History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s71.23

v1.c6.s71.23

A work called Hari-hara-tāratamya and another called Caturveda-tātparya-saṁgraha are ascribed to a Haradatta. Of the latter there is a ms. in the Deccan College collection (No. 109 of 1871–72), which contains 154 verses of fine penmanship. The first and last are given below.⁸³⁶ Whether these two works were composed by Haradatta, the commentator of the Dharmasūtras, it is difficult to say. In the latter work the author sings a hymn of praise to Śiva as the supreme deity, points out how the Vedic *mantras* refer to him, how the various rites are meant for him, refers to the mythological representations of Śiva as *Kirāta*, or as wearing skin etc. All the verses upto 143 are in the Vasantatilakā metre, while towards the end there are a few verses in other metres such as Śikhariṇī and Rathoddhatā. He was a staunch Śaivite,⁸³⁷ though the hymn breathes a spirit of tolerance and sympathy for different religious and philosophical systems. He refers to the Maitrāyaṇa Śruti, Talavakāra Brāhmaṇa, Kātyāyana-gṛhya, Bhagvadgītā, the Purāṇas as supplementing the Vedas (vedopabṛṁhaka), the Sāṁkhya and Yoga.