History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s78.12

v1.c6.s78.12

The Madanapārijāta is an extensive work printed in the B. I. series. There are 23 introductory verses, the first 13 of which give the genealogy of Madanapāla. In the printed edition these 13 verses are stated to have been added by *Purohita* Śrī-Rāmadeva. The last of the introductory verses states that the work was composed after a careful study of Hemādri, Kalpavṛkṣa (i. e. Kalpataru), Aparārka, Smṛticandrikā, Smṛtyarthasāra and Mitākṣarā.⁹¹² That Madanapāla was only the patron and not the real author of the work is made clear in several places. In the introductory verse 20 it is stated that the work was compiled through (lit. by the mouth of) learned men.⁹¹³ In two places in the body of the work⁹¹⁴ it is said that the author has explained the matter under discussion in his work called Subodhinī, a commentary on the Mitākṣarā. Therefore the Madanapārijāta was really composed by Viśveśvarabhaṭṭa, the author of the Subodhinī. The Madanapārijāta contains nine *stabakas* (bunches i. e. chapters) on brahmacarya, the *dharmas* of householders, the daily duties (*āhnika-kṛtya*), the *saṁskāras* from *garbhādhāna* onwards; impurity on birth and death, the purification of various substances (*dravyaśuddhi*), *śrāddha*, *dāyabhāga* (partition and inheritance) and *prāyaścitta*. In the portion on the Dāyabhāga it very closely follows the Mitākṣarā. Its style is simple and lucid. Besides the authors and works mentioned above it cites those noted below.⁹¹⁵