Mahavidya Vidambanam

Author(s): Bhatta Vadindra, Bhuvansundarsuri, Mangesh Ramkrishna Telang
Publisher: Central Library

Page 28

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Thus we find that Śrisimha or Siniha was another name of king Singhaṇa of the Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri. He reigned at Devagiri from A. D. 1210-1247.
Now we shall state some reasons to prove that Vádîndrás date suggested by Mr. Tripathi as A. D. 1325 is incompatible with the following fact. We have already stated that Venkatanátha Vedántáchárya who flourished between A. D. 1267-13691 has mentioned Vádindra by his name and referred to his work Mahavidya-vidambana in his Tattva-Muktá- Kalápa. Supposing Venkatanatha wrote this work in his 50th year if not earlier, the year of its composition would be A. D. 1317. Then we shall have to hold Vadîndra to have been a contemporary of Venkatanátha. But Venkataná tha mentions Vádîndra's name along with that of Udayanáchárya (A. D. 984). He must have therefore mentioned Vádîndra as an old author and not as a contemporary one. He has refuted Vádîndra's view that the Kevalánvayi-hetu is entirely untenable.3 Sanskrit authors when they criticize the views of contemporary writers do not generally mention their names in their works. Had Vádîndra been a contemporary author, Venkatanátha would not have referred to him by his name. For these reasons Vádîndra must be placed before Venkatanatha, that is, before A. D. 1267. If we accept the first interpretation of the above quoted verse of Vádîndra's pupil Bhatta Raghava, we get the year A. D. 1252 as his date and deducting 27 years there from on account of the difference in the ages of the pupil and the preceptor we get A. D. 1225 as Vadîndra's date. If we place Vádindra about A. D. 1225 it suits well with the period of King Śrisimha alias Singhaṇa of Devagiri, A. D. 1210-1247, mentioned in the History of the Dekkan; and with the mention of Vádindra's name by Venkatanatha. Singhana seems to have been a great patron of learning. For Sárngadeva, the author of Sangita-Ratná kara, an important work on Indian Music was patronized by Singhana. It is therefore likely that Vádîndra also was patronized by Singhana by conferring upon him the appointment of his Religions Councillor () as stated by him in his Mahavidya-vidambana p. 99.
Thus if we fix Vádîndra's date as A. D. 1225, it does not affect any of the established dates of other authors. On the other hand, if we accept A. D. 1325 as the date of Vádîndra we are unable to satisfactorily explain Venkatanáthás reference to Vádîndra, as the former was born earlier i. e. in A. D. 1267. Besides we cannot find any King of the name of Srisimha between A. D. 1267-1350, to identify him with the Srisimha mentioned by Vádîndra. For
1 See Rajagopálácháryás life of Venkatanátha in the Vanivilas edition of Yádavábhyudaya p. XVII.
2 अत्र मतभेदेन लक्षणद्वयमाह--साधनाव्यापकत्वे सति साध्यसमव्याप्तो धर्मः उपाधिरिति उदयनः । साध नाव्यापकत्वे सति साध्यव्यापकः इति समशब्दप्रतिक्षपणे वादीन्द्रः ।
तत्त्वमुक्ताकलापः पृ. ४७८
3 तत्त्वमुक्ताकलापः पू. ४९१
Aho! Shrutgyanam