Indian Antiquary Vol 41

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 16

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1912.
the collected addresses are to be found in the Asiatic Society's Library. The addresses are both in prose and poetry. Some are long and some are very short. One of the most notable persons in presenting an address was Visvanatha Tarkapanchanan. Another address was by Ganesa of the Dharmadhikari family of Benares. Brahmendra Sarasvati was another. Bhaiya Bhatta was a fourth. Pandit Vireśvara of Kurmâchala also presented an address.
These addresses set forth the excellences of Vidyanidhi. Some praise his liberality, some his eloquence, some his boldness, others again his deep knowledge of the Bdstras. One sets forth the various Sastras he had studied, and another the various acts of charity to which he contributed. The most touching of the addresses is that which was presented by the students at Benares who looked upon him as their Earthly Providence.
After Bhatta Narayana, Sankara and Vidyanidhi, the man who exerted his influence all over India was Gaga Bhatta or Visvešvara Bhatta. He came at a time when the Marathas were a fighting and rising nation. The political importance of the Marathas had its reflex influence on the colony of Pandits of the Maharashtra country at Benares. The Marathî peoples looked upon them as their law-givers and they also felt a pride in their being of the Maharashtra extraction. Gaga-Bhatta was the son of Dinakara Bhatts and grandson of Ramaksishņa Bhata and great grandson of Nârâyaņa Bhatta. His father and his uncles wrote many books specially in Smriti. His cousins, too, were writers of note, but he outdid them all. He completed a series of Smriti works, left unfinished by his father Dinakara Bhatta. He wrote a commentary on the Jaimini Satras. Kumarila wrote his commentary on Sabara-Bhdshya, in vergo, for one quarter of the first chapter only. GagaBhatta continued the work, and wrote a commentary in verse for the whole work. This commen. tary is entitled Sivarkodaya. But Gâgå Bhatta is not 90 much known for his erudite works as for the influence he exerted on Society. He it was who restored Sivaji the founder of Maratha greatness, to the Kshatriya caste and performed his Abhisheka ceremony as an independent sovereign, Sivaji greatly revered him for his learning and piety. He it was who first raised the question of caste elevation, which at the present moment is exercising the minds of all Hindus. He had a loud voice and his eloquence was greatly admired. He was a Mímamsaka of the first class and a great writer on Smțiti. He wrote on Alarikara and even on Vedanta.
His great successor was Nagoj Bhatta, who lived to a great age and whose influence over the people of Benares was very great. There is no branch of Sanskrit literature in which he did not distinguish himself as a commentator. His commentaries on works of the Panini School of grammar are of the highest authority. He wrote on Alankara. He wrote on the Tirthas He wrote on tithi. He wrote on yoga. He wrote on Mimamsd. He wrote on Ramayana. He wrote on Samkhya. He wrote on Vedanta. He always encouraged students, and stories of Någoji's encouragement of students may yet he heard in Beneres. Even at his old age he enjoyed life heartily and mixed with all classes of men. He died about the time when Benares came under British Protection by a vote of majority in the Governor-General's Council about 1775. The Raja of Pratapgarh in Oadh gave him his livelihood and he gratefully acknowledges his obligation to the Râjâ in the opening verse of every one of his works,
His papil and successox was Vaidyanatha Payagunde, otherwise called Annam Bhatta, also a volaminous writer on Vydkarana and Smriti. His commentary on the Vyavahára-Khanda of Mitakshard is still the standard work of the Benares School of Smriti, and as such very much Xospected in the civil courts of British India,
In 1791 the Benares Sanskrit College was established and the Dakshiņi Brâhmaņas were its principal professors. Even at the present moment the Dakshiņi element preponderates in the staff of that College.