A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c44.s23: Bharatamallika
A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c44.s23
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Bharatamallika
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Bharatamallika² was the author of two works on the genealogy of the Vaidya families of Bengal, the *Candraprabhā*³ or *Vaidyakulapañjikā*,⁴ and the *Ratnaprabhā*.⁵ He also wrote two medical treatises, the *Ratnakaumudī*⁶ and *Sārakaumudī*.⁷
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Bharatamallika was a prolific author.⁸ Apart from the works already mentioned, he wrote commentaries on the *Amarakoṣa*,⁹ *Bhaṭṭikāvya*, *Kumārasambhava*, *Raghuvamśa*, *Kirātārjunīya*, *Śiśupālavadha*, and Śrīharṣa's *Naiṣadhacarita*. He also commented on the *Meghadūta*, *Ghaṭakarpara*, *Nalodaya*, and *Gītagovinda*. His other works are the *Drutabodha* and its commentary, the *Drutabodhini*,¹⁰ on grammar, and a series of smaller treatises, the *Ekavarṇārthasaṃgraha*,¹¹ on monosyllabic homonyms, *Dvirūpadhvanisaṃgraha*,¹² on words of various spellings, *Upasargavṛtti*,¹³ on the prepositions, *Sukhalekhana*,¹⁴ on orthography, and *Kārakollāsa*,¹⁵ on grammar.
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The *Candraprabhā*¹⁶ contains a wealth of details on the prominent Vaidya families of Bengal, including the author's own family.¹⁷ Bharatamallika was already of advanced age during the period of its composition.¹⁸ It was completed in 1675/76, as indicated by the author himself.¹⁹
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The period of Bharatamallika's literary activity may be fixed as lying between 1650 and 1680.²⁰
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Bharatamallika was a son of Gaurāṅgamallika²¹ and descended from the family of Vaidya Harihara Khān.²² He belonged to the village Piṇḍira in the Hūglī district.²³ His forefathers lived in Śrīkhaṇḍa in the Bardvān division. Bharatamallika opened a school at Bhatrigrāma on the Ganges and taught a large number of students. His son was called Rāmacandramallika.²⁴ Bharatamallika was patronized by king Pratāpanārāyaṇa²⁵ of Bhūriśreṣṭha, who reigned in the second half of the seventeenth century.²⁶
Linked texts (12)
- Naiṣadhīyacarita — Śrīharṣa, Sanskrit
- Rāvaṇavadha — Bhaṭṭi, Sanskrit
- Śiśupālavadha — Māgha, Sanskrit
- Kumārasaṃbhava — Kālidāsa, Sanskrit
- Kirātārjunīya — Bhāravi, Sanskrit
- Gītagovinda — Jayadeva, Sanskrit
- Tibetan translation ('Chi med mdzod) — Classical Tibetan
- Meghadūta — Kālidāsa, Sanskrit
- Raghuvaṃśa — Kālidāsa, Sanskrit
- Ratnaprabhā — Nāropa, Sanskrit
- Candraprabhā — Meghavijaya, Sanskrit
- Nalodaya — Kālidāsa, Sanskrit