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History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s68: 83. Ballālasena

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s68

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83. Ballālasena

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This famous king of Bengal compiled at least four works. His Ācārasāgara is mentioned in the Smṛtiratnākara of Vedācārya and in the Madanapārijāta (p. 58). He also wrote the Pratiṣṭhāsāgara. Both these works are referred to as already composed in the Dānasāgara.⁷⁹² The Dānasāgara deals with the sixteen great *dānas* and other lesser gifts. The subjects dealt with by the Dānasāgara are as follows: eulogy of brāhmaṇas, eulogy of the merit arising from gifts, proper objects of gifts, exceptions, the nature of gift, the donor, faith as to the utility of gifts, proper times and places for gifts, things proper to be donated, what cannot be gifted away, bad donations, religious rites and procedure followed in making gifts and in accepting them, the technical terms of the subject of gifts, the sixteen *mahādānas*, lesser dānas of various kinds (the author himself says at the end that he has described 1375 kinds of gifts), the names of various purāṇas and their extent. The Dānasāgara contains extremely valuable information about the Mahābhārata and the purāṇas. As it quotes extensively from the purāṇas, it serves as an excellent check for the textual restoration of purāṇas. For example it says that the Bhāgavata, Brahmāṇḍa and Nāradīya purāṇas do not contain *dānavidhis* and hence they are not drawn upon in the work. In another verse he says that it is well-known that the Viṣṇurahosya and Śivarahasya are of the nature of mere compilations and so have not been relied on in the work. The Devīpurāṇa, he says, is approved of by the heterodox systems and is not included in various lists of purāṇas and upapurāṇas and hence it is not included in the Dānasāgara. He says that the subject of the dedication of reservoirs of water and of temples has been dealt with at length in ihe Pratiṣṭhāsāgara, so it is omitted in the Dānasāgara and that the gifts made in accordance with the divisions of the year (into *ayana*, season, month, pakṣa &c.) are not spoken of in their entirety in the Dānasāgara, as they are described in the Ācārasāgara. The work is mentioned in the Dānaratnākara of Caṇḍeśvara and in the Nirṇayasindhu. His Adbhutasāgara has been printed by Messrs. Prabhakari and Co. ( 1905 ). The authorities on which he relies therein are noted below.⁷⁹³ The Adbhutasāgara is mentioned in Ṭoḍarānandasaṁhitā-saukhya and Nirṇayasindhu. This was his last work which he left unfinished and which was completed by his son Lakṣmaṇasena. It deals with the rites and observances appropriate on certain celestial and terrestrial portents for removing the evil foreboded by them.

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⁷⁹² Verses 55 and 56 of his दानसागर (I. O. cat. 542, No. 1704–5).

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⁷⁹³ आथर्वणाद्भुत, उशनस्, कठश्रुति, कालावेलि, काश्यप, गर्ग, वृद्धगर्ग, चरक, देवल, नारद, पराशर, पालकाप्य, बादरायण, बार्हस्पत्य, बृहस्पति, ब्रह्मसिद्धान्त, भार्गवीय, मयूरचित्र, यवनेश्वर, राजपुत्र, वराहमिहिरग्रन्थ, वसन्तराज, वसिष्ठ, विन्ध्यवासि, विष्णुगुप्त, वैजवाप, शालिहोत्र, षड्विंशब्राह्मण, सुश्रुत, सूर्यसिद्धान्त.

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Ballālasena began the work in 1090 *śake* and the Dānasāgara was composed in 1091 *śake*. Therefore Ballālasena's literary activity must be placed in the third quarter of the 12th century (vide notes 674, 676 above). *Vide* also IHQ vol. V, p. 133 for the date of Ballālasena.

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It appears that Raghunandana believed that the Dānasāgara was really the work of Aniruddhabhaṭṭa though published in the name of Ballālasena.⁷⁹⁴ In the Dānasāgara itself it is distinctly stated that Ballālasena composed it under the directions of his *guru* (Aniruddha).⁷⁹⁵ In the colophon he is styled mahārājādhirāja and and niḥśaṅka-śaṅkara.

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⁷⁹⁴ Vide एकादशीतत्त्व (vol. II, p. 44) 'विष्णुरहस्यानार्षत्वस्य दानसागरे अनिरुद्धभट्टेनाभिहितत्वाच्च'. The words of the दानसागर are; लोके प्रसिद्धमेतद्विष्णु रहस्यं च शिवरहस्यं च । द्वयमिह न परिगृहीतं संग्रहसङ्ग्रह रूपत्वमवधार्य ॥

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⁷⁹⁵ अधिगतसकलपुराणस्मृतिसारः श्रद्धया गुरोरस्मात् । कलिकल्मषावसादं दाननिबन्धं विधत्ते नु ॥ ... श्रीबल्लालनरेश्वरो विरचयत्येतं गुरोः शिक्षया। स्वप्रज्ञावधि दानसागरमयं श्रद्धावतां श्रेयसे ॥ verses 7 and 9 of दानसागर I. O. cat. p. 542.

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