History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s93.25

v1.c6.s93.25

tions of his own learning and naively tells his readers that they need study only his work and may neglect all other *nibandhas*. Mitramiśra was commanded by Vīrasiṁha to compose his great digest.¹¹¹³ The introduction to the Āhnikaprakāśa starts with king Medinīmalla who was a scion of the Kāśīrāja family. His son was Arjunadeva who became ruler of Bundelkhand. His son was Malakhāna, whose son was Pratāparudra (founder of the capital Orccha). His son was Madhukarasāha, whose son was Vīrasiṁha. Vīrasiṁha's son was¹¹¹⁴ Jujhāra who is described as 'young' (yuvā in verse 23). His son was Vikramārka whose son was Narasiṁhadeva. There is no such introduction to the printed Pūjāprakāśa and Narasiṁhadeva is not mentioned in the introductions to the other prakāśas. From the article of Mr. Lala Sitaram in the Calcutta Review (May and July 1924) further information can be gathered about Birsinghdeo (i. e. Vīrasiṁhadeva). In the article it is shown how and under what circumstances Vīrasiṁha killed Abul Fazal, the friend of Emperor Akbar and a great literary genius. We are told there that there is a work called Vīrasiṁhadeva-carita composed in Vikrama year 1664 (1607-8 A. D.) by Keśavadāsa, author of Kavipriyā and Rasikapriyā. Vīrasiṁha was 7th out of the eight sons of Madhukarasāha. Not only was he a soldier, but he was a great builder. He built the palace forts of Orcchha and Datia, the temple of Keśavadeva at Mathurā, several lakes called Birasāgara, Siṁhasāgara and Deosāgara (after the three parts of his own name). He is said to have ruled at Orchha from 1605 to 1627 A. D. From the introduction to¹¹¹⁵ the commentary on Yājñavalkya it appears that Vīrasiṁha commanded Mitramiśra to write it and that a learned man Sadānanda, the ornament of Tīrabhukti (Tirhoot), was also connected with its composition. It will be seen that the title Vīramitrodaya very cleverly suggests that Mitramiśra wrote it under the patronage of Vīrasiṁhadeva. The title may mean ‘the rise of Vīra and Mitra’ or ‘the rise of the friend of Vīra’ or ‘the rise of the sun, viz. Vīra’.