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History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s16: Multiplication of Ceremonies or Ritual

History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s16

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Multiplication of Ceremonies or Ritual

v3.c41.s16.1

The rise of this new sacred literature naturally led to the multiplication of ceremonies and ritual. Dharmaśāstra was studied in almost every kingdom and elaborate treatises on ceremonies and ritual were composed by learned Brahmins and even kings. Vijnāneśvara's Mitāksharā was the first detailed treatise of this period on Dharma based on Yājnavalkya Smriti; it was composed at Kalyan in the Deccan. King Aparāditya of Thana composed another treatise called Aparārka. In Bengal Ballālasena himself wrote Dānasāgara on various dānas or gifts and the learned men in the court of his son Lakshmaṇasena composed other treatises such as Brahmakarma-Samuchchaya. At Kanauj under Govindchandra also, Dharmaśāstra treatises were composed and lastly we may mention the voluminous work of Hemādri viz. Chaturvarga Chintāmaṇi composed about a hundred years after this period. These will give us an idea of how modern Hinduism has gradually evolved from Purāṇas and Āgamas and has changed the original simple aspect of Vedic Aryanism. For example we may refer to the simple ceremony at the obsequies of such a great king as Pratāpavardhana described by Bāṇa, noted at length in Vol. I (p. 98) and to the elaborate ceremony with many gifts and Śrāddhas described in the Garuḍa Purāṇa. In almost all matters, ceremonies were multiplied; while new rituals and vratas came into vogue in relation to the worship of the five Purāṇic deities which it is not necessary to detail. The daily religious duties of a Brahmin especially became so engrossing and detailed that very little time was left unoccupied. The occasional ceremonies were also multiplied. In place of the Vedic sacrifices, new sacrifices were prescribed with elaborate ceremonial, but without animal slaughter especially in connection with the worship of Viṣṇu and Devī. Rathayātrās in connection with the Purāṇic gods came into vogue, perhaps in imitation of Jain Rathayātrās. In short the worship of Purāṇic gods in accordance with new Āgamas or the amplified Purāṇas threw into the background Vedic religious worship of the Vedic Sūtras, though among Brahmins and Kshatriyas, these continued to be performed with added Purāṇic ritual.

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We give in a note the fast and festival days described in detail by Al-Beruni observed in the Panjab in his time. They are nearly the same as now, though some have fallen into abeyance. They relate to the worship of Śiva and Viṣṇu chiefly and to the worship of Devī and Sūrya. There must have been added many new holy days as fasts or festivals after the time of Al-Beruni in accordance with the Āgamas and Purāṇas. Indeed Al-Beruni's list itself can not be considered as exhaustive; such specially holy days are sometimes mentioned even in inscriptions and we have the mention of Govindadvādaśī in a Kalinga grant (E I. IV) The editor of the inscription has given the definition of this day* which contains certain astronomical peculiar conjunctions. Particular positions of the sun and the moon and the several planets in different

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* फाल्गुनस्य च द्वादश्यां कुंभस्थितेदिवाकरे । नक्षत्रस्थितं सूर्यमृते जीवे कार्मुकसंस्थिते ।
पुष्यर्क्षे वषसंयुक्त शोभने मातुवासरे । गोविंदद्वादशी प्रोक्ता देवानामापि दुर्लभम् ॥

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Nakshatras and constellations came in for special holiness also and added to the number of specially holy days. It is needless to add that the number of Śrāddhas also increased. We have the mention of the Kanyāgata Śrāddha in an inscription of Visaladeva of Gujarat dated 1254 (I. A. II p. 194).

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