History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s72.23

v1.c6.s72.23

Altogether Hemādri was a towering personality. His name is associated throughout the Maratha Country with the construction of numerous temples having a peculiar style of architecture. He is also credited with having invented the Moḍi script. Within a few decades his Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi, particularly its *dāna* and *vrata* sections, came to be looked upon as the standard work in the whole of the Deccan and southern India. Mādhava in his Kālanirṇaya (p. 67) expressly mentions the Vratakhaṇḍa of Hemādri as an authority. This work was composed about 1340 A. D. In an inscription of Bhāskara *alias* Bhavadūra, son of Bukka I, dated *śake* 1291 (i. e. 1369 A. D.) the king is described as making various gifts following the composition of Hemādri.⁸⁵⁶ This is obviously a reference to his *dānakhaṇḍa* and establishes that long before 1369 A. D. Hemādri had become a standard author in the Telugu country. The Vanapalli plate of Anna-Vema dated *śake* 1300 (about 1380 A. D.) describes Vema as giving the various gifts in Hemādri and his son as one who observed the *vratas* and *dānas*⁸⁵⁷ described by Hemādri. Pedda--Komaṭi--Vema is described in a grant of *śake* 1344 as eager in bestowing gifts described in the rules of Hemādri.⁸⁵⁸ Hemādri is quoted in the Madanapārijāta,⁸⁵⁹ the Dvaitanirṇaya of Śaṅkarabhaṭṭa, the Nirṇayasindhu and other works.