mahdhara's son ) com-
posed his Blatantra
1589 1645 M composed Mantramahodadhi in
which he refers to K
1590 1646 M composed his Ktyyanasulba -
strabhsya
1597 1654 M composed Visnubhaktikalpalat-
vivarana
1 60S 1660 ,, M composed his coram on Rmaglt
Dates of MSS

1614 1671 ,, B. O. R. I. MS. of Vedadlpa of M

copied- ( No 41 of 1887-91 )
1626 1682 MS of K's Blatantra ( No . 623 of
1895-1902 )
1672 1728 MS of M's Vedadlpa ( No. 82 of
( 1879-80 )
1674 1730 MS of M's Yogavasisthasara mvararta
( No. 74 of 1882-88 )
1678 1734 1600 MS of TrmrTrT^T in America

1719 1775

1722 1778 MS of M's Sadangarudrajapa-tik

( o. 118 of A 1882-88 )
1752 1808 MS of Yoga. v. vivar ana ( No. 279 of
1892-95 )
1819 1875 MS of M's Mtrkrghavitu ' ( No. 248

Judging by the
paper, Mahidhar
ther he compose
by the list of hi

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26o Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

investigation,1 There is reason to believe in the identity of Mahl-

dhara the author of the Vedadipa eto. with Mahldhara the author
of the commentaries on the LUvati and the Brhajjataka. I am
not, however, quite sure about the identity of this author with

i appears to have been a second name of trffcjc ( Aufrecht CCI,

444 ). If this is so, we must examine the works ascribed to writers of the
name and as well. The following entries made by Aufrecht
need to be examined

' - nst$m, HIW, StereT fail composed in 1587 TO 5

Ms No. 34 2 of 1882-83 of the begins-

" sfororar fri# ^ stref i

Tifi TTH ffiSTT^fcqtiT II ? II
compare -

" fmt imnrRr ^

compare also cffo^nff
" hr if i
fl55RHIK^o n^rmn^ II "
The date of composition of the is Saka 1520= A. D. 1598 as
recorded in Ms 342 of 1882-83 ( A. D. 1745 ).
u ^ W tffcrfy ?hro ^TT%
TTTT qigi%st I
TTST^renWr
m H
This verse is followed by salutation to God who is referred to in all
works of ftere*-'-
t TO

WlTTc^ fcTPT I
friff ^nlm itm&m
fmf li * li
S. B. Dikshit ( p. 486 of Bh. Jyotihastra , 1896) identifies and
^f^T who composed fr^nfr ^T in A. D. 1587 and f^3Tlr^Fi%?q" in A. D.
1598. The B. O. R. I Ms of Sforaiffan f viz, iVo. 205 of 1883-84 is
dated Sarkvat 1733 = A. D. 1677.

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 Chronology of the works of Mahtdhara 261

Mahldsa the author of a commentary on the Carariavyha. 1

In view of the data recorded in this paper I would request
Dr. Sarup to reexamine his date for Mahldhara viz, 12th- century
and give us his final opinion on the question of Mahldhara's date
in the light of any other independent evidence which he may
have gathered since the publication of his paper in support or
otherwise of the views already expressed by him. I have not
succeeded so far in finding out any evidence in support of an
early date for Mahldhara but on the contrary I have recorded
ample evidence in this paper to prove that Mahtdhara flourished
between A . D. 1530 and 1610 or so }

1 Vide p. 26 of Vol. I ( Vedio ) of Cata9 of Baroda Mss, 1925 - Ms. No. 41

( with jiezt of ) is described with the remark " D.C.C. Samvat
1613. " If this is date of composition we have to take A.D. 1557 as the date
of composition of this which agrees with lifetime say between
A, D. 1540 and 1610 as fixed by me. If this date is the date of the Ms I find
it difficult to harmonise it with the lifetime of our Mahldhara, the author of
the Vedadipa and the Mantramahodadhi . On p. 10 of the List of Ujjoin Mss .
( 1936 ) we find the following entry
" No. 236-' by )
(?PIy) ) MNr
(copied in ) ^9 - Sp "
It appears from the above entry that Samvat 1603 = A. D% = 1541 is the
date of composition of M ahldhara's on the while according to
the entry in the Baroda Cata . quoted above the date of composition of this
work appears to be A. D. 1557. 1 am unable to verify these dates at present
as the Mss at Ujjain and Baroda are not before me. In case, however, we
can prove this to be identical with the author of the ij^q* and
other works we shall have to fix his life-time between say A. D. 1520 and
1610 , a period of 80 years, which is not an impossibility as his son
composed a work in A. D. 1587.
2 After this paper was composed by the press I had an occasion to con-
sult Prof. Bhagavadatta's History of Vedic Literature ( in Hindi ) Lahore,
1931, pp. 92-95. I am glad to fiind that Prof. Bhagavadatta's criticism of Dr.
Sarup's date for Mahldhara though brief coincides with mine and is justified
by the evidence gathered in this paper.
14 [ Annals B. O. R. I. J

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