17th cen. Nārāyaṇa: Nilakantha : (ix) The three outstanding names of the 16th cen., are (i) Narayana Bhatta, author of Dharmapravṛtti and Tristhalisetu, who received the title of 'Jagatguru' at the hand of Akbarnos. 236 and 176-80: (ii) Nārāyaṇa's grandson Nilakantha, inhabitant of old Benares and author of a number of Mayūkhas, 12 in number, on Âchara, Dana, Pratistha etc., as well as Vyavahara and Samaya-nos. 26, 190, 269, 355, 416; (iii) Kamalā kara author of the Nirnayasindhu, no. 246. Nilakantha's son, Samkara Bhatta continued the family tradition in the Vratarka, no. 360. The Vidhanaparijata by Ananta Bhatta, son of Nāgadeva Bhatta, in three stavakas deals with miscellaneous subjects including Santi, nos. 326, 327, 328. C. BRITISH RULE. 18TH CEN.--20TH CEN. 18th cen. Gopāla NyāyaPanchanana Gopala Nyaya-pañchanana prepared his Nirnaya Code before 1730 A.C., a copy of which was sent from Chundernagore to France-nos. 11, 25, 151-2, 201, 274, 325 (Asaucha, Achara, Tithi, Daya, Prayaschitta and Vichara). He was one of the eleven Pandits of Bengal employed by Warren Hastings to prepare the Vivādārṇava-Setu, translated into Persian and thence into English by Halhead as "Gentoo Law". It laid the foundation of the study of Hindu Law by Europeans. 19th cen. Jagannatha Tarkapañchānana No. 335 describes the Vivadabhangārṇava by Jagannatha Tarkapañchanana of Triveņi at the suggestion of the British Government. In pursuance of the declared policy of the British Government to administer the laws of the land in matters social and religious as far as possible, the Vivadabhangārnava has been the basis of decisions first in the Supreme Court, now of the High Court of Bengal. Nos. 19, 25, 27, 235, 338, 397-8, 434, 444 etc., are among modern attempts at Digest-writing, to lay down rules on current problems. 20th Cen. 3. WORKS ON SACRED LAW. 13th-17th Cen. The oldest in the present collection is Acharaḍipa by Na gadeva about the 13th cen. No. 22 Ms. is dated Saka 1599 in ( x ) faganaderat. One of the Mss. of Mm. Haraprasad Shastri Op. Cit.) is dated Sam 1492 = 1436 A. C. It is an old and authoritative work. The next important Maithi'a authority is Acharadarsa by Sridatta in the beginning of the 14th cen. Nos. 29 A-P show its popularity even to-day. Sridatta also wrote on other topics of Smṛti-Nos. 132, 259, 358, 377, 390, 414. Smrtisudhakara by Samkara Miśra is another Maithila work, completed about 1600 A. C. It begins with praises of Akbar, Todar Mall and Mithila-no. 448. Works like the above form a class by themselves, in as much as they do not deal with secular law as administered in Law Courts. 4. AHNIKA. The very large number of Mss.- Nos. 32, 33, 36, 34 A—D., 35, 37, 38 A-C., etc.-depieting daily duties under Ahnika shows the insistence on details of the daily rites as prevalent in Mithila even to-day. Nos. 132 A-F. describe Chhandogahnika by Sridatta of Mithila ( 14th. Cen. A. C.) It is meant for Samavedi Brahmaņas and indicates a wide acquaintance with the Samaveda, 5. MARRIAGE. The Vivahatattva of Raghurandana, No. 337, is the most important. Nos. 338-339, Vivāhavāda and Vivāhavādarahasya, written anonymously are modern. The topic of marriage has been dealt with exhaustively in the Digests, hence separate studies are rare and are rare and inconsequential. 6. ASAUCHA. Mithila has always taken a keen interest in questions of "impurities". Lakṣmidhara's son Rudradhara wrote Suddhiviveka in the 12th cen.-a standard work in MithilaNos. 382 H. 1. Another Maithila work of note is Suddhinirnaya by Vachaspati Misra. The number of Mss. on Suddhi is significantly large,-Nos. 369,370 A-D., 371 A—C., 372A., 373 A-H., 374 A-C., 376 A., 375 A-D., 377, 378, 379 A-B., 380, 381 A., 382 A-HL., 383. 7. ŚRADDHA. In this branch of Smrti the Maithila School is the oldest. No. 429 describes Sugatisopana of Ganesvara, under the (xi) Karnataka Kings in Mithila, towards the end of the 13th cen. Pitrbhakti of Sridatta, No. 259, is connected with students of the White Yajurveda in Mithila. No. 261 describes Pitṛbhaktitarangini by Vachaspati Miśra under king Ramabhadra of Mithila (Mm. Haraprasad Shastri op. cit., p. xli. Murāri evidently based his work, no. 262, on the above. 8. VYAVAHARA. Under Vyavahara or Civil Law might be specially mentioned, no. 202, Jimūtavāhana's Dayabhāga (11th Cen.); commentaries on the same by Srikṛṣṇa and Achyuta Chakravartin, nos. 203-5; Dattakachandrika on adoption, by Devanda Bhatta, no. 185; Vyavasthārṇava on pre-emption, etc., by Raghunatha no. 351. 9. DANA. Chandesvara and Nilakanţha, nos. 191, 190, are among the chief writers on Dana. cf. nos. 186-99. Gifts of Mss. specially of Puranas, have always been considered as highly meritorious. 10. CONSECRATION AND DEDICATION. Trivikramasuri's Pratiṣṭhāpaddhati described in No. 268 is among the earliest works dealing with the dedication, consecration and reconsecration of temples, images, tanks, emblems etc., belonging to the pre-Muhammadan period. Raghunandana's Pratisthatattva, No. 267, Nilekantha's Pratisṭhāmayukha, No. 269, are later but highly authoritative. No. 265 Purtadinakarodyota is by the learned and versatile Gāgā Bhatta, also known as Visvesvara Bhatta, who in 177 + following the time-spirit, declared Sivaji to be a Ksatriya and entitled to Hindu coronation. 11. PRAYASCHITTA. Prayaschitta or atonement of sins by penances, later on tend to be commuted to a fine in money, is dealt with in the Digests. But Nos. 274 A-H. I., 275 A-H.. 277 A. E., 276 A-B., 278 A., 279, 280 A-F., 281, 282 A-D., 283, 284 show the popularity of separate works. Raghunandana, No. 275, Damodara, No. 276, Sulapāņi, No. 280, Halayudha, No. 283, and Nagesa No. 284, are still cited as authorities. (xii) 12. SANTI. No. 362, Santikapauṣṭika by Vardhamana Upadhyāya seems to be a work of the 16th century dealing with Santi propitiation of offended astral deities. The Ms. is dated Saka 15581636 A. C. but the work is much older. 13. SMRTI-JYOTIȘA. Dealing with auspicious moments for religious ceremonies as distinguished from Astronomy, Astrology and Horoscopy, it forms an important and extensive section by itself. Laksini dhara's Krtyakalpataru of the 12th century, No. 53, Śrīdatta's Samayapradipa, of the 13th century, No. 414 are among the older authorities. Raghunandana, No. 73, Vardhamana, No. 74, Vachaspati Miśra No. 75 are utilised daily in Mithilā where most of the Varsakṛtyas, nos. 310-11, are still scrupulously observed. 14. PŪJĀ—PĀȚHA. Siva, nos. 363, 364A-H., 365, 366, 367, 368, 387, 387, Ganga, nos. 81, 82, 83A., 84A-E., 85-7, 88A, 89, 90A ̧, Rāma, nos. 300A., 301, Lakṣmi, nos. 302, 303, Gaṇeśa, no. 91 are among the principal deities worshipped. The most important work in the present collection is no. 367, Saivasarvasvaṣāra by Vidyapati in the first half of the 15th cen. under the Kāmes. vara dynasty of Mithila, and attributed to Queen Viśvāsadevi- cf. no. 367, p. 417. पत्युः सिंहासनस्था पृथुमिथिलमहीमण्डलं पालयन्ती । श्रीमद्विश्वासदेवी जगति विजयते चर्ययारुन्धतीव ॥ । Vidyapati's name is a household word in Eastern India, and widely known in Europe through the studies of Grierson. Distinguished as a poet (cf. Padavali, Kirtti-patākā, Kīrttilata, ), a story-writer (cf. Puruṣaparikṣa, Bhuparikramāgrantha,), a letter-writer (cf. Likhanāvalī), composer of songs in praise of deities (cf. Durgabhakti-tarangini, Gangava. kyāvalī), Vidyapati is also a recognised authority on Smrti ( cf. Dānavākyāvalī, Varṣakrtya, Vibhāgasāra. ). No. 88 describes Gangāvākyāvali of Vidyapati under the name of Visvasade vi. It refers to a number of Nibandhas. (xiii) 15. VRATA, Vrata or vow for worship, to continue at distinct periods and to end with Udyapana or special concluding worship, all through a ccompanied by Paurāņic references, forms an integral part of all Varsakrtyas. No. 311 describes Rudradhara Upadh yaya's Varṣakrtya, a typical and standard Maithila work. No. 366, Sivaratri vratodyapanavidhi, details with the concluding ceremony of the well-known worship 'Sivaratri', the 14th day of the waning moon in Magha. 16. CASTES. Nos. 385 and 386 describe two interesting treatises on the Sudras. Sudrasraddhapaddhati, no. 385, is by Ramadatta Thakkura. It is yet doubtful whether he can be identified with Ramadatta Thakkura, author of Vivāhādipaddhati and Danapaddhati, a son of Ganesvara and cousin of Chandesvara, in the 14th cen. No. 386, Sud, āchāravivekapaddhati, by Gondi Miśra is a comprehensive work prepared in the time of one king Vasudeva of Mithila, son of king Ravikara. Works dealing with the other castes are numerous. 17. TIRTHAS. Tirthayatra or pilgrimage has ever been a potent factor of cultural unity in India, knitting together the remotest parts of this varied continent under the Hindu horizon. Apart from the undoubted national history treated mythologically and historically in the Puranas and the Tantras, of these Tirthas or places of pilgrimage, Nibandha kāras exerted their authority and invested the Tirthas almost with a legal status. As such they occupy an honoured position in the Smrti literature. The psychological importance in connection with the Tirthas was present before the mind of the Smṛtikāras cf. no. 166, Tirthakalpalatā of Vāchaspati― गंगादितीर्थेषु वसन्ति मत्स्या देवालये पक्षिगणा बसन्ति । भाषोज्झितास्तेन फलं लभन्ते तीर्थाच्च देवायतनाच्च मुख्यात् ॥ Vidyapati in the 15th cen. wrote on Gaya, no. 92; Vachaspati in the 15th cen. cn Gaya and other Tirthas, nos. 93-109, 166, 167 A C.G, 168, 169; Raghunandana in the 16th cen. on Prayaga, no, 273; Nārāyaṇa Bhatta in the 17th cen. on Kāsi, Gaya and Prayaga, nos. 176-80; Harigiri's Kurukse |