Jyotihshastra: Astral and Mathematical Literature c8.55

c8.55

But before Gaṇapati wrote toward the end of the seventeenth century, a large number of lesser authors tried their hand. These include: Bhānu,³⁶ who wrote a Sajjanavallabha³⁷ at Māndhāṭṛ in Gujarāt (the earliest dated manuscript was copied in 1602); Nāgeśa, the author of the Grahaprabodha in 1619, who also composed a Muhūrtadīpaka; Viṭṭhala, the author of a Paddhatikalpavallī in 1626, who wrote a Muhūrtakalpadruma³⁸ at Kāśī in 1627; Raghuvīra, Viṭṭhala’s son, who composed a Muhūrtasarvasva in 1635; Mahādeva,³⁹ the author of a brief Muhūrtadīpaka⁴⁰ at Añjāra in Kaccha in 1640 and of a vyākhyā on the same at Bhuja in 1661; Nandikeśvara,⁴¹ who composed the Gaṇakamaṇḍana at Śrīsthala in Gujarāt in about 1640; Paramahaṃsa Parivrājakācārya,⁴² who wrote a Muhūrtamuktāvalī,⁴³ of which the earliest dated manuscript was copied in 1645; Śrīkaṇṭha, who wrote another Muhūrtamuktā- valī, whose earliest dated manuscript was copied in 1656, for Vāḍavāna at Nāḍāpagrāma; Raghunātha Kaṇṭhirava, who composed the Muhūrtamālā at Kāśī in 1660; and Yadunandana, the author of a Muhūrtamañjarī in 1669. Clearly, the interest in muhūrta during the seventeenth century was concentrated in Benares and Gujarāt. This did not change when Gaṇapati Rāvala⁴⁴ completed his gigantic Muhūrtagaṇapati⁴⁵ at Kāśī in 1686.