A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c26.s17.97

v1.c26.s17.97

Hemādri is well known as the author of the Caturvargacintāmaṇi, 231 a large encyclopaedia of ancient religious rites and observances, divided into four parts: (1) Vratakhaṇḍa, on religious fasts and observances, (2) Dānakhaṇḍa, on gifts, (3) Tīrthakhaṇḍa, on pilgrimages to holy places, and (4) Mokṣakhaṇḍa, on the path to final deliverance. A fifth part, in the form of an appendix called Pariśeṣakhaṇḍa, consists of voluminous treatises on the setting up and dedication of images of the deities (devatāpratiṣṭhā), offerings to the manes (śrāddha), the determination of the proper times and seasons for the performance of religious rites (kālanirṇaya), lakṣaṇasamuccaya, and atonement (prāyaścitta). 232 The Caturvargacintāmaṇi is a standard work, 233 replete with information and quotations; it is full of discussions which cannot be well understood without thorough acquaintance with the numerous rules of the Mīmāṃsā. 234 Besides the Caturvargacintāmaṇi and Āyurvedarasāyana, Hemādri wrote 235 the Hemādriprayoga, 236 Śrāddhapaddhati, 237 Tristhalīvidhi, 238 and a commentary, called Kaivalyadīpikā, on Vopadeva’s Muktāphala. 239