Indian Antiquary Vol 45

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

Page 22

18
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ FEBRUARY, 1916
Kriyâsakti appears to have been a prominent Saiva teacher of the 14th century. Though Madhavâchârya, in the introduction to his commentary on the Parâiara-smṛiti, calls himself the kula guru of Bukka I. ( तस्य विभोरभूत्कुलगुरुमंत्री तथा माधवः ) and Sáyana, in the introduction to his Yajñatantra-sudhanidhi, styles himself the anvaya-guru of Sangama II, an inscription, 18 of A. D. 1378, mentions Kriyâśakti as the kula-guru of Harihara II.
विरूपाक्षः पाशास्कुलर कुलगुरु क्रियाशक्त्याचार्य: कलिकलभकंडीरवयशाः ।
Two more inscriptions1" of Harihara II, dated A. D. 1398 and 1399, describe him as the worshipper of the lotus feet of Kriyâsakti.
राजराज गुरुपितामह श्रीमत्स्व यंभुत्रियंबक देवदिव्य श्रीपादपद्माराधकश्रीक्रियाशक्ति देवदिव्यश्रीपादपद्माराधक श्रीवीर हरिहरमहाराजः ।
I have hitherto purposely avoided the name Vidyaranya when speaking of Madhavacharya, because, though the tradition that Madhavacharya acquired the title of Vidyaranya after he renounced the world and became a sanyasi is generally accepted, some scholars seem to doubt their identity, owing to the absence of epigraphical or literary evidence to prove it conclusively. For myself, I do not remember having come across any inscription which states explicitly that Madhavâchârya and Vidyâranya were one and the same indivilual. But a few references to Vidyaranya in inscriptions and literary works seem to point to the identity of the two. I give below a few of these references.-
( 1 ) In a work called Tithi-pradipika by Nrisimhasâri, 20 the author says in the introductory verses, which are given below, that Kalanirnaya has been treated of by Vidyaranya and other authors.
अनंताचार्यवर्येण मंत्रिणा मचिगुळ ना । विद्यारण्यवतीद्वायेनिगत कालनिर्णयः ॥
अनिशेषीकृतस्य मम दिया कियान् कियान् । तमहं सुस्फुटं वक्ष्ये ध्यात्वा गुरुपदांबुजं ॥
Now, it is well known that Kalanirnaya was a work of Madhavâchârya.
(2) In his Vyüsasutra-vritti, Ranganatha says that his work is based on Vidyaranya's verses, in a stanza which runs thus :
विचारण्य कृते लोकनृसिंहाश्रम सूक्तिभिः । संस्था व्यायसूत्राणां वृत्तिर्माध्यानुसारिणी ॥
The reference here is clearly to Madhavâchârya's Vaiyisika-Nyayamâlâvistara.
(3) Ahôbala-paita, the author of a large grammar in Sanskrit on the Telugu language, who is said to have been Madhaváchārya's sister's son, mentions Madhavacharya's Dhâtuvṛitti as a work of Vidyaranya.
वेदानां भाष्यकर्ता ि
प्रौद्यविद्यानगय हरिहरनृप से स्सार्वभौमत्वदायी । वाणी नीलाहिवेणी सरसिजनिलया किंकरीति प्रसिद्धा विद्यारण्योऽप्रगण्योऽभवदखिल गुरुः शंकरो वीतशंकः ॥
18 Epi. Car., V, Channarayapatna 256.
19 Mysore Archaeological Report for 1912, para. 99.
20 Madras Oriental Manuscripts Library Catalogue, VI, p. 2341.