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History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s75: 90. Caṇḍeśvara

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s75

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90. Caṇḍeśvara

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Caṇḍeśvara is the most prominent figure among Maithila *nibandhakāras* on Dharmaśāstra. He compiled an extensive digest called Smṛtiratnākara or simply Ratnākara. This digest was divided into seven sections viz., on kṛtya, dāna, vyavahāra, śuddhi, pūjā, vivāda and gṛhastha.⁸⁷⁶ Out of these the Vivādaratnākara dealing with dāyabhāga and the other titles of law (*vyavahārapadas*) has been printed in the B. I. series and has been translated into English by Mr. G. C. Sarkar and by Mr. Justice Digambara Chatterjee. The Vivādaratnakara of Caṇḍeśvara and the Vivādacintāmaṇi of Vācaspati are of paramount authority in matters of Hindu Law in Mithilā (modern Tirhut) so far as British Indian Courts are concerned.⁸⁷⁷

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⁸⁷⁶ श्रीकृष्णदानव्यवहारशुद्धिपूजाविवादेषु गृहस्थकृत्ये। रत्नाकरा धर्मभुवो निबन्धाः कृतास्तुलापूरुषदेन सप्त ॥ verse towards the end of the विवादरत्नाकर, last verse of दानरत्नाकर (D. C. Ms. No. 114 of 1884-85, where we have धर्मेषु ये निबद्धाः कृताः श्रीचण्डेश्वरमन्त्रिणा ते)

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⁸⁷⁷ *Vide* 11 Moo. I. A. 139 at p. 174; I. L. R. 20 All. 267 (P. C.) at p. 290; I. L. R. 10 Cal 392 at p. 399; I. L. R. 12 Cal. 348 at p. 351.

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The Kṛtya-ratnākara deals in 22 *taraṅgas* with the discussion of *Dharma* (its real nature, its rewards, means of knowing it and the occasions for it), the various vratas and observances in the several months from *Caitra*, the observances in the intercalary month, various *vratas* on the several days of the week, the Sun's passage into a new sign, eclipse on the new-moon day etc. This work is referred to in his Dānaratnākara, which in its turn is quoted in the Gṛhastha-ratnākara.⁸⁷⁸ The work has recently been printed in the B. I. series (1925).

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⁸⁷⁸ अनोक्तमपि यद्धानं कृत्य रत्नाकरे पुनः। मासादिकृत्यसामस्त्यं गौरवात्तदुदीरितम् ॥ Intro. verse in दानरत्नाकर (D. C. M.s. No. 114 of 1884–86); असत्प्रतिग्रहप्रायश्चित्तमस्माभिर्दानरत्नाकरे देयादेयतरङ्गे प्रदर्शितः। गृहस्थरत्नाकर folio 76 a.

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The Gṛhastharatnākara is a very extensive work in 68 *taraṅgas* on the duties of householders. The Deccan College Ms. that I could consult is incomplete, has only folios 30, 72-133 and contains the last 23 *taraṅgas* only. Some of the subjects dealt with are:—from whom gifts were to be accepted by gṛhasthas; duties and actions proper for Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas and Śūdras; the observances of a *snātaka*; *yama* and *niyama*; *śauca*; the observances of *brahmacarya*; what ruins families; proper abode for a *gṛhastha*; what a *gṛhastha* should or should not speak or should or should not see; things not to be given to *śūdras*; the avoidance of anger, adultery and intermixture of castes (*saṁkara*); requiting of debts etc.

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The Dānaratnākara contains 29 *taraṅgas* and deals with the following subjects:—meaning of *dāna*; what may or may not be gifted; fit objects of charity; the gifts called *mahādānas*; gifts of a thousand cows and heaps of corn; various gifts, such as those of food, books; gifts appropriate to certain months, *nakṣatras* and *tithis*; miscellaneous gifts; dedication of wells and tanks for public use; planting of trees.

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The Vivādaratnākara is an extensive work (671 pages in print) in 100 *taraṅgas* on civil and criminal law and deals with the 18 titles of law such as *dāyabhāga* (on partition and inheritance), *ṛṇādāna* (recovery of debts) and others. It formed the basis of the Vivādacandra of Misarumisra, the Vivāda-cintāmaṇi of Vācaspati and the Daṇḍaviveka of Vardhamāna. It is mentioned in his own Gṛhastharatnākara.⁸⁷⁹

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⁸⁷⁹ इत्यादीनि चान्यानि पुत्रप्रवेशे विवादरत्नाकर एवास्माभिर्वर्णितानीति । गृहस्थरत्नाकर folio 138 b.

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The Vyavahāraratnākara deals with judicial procedure, such as the plaint, the reply, the burden of proof, means of proof, judgment etc. Vide Mitra's notices, vol. VI. p. 66, No. 2036.

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The Śuddhiratnākara is in 34 *taraṅgas* and deals with impurity on birth and death, persons who have to observe no *āśauca*, meaning of *sapiṇḍa*, rites on death up to the end of the period of mourning, purifications of food and various substances. Vide Mitra's Notices, vol. VII. p. 149, No. 2384 and I. O. cat. p. 412, No. 1389.

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For the Pūjāratnākara, vide Mitra's Notices, vol. III, p. 162, No. 2398. That work is mentioned by Raghunandana in the Śuddhi-tattva (vol. II, p. 299 on Śālagrāma stone).

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Besides this digest Caṇḍeśvara compiled several other works.

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Kṛtyacintāmaṇi is one of such works. It is a question when it was composed. In his Gṛhastharatnākara he says that certain architectural and decorative constructions called Śrīvṛkṣa, Vardhamāna and Nandyāvarta have been spoken of by him in the Kṛtyacintāmaṇi⁸⁸⁰ But the Kṛtyacintāmaṇi says that he has already composed the seven ratnākaras.⁸⁸¹

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⁸⁸⁰ श्रीवृक्षवर्धनमानन्द्यावर्ताः प्रासादविशेषाः सुवर्णदूर्वादिनिर्मिताः कृत्यचिन्तामणावस्माभिरुक्ताः । folio 113a of D. C. Ms. No. 44 of 1883-84.

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⁸⁸¹ आम्नायस्मृतिनिर्णयाय कृतवांस्तान्सप्तरत्नाकरान् । Intro. verse 12 of कृत्यचिन्तामणि (I. O. cat. p. 511, No. 1261).

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The Kṛtyacintāmaṇi is divided into sections called *prakāśas*. It deals with astronomical matters in relation to the performance of several religious ceremonies and saṁskāras, such as *tārāśuddhi*, the intercalary month, garbhādhāna, sīmantonnayana, birth of a child on the Mūla nakṣatra, the rites on the 6th day after birth, nāmakaraṇa, the movements of Saturn, Sun's passage from one sign into another, the results of eclipses etc.

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Another work of Caṇḍeśvara, the Rājanītiratnākara, has been recently edited at Patna (1924) by Mr. K. P. Jayasval with a learned introduction dealing with the personal history of Caṇḍeśvara, his relations with the Maithila kings and the mediaeval Indian literature on politics. It appears that Caṇḍeśvara did not complete the writing of a work on politics when he compiled his great digest. He wrote the work at the command of the king Bhaveśa (or Bhaveśvara) of Mithilā.⁸⁸² The work contains 16 *taraṅgas* (waves, i. e. chapters) on the following subjects :—definition of a king, different grades of kings, the eighteen vices or calamities for kings, duties of kings ; the characteristics and duties of *amātyas* (councillors) ; the characteristics of *purohita* ; the characteristics and duties of a *prāḍvivāka* (Judge); the members of the hall of justice (sabhyas), their number and qualifications; concerning forts; the time and place and accessories of the settlement of royal policy; concerning the state treasury; the army; the commander-in-chief and the discipline of the army ; ambassadors, allies, and spies; the general obligations of kings, conflict of Dharmaśāstra and Arthaśāstra, the six *guṇas* -- saṁdhi etc., the maṇḍala of kings ; the king's power of punishment; abdication by king, the heir-apparent, impartibility of the kingdom; the eldest son's right to succeed, the seven constituent elements of the state; the state's obligation towards the poor, the helpless etc.; the coronation of the heirapparent or his investiture.

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⁸⁸² राज्ञा भवेशेनाज्ञप्तो राजनीतिनिबन्धकम् । तनोति मन्त्रिणामार्यः श्रीमान् चण्डेश्वरः कृती ॥ 3rd intro. verse राजनीतिर०.

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There are two more works composed by Caṇḍeśvara viz., the Dānavākyāvalī and the Śivavākyāvalī (vide I. O. cat. p. 1409, No. 3724 for the latter).

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Caṇḍeśvara names in his works, particularly in the Kṛtyaratnākara and the Vivādaratnākara, a host of writers and works. In his great digest he drew largely upon five predecessors and incorporated often without acknowledgment much or almost all that was valuable in them. These five predecessors were the Kāmadhenu, the Kalpataru, the Pārijāta, the Prakāśa (i. e. Smṛtimahārṇava) and Halāyudha, all of which he quotes scores of times. At the end of the Vivādaratnākara he boasts that whatever is of the essence in the above five works and even more is comprehended in his single work the Ratnākara.⁸⁸³ Among the authors and works mentioned in his seven ratnākaras, those mentioned below deserve to be noted.⁸⁸⁴ In I. L. R. 12 Cal. 348 (at p. 356) the learned judges appear to hold that the Pārijāta mentioned in the Vivādacintāmaṇi is the Madanapārijāta. But this is obviously a mistake (vide p. 309 above on Pārijāta). Besides these in his Rājanītiratnākara he names Kāmandaka, Kullūkabhaṭṭa, Pallava and Pallavakāra, Śrīkara. What is printed as Naṭasūtra in the Vivādaratnākara (p. 477) is really Lāṭa (i. e. Lāṭyāyana Śrautasūtra). Caṇḍeśvara mentions many vernacular words (e. g. Kṛtyaratnākara pp. 109, 111, 306, 338, 443).

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⁸⁸³ कल्पद्रुमे वाप्यथ पारिजाते हलायुधे वाप्यथवा प्रकाशे। यत्सारमस्मादधिकं च यत्तद्दधाति रत्नाकर एक एव॥ यं कामधेनुरनुयाति सकल्पवृक्षो (क्षा!) यं सेवते निजफलाय स पारिजातः। तं वैरिगोत्रभिदमुच्चसहस्रदंष्ट्रिं चण्डेश्वरं तुलयितुं कतमे भवन्तु॥ (vide notes 652 and 703 for these two verses).

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⁸⁸⁴ असहाय, उदयकर (commentator of मनु, vide विवादरत्ना० pp. 453, 560, 590), कल्पतरु, कामधेनु, कृत्यसमुच्चय, गोपाल, महेश्वरमिश्र (वि. र. p. 46), जिकनीयनिबन्ध, दानसागर (folio 15a दानर०), देवेश्वरधर्माधिकरणिक, पारिजात, प्रकाश, प्रतिमासंग्रह, भर्तृयज्ञ (गृहस्थर० folio 78a, on गौतमधर्मसूत्र), भाष्यकार (of शङ्खलिखित), भागुरि (वि. र. p. 104), भूपाल, भूपालकृत्यसमुच्चय, भूपालपद्धति, माधवस्वामी (गृहस्थर० 116a), मिश्र (वि. र. p. 595), मिताक्षरा, मुरारिराज, मेधातिथि, राजमार्तण्ड, लक्ष्मीधर, वर्षदीपिका, वसन्तराज, विश्वरूपाचार्य, व्रतसागर, श्रीदत्त, समयप्रदीप, सागर (दानरत्नाकर 10b), स्मृतिरत्नविवेक, स्मृतिमहार्णवप्रकाश, हरिहर, हलायुधनिबन्ध. The कृत्यसमुच्चय, भूपालपद्धति and भूपालकृत्यसमुच्चय seem to be the same work.

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We learn a great deal about the family and personal history of Caṇḍeśvara from his works. The Vivādaratnākara in the introduction and in the colophon tells us that Caṇḍeśvera was a *mantrin* (a minister), was entrusted with the office of minister for peace and war, that he conquered Nepal and weighed himself against gold on the banks of the Vāgvatī in *śake* 1236 (1314 A. D.).⁸⁸⁵ There are more or less similar colophons at the end of the Rājanītiratnākara and the other ratnākaras. The grand-father of Caṇḍeśvara was Devāditya,⁸⁸⁶ who was minister of Harasiṁhadeva of Tirhut and who belonged to the Kārṇāṭa family. One of the sons of Devāditya was Vīreśvara who was also a minister for peace and war of the same king and is said to have made grants to learned Brāhmaṇas in Rāmapura (i. e. Simraon in Champaran District) and other cities (verse 10 of Kṛtyaratnākara). Mr. Jayasval points out in his introduction to the Rājanīti-ratnākara (j) that the correct name of the king was Harisiṁhadeva. Another son of Devāditya was Gaṇeśvara who was younger than Vīreśvara and who was also a great minister and author of Sugatisopāna. A copy of this work bears the date *La-sam* (Lakṣmaṇasena era) 224 (i. e. 1343-44 A. D.).⁸⁸⁷ In the colophon of this work Devāditya is called ‘mahāmatta’ (mahāmātra) and Gaṇeśvara is styled mahārājādhirāja. In the Śrāddhaviveka of Rudradhara the Sugatisopāna is said to be the work of one who was *pratihastaka* (deputy) of Bhavaśarma.⁸⁸⁸ Caṇḍeśvara was the son of Vīreśvara and like his father and grandfather became minister of Harisiṁhadeva. This must have happened about 1310 A. D., as he weighed himself in 1314 A. D. The Kṛtyaratnākara (verse 15) says that he touched the very idol of Paśupati in Nepal and worshipped it after conquering the country.

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⁸⁸⁵ श्रीचण्डेश्वरमन्त्रिणा मतिमतानेन प्रसन्नात्मना नेपालाखिलभूमिपालजयिना धर्मेंन्दुदुग्धा- ब्धिना । वाग्वत्याः सरितस्तटे सुरधुनीसाम्यं दधत्याः शुचौ मार्गे मासि यथोक्तपुण्य- समये दत्तस्तुलापूरुषः ॥ 3rd Intro. verse; at the end we have रसगुणभुजचन्द्रैः संमिते शाकवर्षे सहसि धवलपक्षे वाग्वतीसिन्धुतीरे । अदित तुलितमुच्चैरात्मना स्वर्ण- राशिं निधिरखिलगुणानामुत्तमः सोमनाथः ॥ इति सप्तक्रियंमहासान्धिविग्रहिकठक्कुर- मन्त्रिवरश्रीवीरेश्वरात्मजसप्रक्रियम्हासान्धिविग्रहिकठक्कुरश्रीचण्डेश्वरविरचिते विवादरत्ना- करः संपूर्णः ।

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⁸⁸⁶ आसीन्मैथिलतीरभुक्तिविषये मन्त्रप्रभावादृतः ... देवादित्य इति त्रिलोकमहितो मन्त्रीन्द्र- चूडामणिः ॥ 2nd intro. verse to कृत्यचिन्तामणि (I. O. cat p. 511, No. 1621); अस्ति श्रीहरसिंहदेवनृपतिर्निःशेषविद्वेषिणां निर्मन्थी मिथिलां प्रशासदखिलां कार्णाट- वंशोद्भवः । verse 4 of कृत्यरतनाकर.

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⁸⁸⁷ *Vide* cat. of Nepal palm-leaf and paper mss. p. 132 (Haraprasad Sastri).

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⁸⁸⁸ श्राद्धविवेक p. 4 (Benares ed. of 1920 संवत्) 'इति सुगतिसोपानादौ भवशर्मप्रतिहस्तकमन्थे क्रमः।'

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From the Vyavahāraratnākara it appears that Caṇḍeśvara was Chief Judge as well as Minister for peace and war.⁸⁸⁹ Caṇḍeśvara and his ancestors are highly praised for their liberality.⁸⁹⁰ In the Dānaratnākara (verse 2 at the end) he is said to have rescued the earth submerged in the flood of Mlecchas.⁸⁹¹ This probably refers to the defeat of some Mahomedan generals. Harisiṁhadeva was routed by Ghiasuddin Tughlak in 1324 and retired from Tirhut into Nepal.⁸⁹² Hence it follows that the seven Ratnākaras some of which (like vivāda and dāna) refer to his weighing himself against gold in 1314 A. D. and his high position at the court of Harisiṁhadeva were composed between 1314 and 1324 A. D. His Rājanītiratnākara was composed at the command of Bhaveśa. This last belonged to the line of the Kāmeśvara dynasty which began to rule Tirhut in the third quarter of the 13th century, in 1370 A. D. according to Mr. Jayasval (introduction to Rājanītiratnākara, *r*). Therefore the literary activities of Caṇḍeśvara extended over about 50 years from 1314 and the Rājanīti-ratnākara was probably his last work composed at a very advanced age. For the somewhat controversial and confused chronology of the Tirhut kings of the Kārṇāṭa and Kāmeśvara dynasties, vide Hp. cat. (Introduction p. 31); Grierson in Ind. Ant. vol. 14, p. 182-196 and Ind. Ant. vol. 28, p. 57; JASB 1915 pp. 407-433 (M. M. Chakravarti); JBORS vol. IX, p. 300 and X, p. 37 (Jayasval).

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⁸⁸⁹ निर्णयं व्यवहारसागमदृशा यः प्राड्विवाकः स्फुरन् विचारचारुधिषणो धर्मे नयत्युन्नतिम्। तेनायं गुरुसन्धिविग्रहधुरां धोरेयसंनीतिना श्रीचण्डेश्वरमन्त्रिणा विरचितः प्राज्ञेषु रत्नाकरः॥ Mitra's Notices, vol VI. p. 67. The second pāda has four syllables less. The genealogy of चण्डेश्वर's family is

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⁸⁹⁰ यस्य दानातिरेकेण लोके निर्जितगौरवः। कल्पद्रुमः पारिजातः कामधेनुः क्वचित् क्वचित्॥ 4th verse at end of दानरत्नाकर, Mitra's Notices, vol. VI. p. 135; verse 21 of कृत्यरत्नाकर says that चण्डेश्वर dug a large lake in अभिरामपुर.

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⁸⁹¹ मग्ना म्लेच्छमहार्णवे वसुमती येनोद्धृता लीलया.

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⁸⁹² The Pañji historian of Mithilā thus describes the departure of हरसिंहदेव 'बाणाब्धियुग्मशशिसंमितशाकवर्षे पौषस्य शुक्लजवमीरविसूनुवारे। त्यक्त्वा सुपट्नपुररीं हरसिंहदेवो दुर्दैवदेशितपथोथ गिरिं विवेश॥'.

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Caṇḍeśvara exercised very great influence over Maithila and Bengal writers. Misarumīśra, Vardhamāna, Vācaspati-miśra and Raghunandana⁸⁹³ very frequently quote him. The Vīramitrodaya (p. 181) calls the Ratnākara 'Paurastya-nibandha' (eastern digest).

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⁸⁹³ The दानरत्नाकर, पूजारत्नाकर and शुद्धिरत्नाकर are quoted in the शुद्धितत्त्व of रघुनन्दन (e. g. pp. 284, 299, 301, vol. 1).

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