History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s67.8

v1.c6.s67.8

From the last verse⁷⁸⁷ of the Hāralatā we know that Aniruddha was a resident of Vihārapāṭaka on the bank of the Ganges and was a student of the doctrines of Bhaṭṭa (Kumārila). From the colophons⁷⁸⁸ at the end of the Hāralatā and the Pitṛdayitā it appears that he was a Dharmādhyakṣa and a Cāmpāhaṭṭīya (a section among Vārendras) Brāhmaṇa of Bengal. The ms. in the India Office has a colophon in which Aniruddha is styled Dharmādhikaraṇika (Judge). From the Dānasāgara of Ballālasena we learn (verses 6 and 7) that Aniruddha was a *guru* of that king of Bengal and rendered assistance in the composition of that work. The Dānasāgara⁷⁸⁹ was composed in *śake* 1091 (i. e. 1169 A. D.). From this it appears that Aniruddha was at the height of his fame in 1168, i. e. his literary activity may be placed in the third quarter of the 12th century A. D. This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that the Hāralatā names Bhojadeva, Govindarāja, and the Kāmadhenu as authorities and is therefore later than 1100 A. D. The Hāralatā is named as an authority in the Śuddhiviveka of Rudradhara⁷⁹⁰. The Śrāddhakriyākaumudī of Govindānanda (about 1510-1545 A. D.) frequently quotes Aniruddha and includes him among ancient authors.⁷⁹¹ The Pitṛdayitā is named in the Śrāddhakriyākaumudī (p. 503). In the Āhnikatattva (vol. I, p. 421) and Śuddhitattva (vol. II, p. 314) of Raghunandana the views of Pitṛdayitā are quoted. There is a commentary on the Hāralatā called Sandarbhasūcikā composed by Acyuta Cakravartin, son of Haridāsa Tarkācārya (vide I. O. cat. p. 567, No. 1753).