Dhatupradip

Author(s): Srishchandra Chakravarti
Publisher: Varendra Research Society

Page 3

INTRODUCTION. शेषाशिषाविद यो मां शेषाशेषगवी: स्फुटम् / विशिषप्राध्यापयद वन्दे तं शेषभूषणोपमम् // 1 // Maitreya Rakshita is the author of the Tantra-prodeepa and the Dhatuprodeepa. The former is a critical commeota ry on the Nya sa ( or the KasikaVivarana Panjika ) by Jinendra Buddhi, which is aga'n a commentary on the Kasika Vritti by Vamana and Jayaditya. The Dhatu-prodeepa is a commentary on the Paniniya Dhatu patha. Rakshita refers in his Dhatu-prodeepa to Bhasya, Dhatu-parayana, Amara. sinha, Mahabharata, Chanakya Sloka, (Kasika) Vristi, Vamana, Jayaditya, Nyasa, Nyasakara, Katantra, Pancha-tantra, (Upadhyaya) Sarvaswa, Rupavatara, Kali. dasa, Bharavi, Bhatti, Magha and a work called वराहनक्षत्रपुरुषप्रकाश (a) and in his तन्त्रप्रदीप (b) he names भाष्य, चूलिभट्टितत्ति (8. 3.97), चन्द्रगोमो, भागवत्तिकार, भर्तहरि, वामन, जयादित्य, केशव, क्षपणक, अनुपदकार, रत्नमति, उदयकर (7.4.1), जिनेन्द्रबुद्धि, (धर्म) कौति, उपाध्याय, कुलानिलखामी (7. 4. 13), धातुपारायण, भाष्यटीका (i.e. भाष्यप्रदीप, 7.2.49), चपणकव्याकरणमहान्यास (4. I. 155), कतन्त्र, रूपावतार (3. I. 22), कालिदास, भारवि, भट्टि, व्योषकाव्य ( probably घोषकाव्य i. e the बुद्धचरित by अश्वघोष ), कंसवध (4. I. 73), वेणीस हार (4. I. 151), मालतीमाधव (7. 2. 44 ), कीचकवध and माघ / ___Maitreya is quoted by भट्टोजिदौक्षित, मल्लिनाथ, सायनाचार्य (in माधवीयधातुबत्ति), श्रीपतिदत्त (in कातन्यपरिशिष्ट) and शरणदेव (in दुर्घटवत्ति). He does not quote from the नैषधीयचरित, nor is quoted by पुरुषोत्तमदेव in his भाषावृत्ति. Now कैवट is the author of the भाष्य la spoken of by Rakshita. So his date cannot be earlier than that of Kaiyata, nor of धर्मकौति. Neither it is later than that of शरणदेव of the दुर्घटवत्ति। It is said that Kaiyata was a contemporary kinsman or pupil of ETH; and that he flourished in about 1050 A. D. धर्म कौत्ति too flourished at the beginning of the eleventh century A.D. The दुर्घटवत्ति was composed in 1172 A.D. (c) Hence Maitreya Rakshita appears to have lived in about 1100 A. D. ___Rakshita begins his धातुप्रदीप with मञ्ज घोष प्रसादन धातूनां वृत्तिमारभ। Who is मन थोष? One supposition makes him a landed proprietor or the ruler of a small state some where and the patron of the Grammarian. Another assertion is that मघोष is a deity worshipped by मैव य. Now in the त्रिकाण्डी by पुरुषोत्तम, (a) Vide the root nie in sarfe, 614. (b) We have not yet obtained a c.mplete MS. of the तन्त्र प्रदीप. Out of its. 32 Padas or Sections, only 16 are now with us. (c) "शाकमहीपति वत्मरमाने एकनभोनवपञ्चविताने। दुर्घटवत्तिरकारि मुद वः कण्ठविभूषणहारलतेव // 1 // " इति, that is the शक year 1095, which corresponds with 1172 A. D,