History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s50.30

v1.c6.s50.30

Medhātithi quotes several verses from his own work called Smṛtiviveka on Manu II. 6 (in all 24 verses) and on X. 5. he says that he has dealt with the topic of mixed castes in Smṛtiviveka. That work therefore was either entirely in verse or contained numerous verses. The Parāśara-Mādhavīya (vol. I, part 2, pp. 183-186) has a long quotation in verse on the duties of *yatis* from a work called Smṛtiviveka and the same work several times quotes verses attributed to Medhātithi (vol. I. part I p. 276 and part 2 p. 172). Hence the Smṛtiviveka cited by the Parāśara-Mādhavīya most probably is Medhātithi's work. Lollaṭa⁵⁸⁵ an early writer quotes several verses of Medhātithi in his work on śrāddha. In the Tithinirṇaya-sarvasamuccaya (Bhadkamkar collection) several verses of Medhātithi on obstacles to marriage such as death are quoted.⁵⁸⁶ In the Yatidharmasaṁgraha of Viśveśvara-sarasvatī (Ānandāśrama ed. p. 27) two well-known verses about ‘*aṣṭāṅga-maithuna*’ (viz. *smaraṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ keliḥ* &c.) are ascribed to Medhātithi and another verse⁵⁸⁷ is cited (on the same page) about the six duties of *yatis*. These quotations show that Medhātithi wrote an extensive work in verse on several topics of dharma. It is to be fervently hoped that this work of Medhātithi would be brought to light some day or other. Coming as it does from such an erudite and ancient writer, it would throw a flood of light on the development of dharmaśāstra.