History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c44.73.5

v3.c44.73.5

In some inscriptions the superintendent of a temple is called *sthānapati* (vide Śrīraṅgam plates of Devarāya II dated śake 1356 in E. I. vol. 18, p. 138). In the Sirpur Stone Inscription of Mahāśivagupta (about 8th or 9th century A. D.) of Mahākosala provision is made for a portion of the property granted being heritable by the sons and grandsons of the donees only if they were worthy, kept up agnihotra, studied the six aṅgas and had clean mouths and did not engage in service and further that if the heir did not possess these qualities or died without leaving a son &c., then another person, a relative with the requisite qualifications, could be made the recipient of that share, and he was to be elderly and learned and was to be chosen by mutual agreement and the king's express order was not to be necessary for his selection.²¹¹⁰ Paiṭhīnasi quoted by Aparārka p. 746 ordains that the king should not deprive temples and corporations of their properties. A record from Malabar of the 11th century A. D. gives the details of temple administration in Kerala, that was in the hands of Yogam (corporation) wielding independent power (E. I. vol. 18 p. 340). The Peshwa's Government at Poona often interfered when disputes arose about properties dedicated to shrines and tombs of saints between the managers of the temples or among the heirs of the saint to whom lands had been originally donated. For example, the Peshwa made an award in 1744 A. D.