- Dhāresvara Bhojadeva The Mit. (on Yāj. II. 135) says that Dhāreśvara tries to re concile the conflicting texts about the right of the widow to succeed to her husband’s estate by saying that she succeeded if her husband was separate and if she was willing to submit to niyoga. On the same verse the Mit. says that following Mānu IX. 217 Dhāreśvara placed the paternal grand-mother immediately after the mother as an heir and even before the father. On Yāj. III. 24 the Mit says that certain texts of Rsyaśṛnga about impurity on death were not accepted as authoritative by Dhāreśvara, Viśvarūpa and Medbātithi. Vide sec. 60 Viśvarūpa about the remarks of the Smṛticandrikā on Dhāreśvara and Viśvarūpa. The Hāralaṭā777 (p. 117) remarks (as does the Mit. on Yaj. III. 24 ) that Bhojadeva, Viśvarūpa, Govindarāja, and the Kāmadhepu did not cite certain texts as Jātukarna’s and that therefore they were not authoritative.
That Dhāreśvara is to be identified with Bhojadeva of Dhārā, perhaps the most famous Indian prince as a patron of learned men, follows from several considerations. The Dāya bhāga778 cites Bhojadeva and Dhāreśvara without making any distinction between the two. Some views that are ascribed to Dhāreśvara in one work are ascribed to Bhojadeva in another. The Vivadatāndava of Kamalākara ascribes to Bhoja deva the same views as to the widow’s rights as are ascribed to Dhāreśvara by the Mit. Mss. of the Rājamārtaṇḍa (com mentary on the Yogasutras ) have colophons saying that the work was composed by Dhāreśvara Bhojarāja. Dhāreśvara is styled ācārya by the Mit. (on Yaj. III. 24 ) and sūri by the Smṛticandrikā ( II p. 257 ).’ Works on numerous branches of knowledge were composed by (or in the name of or under ) Bhoja of Dhārā. On Poetics we have two extensive works of his, viz. the Sarasvatikanthabharana and the Sṭngāraprakāśa.
777 यानि जातूकर्णनाम्ना वचनानि लिखितानि तानि भोजदेव-विश्वरूप-गोविन्दराज
कामधेनुकृद्भिरलिखितत्वान्मत्स्यपुराणविरोधाच्च निर्मूलान्येव । 778 THT ( p. 53, ed. of 1829 ) 3 27 Topend 49974: 1 ṢTEPT
विभागदानप्रवृत्तस्य पितुः पैतामहधने सदृशं स्वाम्यं पुत्रैः सह न तत्र स्वोपार्जित
Ya 59 FLATTE.HTMTYTA: gheata l’; TTHET (p. 280 ) ‘अत एव भोजदेवेनापि कृताकृतदुहित्राधिकारे बृहस्पतिरित्यभिधाय यथा पितृधने स्वाम्यमिति वचनं लिखितम् ।’. H. D.-74
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A verse at the779 beginning of the Rājamārtaṇḍa tells us that Bhoja composed a work on grammar, a commentary on the Yogasūtra and a work on medicine called Rājamsgānka just as Patañjali wrote on these three subjects ( vide Mitra’s Notices of Mss, vol. I, p. 115 for the medical work of Bhoja called Rājamārtaṇḍa (alias Yoga sāra ). He composed a work on astronomy called Rājamrgānka. A work of his on the Śaiva āgama called Tattvaprakāśa has been published in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. There are several other works ascribed to him, which need not be set out here. That he composed an extensive work on the principal subjects of Dharmaśāstra follows from the numerous references to him contained in the Mit., the Dāyabhāga, the Hāralaṭā and other works. The Suddhi-kaumudī780 (B. I. edition) of Govindānanda frequently speaks of a work called Rāja mārtaṇḍa of Bhoja on Srāddha. The Jayasimha-kalpadruma (p. 26 ) quotes Rājamārtaṇḍa and Bhojarājiya on the same page. Whether Bhoja composed on Dharmaśāstra one work or two (as he composed two on Poetics ), and whether his work was a commentary or an independent digest it is difficult to say. M.M. Haraprasādaśāstri in one of his reports threw out the suggestion that the Kāmadbenu was the work of Bhoja, but this is entirely worng, as the words of Sridatta in his Pitsbhakti781 will show.
Besides the two points noted above ( about widow’s
ts and about the grandmother, there are others on which the Mit. and Dhāreśvara disagreed : viz. Dhāreśvara held
779 शब्दानामनुशासनं विदधता पातञ्जले कुर्वता वृत्तिं राजमृगाङ्कसंज्ञकमपि व्यात
न्वता वैद्यके । वाक्चेतोवपुषा मलः फणभृतां भव यनोद्धृतस्तस्य श्रीरणरइमल्ल
Jaana H o dot: || Intro, 4th verse. 780 अत एव राजमार्तण्डे भोजराज:-श्राद्धविन्ने समुत्पन्ने मृतस्याविदिते दिने ।
अमावास्यां प्रकुर्वीत वदन्त्येके मनीषिणः॥ p. 18. vide also the श्राद्धक्रिया must p. 480 for the same verse from the Thus, which is per haps more frequently quoted by Tiaras than any other
nibandha. 781 तदेतानि वाक्यानि राज्ञालिखितत्वान्नादेयानीति केचित् । तदयुक्तं कामधेनावपि
राजनिबन्धवच्छिष्टपरिग्रहात्संशयं नार्हन्तीति चेत्, न राजालिखितत्वस्यादर्शने नाप्युपपत्तेः । न हि यावन्ति स्मृतिवाक्यानि तावन्ति सर्वाण्येव राज्ञा दृष्टानीति
hlutafi faqah (folio 38 of mag No. 152 of 1892-95 in the Govt. M49. Library at the Bhandarkar 0. R. Institute, Poona ).
10
- Dhāreśvara Bhojadeva
587
ownership to be known only from śāstra, while the Mit, held it to be laukika (vide Viramitrodaya pp. 528, 536 ). Dhāreśvara held that the word ‘dubitaraḥ’ in Yāj. stands for putrikā in the order of succession (Smrticandrika II. pp. 295-96). On other points the views of Dhāreśvara coincide with those of the Mit., viz, on the usage of giving a special share to the eldest son having fallen into desuetude, on the daughter’s son’s right to succession, on the father’s inability to give a greater or smaller share to his sons in ancestral property on & partition during his life-time. Vide my article on Bhojadeva in JBBRAS for 1925, pp. 223-224 for details of these and other views ascribed to Bhojadeva. A few other references may be noted here. The Nirnayamrtars (p. 68) quotes a Bhojarajiya text. In the Kālaviveka of Jimūta vāhana two verses about taking food at the time of eclipses are cited from Bhojadeva (p. 539 ). In several works certain views are stated to be those of a Bhūpāla paduhati or of Bhūpāla or of Rāja. The reference seems to be to a work of king Bhoja. For example, in the Dānaratnākara, a Bhūpāla-paddhati and Bhūpāla are frequently quoted.83 The Samayapradipa784 and Acārādarsa of Sridatta speak of both Bhūpāla and Rāja. In other works also the views of Bhoja are often referred to as those of Rāja (the king par excellence ). For example, the Ekāvali785 ( a
CIAL
782 यतु भोजराजीयं- न दिवा न निशासु च विष्टिहता न च सप्तमीशल्यसमोपह
तेति । इदं सप्तमीशल्यनिषेधपरम् । निर्णयामृत. 783 पद्मासनगतांस्तद्वद् ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरान् । लोकपालान्सहैतांश्च स्ववाहनसमन्वि
तान् ॥ इति श्लोकार्धपादो भूपालपद्धतियोगीश्वरयोदृष्टः । दानरत्नाकर ( Ms. No. 114 of 1884-86 ) in the Govt. Mss. Library at the B. 0. R. Institute, Poona 4, folio 34b; vide folios 198, 28 a, 29 a, 50 b for
भूपाल. 784 तदेवं गौर्ड,यवचनानि प्रमाणयतां तदनुसारेण व्यवस्थोक्ता। भूपालादिमते तु
सप्तम्येकादश्योर्वाचनिकी व्यवस्था तिश्यन्तरेषु प्रधानकालानुरूपन्यायादुदयकाल व्यापिन्यादर इति । समयप्रदीप ( Ms No. 371 of 1875-76) in the Govt. Mss. Lib. at the B. O. R. Institute, Poona 4, folio 8b; केचिच्च राजाद्यलिखितवाक्यबलात् युगायेषु मुगान्तेषु संकान्तिषु पिण्डं न मन्यन्ते । समयप्रदीप folio b4a; इदं च बौधायनवाक्यं राजाद्यलिखितमपि बहुजन संमतत्वाल्लिखितम् । आचारादर्श ( Ms. No. 349 of 1875-76 in the Govt.
Mss. Lib. at the B, O. R. Institute, Poona 4, folio 29 a ). 785 राजा तु शृङ्गारमेकमेव शृङ्गारप्रकाशे रसमुरीचकार । एकावलि p. 98 ( B.S
series ).
588
work on Poetics ) says that in the Sșngāra–prakāśa, the king accepted only one rasa. Dr. Raghavan has recently published (in 1963 ) a complete and learned exposition of the Syngāra prakāśa of Bhoja ( 1009 pages ). The Varsakaumudi ( p. 107 ) says that a certain verse is cited by the Gangāvākyāvalī without naming the author, but as it is not cited by the Rājā and the rest, it is unauthoritative.
The several tattvas of Raghunandana mention two works of Bhojadera or Bhojarāja. For example, the Tithitattva (Jivananda vol. I, p. 17 ) cites a text as quoted in the Bhuja balabhima by Bhojarāja ; similarly, in the Srāddhatattva (Jivananda vol. I, p. 266 ) two texts are cited as quoted by Bhojadeva in Bhujabalabhima. Raghunandana also mentions Rājamārtaṇḍa of Bhojarāja ( vide Āhnikatattva, vol. I, p. 451 ) He often cites the Rājamārtaṇḍa and the Bhujabalabhima on the same page without the author’s name (e.g. vide Udvāha tattva, vol. II, p. 124 ). Raghunandana often speaks of a Brhad-Rājamārtaṇḍa along with the Rājamārtaṇḍa on the same or the next page ( vide Tithitattva, vol. I. pp. 25-26 and Jyotistattva pp. 605 and 655 ). That the Bhujabalabhima and the Rājamārtaṇḍa are two different works appears to be clear. Whether the Bṛbad-Rājamārtaṇḍa and the Raja mārtaṇḍa are distinct works is not quite clear. (Vide Tri. Cat. of Madras Govt. mss. for 1919-22, p. 4562, No. 3079 for Bhujabalanibandha of Bhojarāja in 18 adhyāyas on astrological matters in relation to dharmaśāstra such as strijāta ka, karṇādivedha, vrata, vivāhamelakadaśaka, grhakarmapraveśa, samkrāntisnāna, dvadaśamāsakrtya ). The Bhujabalabhima is also mentioned by Sūlapāṇi and by Rudradhara in bis Srāddhaviveka.
Vide the present author’s paper on, ‘King Bhoja and his Works on Dharmaśāstra and Astrology in J. O. R. ( Madras ), Vol. XXIII pp. 94-127, where five works of Bhoja are named. Vide also a paper on ‘Passages from the Rājamārtaṇḍa on “Tithis, Vratas and Utsavas’ by the present author in ABORI Vol. XXXVI ( Parts III and IV ) pp. 306-339 ( 286 verses out of 1462 on the basis of three Mss. ), Dr. Derrett, in Bulletin of L. S. O. A. S. Vol. XV ( part 3) pp. 598-602, draws attention to the commentary Durghaṭārtha-prakāśini of Vimalabodha on Mahābhārata, Santi, and Chap. 121, 14ff, where the commentator mentions Bhojadeva’s interpretation
- Dhāresvara Bhojadeva
589
of those verses in the latter’s work called Vyavahāra-mañjarī. Vide Dr. Gode’s paper in the Silver Jubilee number of B, O. R. I. pp. 146ff. about a ms, of this com. in the Bhandarkar 0. R. Institute of Poona.
For two works of Bhoja on Sanskrit Poetics called ‘Sarasvatikanthabharana’ and the Srngāraprakāśa’, vide the present author’s History of Sanskrit Poetics’ pp. 257-264 ( ed. of 1961 ) and for the Srngāraprakāśa, Dr. Raghavan’s monumental work on it ( containing over a thousand pages) published very recently (1963 ) which contains a full exposi tion of Bhoja’s great work,
Bhoja of Dhārā, according to the Bhojaprabandha, had a long reign of 55 years. Bhoja’s was a remarkable career. In spite of the fact that he was constantly waging wars with different kings, he became the most famous Indian King as the patron of learned inen. Considering the fact that he ruled long ( about 50 years or so ) and was generous to learned men the inscriptional references to him are rather few. There are only six records (of which five are copperplates ) contempo rary in time with him. They are: (1) The Ujjain plate in 1. A. vol. VI p. 53 of Samvat 1078, Māgha dark half, 3rd tithi Sunday ( 1021 A. D. ). It gives the pedigree as follows. Sīyakadeva-Vākpatirāja - brother Sindhurāja or Sindhula-son Bhojadeva. The grant was issued from the capital Dhārā; (2) the Banswara plate of Bhoja ( E. I, Vol. XI p. 181-133 ), dated Samvat 1076, Māgha bright half ( 23rd January 1020 A. D. ) issued on the festival for the conquest of Konkaṇa (Konkaṇa vijayaparvani); (3) the Betma plate ( in E. I. Vol. 18 pp. 320-325 issued in Samvat 1076, Bhādrapada bright half, 15 (September 1020 A. D.) on Konkaṇa-grahana = vijayaparvaṇi); ( 4 ) the Tilakvādā plate (in Proceedings of the First Oriental Conference, 1919, pp. 319-326 of Samvat 1103, Mārgaśīrsa, 1046 A, D. ; ( 5 ) the Kalvan plate ( E. I. XIX p. 69 ) refers to conquest of Konkana by Bhoja and sets out a private person’s grant of certain pieces of land to the temple of Munisuvrata on Caitra amāvāsyii ( when there was a solar eclipse ); (6) Inscripation on the pedestal of an image of Sarasvati made in Samvat 1091 i. e. 1035 A. D. ( which found its way to the British Museum ) and it records that Bhoja caused the image of Vāgdevī to be prepared by a sculptor. In ‘Rūpam’ (edited by 0. C. Gangoly ) for January 1924 the image of
590
Sarasvati is reproduced as the frontispiece and pp. 1-2 give some details and a slightly mutilated verse (in Sārdūla vikridita metre ) is set out with translation by Mr. Dikshit and the date samvat 1091 also is inscribed on the pedestal. In E. I. Vol. VIII p. 96 there is an inscription of Arjuna varmadeva, a descendant of Bhoja where it is stated that the drama Pārijāta mañjarī was first performed in the hall of Sāradādevī built by Bhoja. Dr. Raghavan’s latest work on Bhoja’s Śṛngāraprakāśa, 1963, has a fine reproduction of this image as a frontispiece.
In the Navagībasānkacarita of Padmagupta alias Pari mala, Vāk patirāja is mentioned in XI. 81, Sindhurāja in XI. 101 and in XI. 102 it is said that in the assemblies of warriors he is mentioned as Navasāhasāṅka ( Viragosthīṣu giyate) and in XVIII. 62 his coming to Dhārā is mentioned. But all this does not state how many years he ruled. He must, however, have ruled for some years in order to be called Navasāhasānka for his valour. Vākpatirāja was also called Muñja, wbo was slain by Cālukya king Tailapa between 994-997 A. D. There fore, Bhoja, son of Sindhurāja, may be held to have begun to rule about 1005 A. D. The Māndhātā plate of Jayasimha, successor of Bhoja ( issued from Dhārā ), is dated in sorvat 1112 ( Asādha, dark balf i. e. 1055 A. D. ); Vide E. I. Vol. III pp. 46-50 ( gives the names as Vākpatirāja-Sindhurāja Bhojadeva-Jayasimha ). Therefore, Bhoja must have ruled from about 1005 A. D. to about 1054 A. D.786
The stories ( in Prabandhacintāmaṇi ) about Muõja’s trying to do away with Bhoja must be treated as legendary trash. Tawney’s translation of Prabandhacintamani (p. 32 ) refers to a prophecy made on the horoscope of Bhoja that he would rule for fiftyfive years, seven months and three days.
There is further definite data. The Rājamrgānka of Bboja ( an astronomical work ) takes saka 964 (1042-43 A. D.) as its initial date. 787
786
787
Vide · History of Paramāra dynasty’ ( 1933 ) by Dr. D. C, Ganguly pp. 82-122 ( for Bhoja ).
1 aastala trata Arya: 1 2 cairan peradasate FTUNES: 11 Pa (Ms. No. 105 of 1873-74 in the Govt. Mag. Library at the B.O.R.I., Poona ).66. Devasvamin
591
It is strange that the Madanaratnapradīpa (on Vyava hāra p. 324 ) refers to Bhoja as Dhāreśvarabhatta.
There is a work oamed Dharma-pradipa by Bhoja (Govt. Mss. Lib. at the B. O. R. I. Poona, No. 26 of 1874-75). It is a work by another Bhoja later than 1400 A. D., as it quotes Vijñāneśvara and the Madanapārijāta. It was composed by an assembly of pandits at the bidding of king Bhoja of Āsāpura, son of Bhāramalla. The ms. was copied in sanvat 1695 (i. e. 1638-39 A. D.).