History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s90.46

v1.c6.s90.46

About the personal history of Nandapaṇḍita we do not know much. Mandlik in his Hindu Law (LXXII, *n.* 3) gives what information he could gather from descendants of Nandapaṇḍita living in Benares. According to him the founder of the family was Lakṣmīdhara who was a resident of Bidar (now in the Nizam's dominions) and who went to Benares. Nandapaṇḍita was the sixth in descent from him. Dr. Jolly visited at Benares Pandit Dhuṇḍirāja Dharmādhikārī who was 9th in descent from Nandapaṇḍita (Tagore Law Lectures, p. 15) and Mandlik's information also was gathered from persons who were 9th in descent from Nandapaṇḍita. Mandlik also gives a detailed genealogical tree. We learn from several works of Nandapaṇḍita and their colophons that he was also named Vināyakapaṇḍita and was the son of Rāmapaṇḍita of Benares who is styled Dharmādhikārī. Nandapaṇḍita also is described as Dharmādhikārī in the Saṁskāranirṇaya-taraṅga of the Smṛtisindhu (vide note 1049 above). It appears that Nandapaṇḍita was at different times patronised by rich patrons from different parts of India. He composed the Śrāddhakalpalatā for Paramānanda of the Sahagila family of Sādhāraṇa, the Smṛtisindhu for Harivaṁśavarman of the Māhendra family and the Vaijayantī for Keśavanāyaka of Madhurā.