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Vratas depicted in the Gangajala (study)

by Maitreyee Goswami | 2018 | 55,000 words

This page relates ‘date of Gangajala� of the study dealing with the Vratas (vows) depicted in the Gangajala—a Smriti-Nibandha, i.e., a text belonging to the Kamarupa School of Dharma-shastra literature which deals with social topics, religious rites and local traditions. The term Vrata refers to ritual vows aimed at spiritual and moral purification. This essay explores its socio-religious implications reflecting medieval Assam.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 6.2 - The date of ҲṅgᲹ

[Full title: A note on the ҲṅgᲹ by 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś (2) The date of ҲṅgᲹ]

To assert the date of ҲṅgᲹ there are two colophons which are found as internal evidences. The first colophon[1] said that the above ⲹśٳٲ첹ṇa was completed in a Friday (ṛg), its tithi being ԲԻ, 貹ṣa-śܰ, month-ܲԲ and ś첹 era 1356 corresponding to 1434 CE.

This statement bears no ambiguity. But there was scope to assert the exact ԲԻtithi, which should be pratipada-ԲԻ. This can be justified from the second evidence concerning ⲹٰī-Ծܱ貹ṇa.[2] This 첹ṇa which is next to ⲹśٳٲ첹ṇa was completed in the ṣaṣṭīԲԻ, equally in the same year (1356 ś첹). As the pratipada precedes ṣaṣṭī, so also ⲹśٳٲ첹ṇa should precede vivāhya첹ṇa and therefore the exact tithi of the preceding ⲹśٳٲ첹ṇa must be pratipadaԲԻ to attain its completion. It means 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś required at best five days i.e., pratipadaԲԻtithi to ṣaṣṭīԲԻtithi to complete the ⲹٰī-Ծܱ貹ṇa just after the completion of the ⲹśٳٲ첹ṇa.

In respect of ҲṅgᲹ II it is strange to note that the same date of completion of the above quoted vivāhya첹ṇa is found stated at the colophon of the antyeṣṭī첹ṇa which is not easily acceptable.[3]Although it is based on the above internal evidence, it lacks reality suggesting more time to complete ҲṅgᲹ II , after the completion of ҲṅgᲹ I which covers three hundred two pages in its printed version.[4]

The date of ҲṅgᲹ that has been inserted in the 貹ṇi[5] of the gloss by Ramānāth Vidyālaṅkāra is relevant only to determine the date of the completion of the ҲṅgᲹ I It therefore stands as a pertinent question to find out the appropriate date of ҲṅgᲹ II Here, Ramānāth Vidyālaṅkāra however gives a hint referring to a verse that he has added to his gloss[6]which has not figured in the body of the text of the printed version of the ҲṅgᲹ From the referred hint he derived that the ҲṅgᲹ was completed in 1360 ś첹 era corresponding to 1438 CE, the month, 貹ṣa, tithi and the day of it respectively being ܲԲ, śܰ, ٰǻ岹śī and Friday. This may be true, but the sources depending upon which he made this statement is subject to revision.[7] It may be said that the words śܰmunau, candra and ٰǻ岹śٱ of the verse hinted by Ramānāth Vidyālaṅkāra should be read as śܰmunou, cakre and ٰǻ岹śٱ respectively to determine the completion date of ҲṅgᲹ II The base of this opinion is the colophon found in one Manuscript , of ṛt岵-ṃgḥa preserved at the Kamarupa Sanskrit Sanjivani Sabha[8] It is observed that the word ṣaṣṭī of the present colophon is a correct form of ṣaṣṭī that deserves consideration. Accordingly when sixty is added to the one thousand three hundred, the result that yields thereby 1360 ś첹 era will be acceptable to be the exact date of the ҲṅgᲹ II This date is accepted by Prof. Naliniranjan Sharma[9] also on the basis of the above colophon of the Manuscript This analysis indicates addition of another four years to the date inserted in the three different colophon[10][11] of the ҲṅgᲹ II which is 1356 ś첹 era corresponding to 1434 CE.

It is expected that, the author certainly required that four years as suggested by the above Manuscript , to complete ҲṅgᲹ II in 1360 ś첹 era. We come across two dynasties before us, viz., the Khen and the Koch who held in great esteem for providing patronage to the 貹ṇḍٲ in the growth and development of Sanskrit and Assamese literature besides promoting Vedic culture since past. There is no difference of opinion in finding out the date of a scholar and his patron king provided that scholar had a literary product to his credit. In that sense 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś was a brilliant scholar, who besides composing his own literary works was able to guide the matters of law to his society. He in his ҲṅgᲹ I and ҲṅgᲹ II[12] emphatically declared that under the patronage of one ūᲹⲹṛpپ he completed his works including ҲṅgᲹ in 1356 ś첹 era but spoke nothing more about his lineage or his patron king. Besides ҲṅgᲹ, 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś’s another work was a commentary named ղԳٰī on ղԳٰ of ⲹśٳٲ첹ṇa authored by Bhavadeva ṭṭ.[13] It is also learnt from one reference[14] of 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś that he wrote one Daś첹rmadīpikā, a small digest on the ten ṃs of the Hindus. He also wrote a commentary on Silhana’s ŚԳپśٲ첹 where he called himself 峦ⲹ 峾ǻ岹 Ѿś.[15]

Prof. Naliniranjan Sharma has asserted this title quoting the pertinent colophon thus:

iti 峦ⲹrājagurudāmodaramiśranirmita śrīśāntiśatakatikāytā ٳ󲹳� 貹岹��.

Furthermore, on the basis of the concluding verse of the Manuscript it is stated that the author of ҲṅgᲹ had completed this Ṭīk in ś첹 era 1375 CE corresponding to 1453 CE. He also wrote a small Ṭīk on Śaṅkar峦ⲹ’s Ჹ峾첹ٴdzٰ known as Ჹ峾첹貹ñ.[16] But unfortunately in any of the above mentioned works cannot determine the actual date and patron king of the author.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

phālgune śܰpakṣe tu ṛgܲԲԻmṛte tithau/
ū ܲٲ첹� sake ṛtupañcatricandrake// ҲṅgᲹ I, p.270

[2]:

ṛgܲԲԻjute ṣaṣṭhyāmṛte phālgune kṛtam/
dāmodarena miśrena vivāhyastriԾܱ貹ṇam/ mahati suśrīke śrīmadbhūmijaye nṛpe/
paripūrṇamida� śāke ṛtupañcatṛcandrake//
Ibid.,p.280

[3]:

mahati suśrīke śrīmadbhūmijayenṛpe/
śāsati ca samāpto'yam ṛtu vāṇatrayodaśe/ ҲṅgᲹ II,p.302

[4]:

Ѿś, 峾ǻ岹, ҲṅgᲹ I, p. 280
Ѿś, 峾ǻ岹, ҲṅgᲹ II, p.302

[5]:

ṛtviṣvagnīndu (me) śāke miśro dāmodarobudha�/
vyavasthāsāraratnāni gaṅgājale nyadhāt ܻī�// ܱ貹Ծ, ҲṅgᲹ I,V.2

[6]:

kumbhe śܰmunau granthamūle ṣaṣṭīyute śake/
candre ٰǻ岹śٱ miśro 峾ǻ岹� ṛtī// mantavya, ҲṅgᲹ II, p.3

[7]:

Goswami, Dr. B.K. D., Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscript, sl.no.389, p.51
Ibid., sl.no. 111, p.13

[8]:

Ibid., sl.no792, p.105

[9]:

Sharma, N.R., The Kāmrūpa School of ٳ󲹰śٰ, p.104-106-109

[10]:

(a) Ѿś, 峾ǻ岹 ҲṅgᲹ I, pp. 270,280

[11]:

Ѿś, 峾ǻ岹 ҲṅgᲹ II, p.302

[12]:

󲹳ī suśrīke śrīmad bhūmijaye nṛpe/
paripūrṇamida� śāke ṛtupañcatricandrake// ҲṅgᲹ I, p.280

[13]:

Goswami, B.K. D., Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscript, sl.no-780, p.103

[14]:

madkṛta daś첹rmadipīkāyā� draṣṭavyam/ ҲṅgᲹ I, P.261

[15]:

ity峦ⲹrājagurudāmodaramīśranirmita śrīśāntiśataka tīkāyā� prathama 貹岹�// Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscript, p.51

[16]:

Ibid., sl.no.111, p.13

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