History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s78.24

v1.c6.s78.24

The Smṛtikaumudī contains an introduction of 17 verses, 13 of which set forth the genealogy of Madanapāla. The fourteenth verse tells us that Madanapāla composed works called Yantraprakāśa, Mahārṇava, Pārijāta, Siddhāntagarbha and Tithinirṇayasāra.⁹²² The 15th verse says that he composes the Smṛtikaumudī through the learned.⁹²³ The 17 verse says that his predecessors have generally dilated upon the dharmas of the three higher *varṇas* and the *dharmas* of the śūdra have not been dealt with by them as a principal topic, therefore he would clearly expound the *dharmas* of the last *varṇa*. At the end of the ms. in the I. O. cat. it is described as the younger sister of the Madanapārijāta and of the Mahārṇava.⁹²⁴ This is not found in the D. C. ms. which was copied in *saṁvat* 1615. This work is divided into four kalollāsas, each kalollāsa being subdivided into kiraṇas (rays). The first kalollāsa has two kiraṇas, the second has four, the third and fourth five kiraṇas each. The subjects dealt with are: I two kinds of śūdras, viz: the kevalaśūdra (simple śūdra) and one who is of mixed descent, being born of a śūdra woman from a man of the higher castes; the mixed castes; II. general discourses on the śūdra's *adhikāra* for engaging in various acts and performing various rites, such as the study of the vedas and smṛtis, the performance of garbhādhāna and other saṁskāras and the consecration of sacred fires; saṁdhyāvandana; the śūdra's capacity for attaining the knowledge of brahman; III. marriage; different forms of marriage, prohibited degrees of blood relationship (sāpiṇḍya), the various rites of marriage such as kanyādāna; such saṁskāras as nāma-karaṇa (naming the child), the duties of śūdras in ordinary and difficult times; āśauca for śūdras; the various śrāddhas for them; the letting loose of a bull in honour of the dead; IV. śūdra's daily duties such as śauca, brushing the teeth, baths in the morning and at other times, *brahmayajña*, *tarpaṇa*, *vaiśvadeva*, daily *śrāddha*, dinner, &c.