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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
( xxxviii)
About half a dozen works of Nilakantha are known or have been mentioned 1. The present volume describes two MSS. of one of these works, e.g., the commentary on the six accessories of the Saptasatī of the Mārkandeya-purāna which is referred to in the commentary of the Devi-bhāgavata (V. 8. 38, V. 33. 57-9). But it seems to be rather curious that this latter commentary is also referred to in the present work. Only one incomplete MS. of the work, comprising the Kavaca portion, is recorded (Cat. Cat., II. 166). The Society possesses two MSS. of the work: one complete and the other incomplete.
PREMANIDHI PANTHA.
Premanidhi Pantha who hailed from Kūrmācala or Kumaon, was the son of Umāpati and Udyotamati and was the worshipper of Kārtavīrya. Little is known about his life and family. We are told that he had sorrowful bereavements in his family. He lost his beloved wife at a comparatively young age. It seems he thereupon left his ancestral home and came to be settled in Benares where on the completion of his commentary on the Sivatāndava, he was given considerable property and a house by his patron and disciple Malaivammadeva. Reference is made to two daughters of his, named Mahālaksmi and Kanakā. This much of his personal history may be gathered from his commentary on the Sivatāndava in which he incidentally describes his patron and makes reference to himself.
It appears from the introductory verses of the Sudarsanā (commentary on the Tantrarāja-tantra) that he had a third wife Prāṇamañjarī by name who composed the commentary in memory of her son called Sudarśana. The name of the father and the mother of this wife are given as Harşadeva and Harşamati 2.
The time when he flourished is roughly indicated by the references to dates of composition given in some of his works. We are told that he composed the Mallādarsa and the Dipa-prakāśa in 1648 S.E., Prthvī-premodaya and the commentary on the Sāradā
1 For a detailed account of these cf. Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol. XVI, pp. 356-61.
% Nāgari-pracārini Patrikā, N.S., Vol. VI, 1982 V.s. (p. 376, f.n.). The commentary is also attributed to Premanidhi (Cat. Cat., I. 222, II. 46).
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