History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s82: 97. Misarumisra
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s82
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97. Misarumisra
v1.c6.s82.1
Misarumiśra is famous for his works called Vivādacandra and Padārtha-candrikā (on the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika system). There is a ms. of the Vivādacandra in the Deccan College (No. 57 of 1883-84). That work deals with the titles of Law (vyavahārapadas) such as ṛṇādāna (recovery of debt), nyāsa (deposit), asvāmivikraya, saṁbhūya-samutthāna (partnership), dāyavibhāga, strīdhana; and then with procedure, viz. the plaint, reply, pramāṇas, witnesses, possession etc. It frequently quotes the Ratnākara (on vivāda and vyavahāra) of Caṇḍeśvara and several times criticizes him. Besides numerous smṛti writers the other authors and works named are: Pārijāta, Prakāśa, Bālarūpa (often), Bhavadeva and Smṛtisāra (frequently).
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In the mss. and colophons the name of the author seems to be Misarūmiśra.⁹⁶⁸ He tells us that he wrote the work under the orders of princess Lachimādevī, wife of prince Candrasiṁha who appears to have been the younger brother of Bhairavasiṁhadeva of the Kāmeśvara dynasty of Mithilā. The work was probably called Vivādacandra to connect it with the prince Candrasiṁha. The Vivādacandra first⁹⁶⁹ speaks of king Bhaveśa of the Kāmeśvara dynasty, then of his son Harasiṁhadeva, then of his son Darpanārāyaṇa and the latter's queen Hīrā or Dhīrā and then of Candrasiṁha and his queen Lakhimā or Lachimā. We saw above that Caṇḍeśvara who had weighed himself against gold in 1314 A. D. wrote in his old age under Bhaveśa his work on Rājanīti. Lachimādevī was queen of the great-grandson of this Bhaveśa, who became king of Tirhut in the third quarter of the 14th century. Therefore Candrasiṁha must have flourished about the middle of the 15th century and Misarumiśra's work must be assigned to that period. M. M. Chakravarti points out (JASB for 1915, p. 425) that for Dhīrasiṁha, a son of Darpanārāyaṇa, there is an authentic date, viz. 321 of the Lakṣmaṇasena era in Tirhut (i. e. 1438 A. D.), when a ms. of Śrīnivāsa's Setudarpaṇi (com. on Setubandha) was copied during Dhīrasiṁha's reign.
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⁹⁶⁸ श्रीचन्द्रसिंहनृपतेर्दयिता लछिमा महादेवी । रचयति पदार्थचन्द्रं मिसरूमिश्रोपदेशेन ॥ Intro. verse 2 in Mitra's Notices vol. IX p. 12 No. 2901; *vide I. O. cat. p. 454 No. 1500* ' इति महामहोपाध्यायश्रीमिसरूमिश्रविरचितो विवादचन्द्रः समाप्तः'.
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⁹⁶⁹ अभूद्भूतमतिमल्लुगन्धो राजा भवेशः किल सार्वभौमः । अत्याजयद्यो बहुभर्तृकत्वं दोषं भुवोपि प्रभुशुभ्रधामा ॥ तस्मादनूजोजनि सूनुसारो धीमान्मासूनुसमानसंसारः । राजोपजीव्यो हरसिंहनामा ततो नृपो दर्पनारायणोभूत् ॥ दर्पनारायणनृपतेः श्रीमद्धीरा महादेवी । अलभत तनयं तनयं नरपतिगुणराशिपूरितं शूरम् ॥ श्रीमल्लखिमादेवी तस्य चन्द्रसिंहनृपतेर्दयितस्य । नाम्ना मिसरूमिश्रद्वारा रचयति विवादचन्द्रमभिरामम् ॥ Intro. verses in the Deccan College ms.
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That the Vivādacandra is a work of authority on Hindu Law in Mithilā has been recognised from very early days in the British courts.⁹⁷⁰ The Vivādacandra held that the word strīdhana was to be applied to such woman's property as was technically so called (by the sages) and not to all property that comes to a woman.⁹⁷¹
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⁹⁷⁰ Vide 2 Moo. I. A. p. 132 at p. 147 and p. 152 (where there is a citation in English from the विवादचन्द्र).
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⁹⁷¹ 'स्त्रीधनं पारिभाषिकमेव न सर्वम्' folio 33 a of the D. C. ms.
Linked texts (1)
- Ratnākara — Sanskrit