History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.228

v7.c90.228

Vide H. on the dates of the smṛti chapters of Matsya in ABORI vol. 17 pp. 1-35 and PRHR pp. 26-52 and Prof. Ramchandra Dikshitar on '*Matsyapurāṇa*, a study' (Madras, 1935, pp. 1-140). Four verses from a Svalpa-matsya-purāṇa are quoted in the Pitṛdayitā (p 92) of Aniruddha (about 1160 A. D.) and there is a paper thereon by Shri Manoranjana Shastri in J. G. J. R. I vol. IX pp. 183-188. Matsya and Padma (as stated before) agree verbatim in many chapters on tīrthas and vratas. Śaṅkarācārya quotes a verse from Paurāṇikas which is Matsya ¹⁴³⁰ Among the sages to whom water is offered in *tarpaṇa* are included (by Matsya) Kapila, Āsuri, Vodhu and Pañcaśikha. The first two and the last are mentioned in the *Sāṅkhyakārikā* as the three great founders of the Sāṅkhya system. Vararuci is said to be a profound scholar of Nitya-veda. In chap. 24 the Purāṇa refers to the fact that the Apsaras Urvaśī and her friend Citralekhā were kidnapped by a demon called Keśin, who was vanquished by Purūravas and Urvaśī was released and was given by Indra to Purūravas. While she was acting the part of Lakṣmī in a drama called Lakṣmī-svayaṃvara composed by Bharata, she, being engrossed in her passion for Purūravas, forgot the proper *abhinaya* taught by Bharata and was cursed by Bharata to be a creeper It is difficult to say whether the Matsya got its inspiration for this story from the *Vikramorvaśīya* or whether the great poet Kālidāsa was influenced by the story in the Matsya. The story in Matsya and in Kālidāsa's drama agree very closely as regards names and incidents The *Matsya* says (24. 24) that for vanquishing Keśin Purūravas employed Vāyavya-astra The drama also mentions it (I.).