- Rudradhara
This is a well-known Maithila writer on Dharmasastra, who composed several works. His Suddhi-viveka has been published several times (at Benares in 1866, in 1878, and by the Venkateśvara Press in Bombay, samvat 1978). That work is divided into three paricchedas and deals with purification from impurity on birth and death, the persons liable to undergo purifications, the mean ing of the word putra, purification of the body and of various substances when polluted, purification of cooked food and water and women in their menses. He tells us that after1266 having examined seven works ( nibandhas) on suddhi and being encoura ged by his father and brother he composed the Suddhiviveka. He further says that he made the effort for the benefit of those who were not disposed to go through such works as the Ratnakara, Pārijāta, Mitākṣarā and the Hāralatā.1267 Besides these he mentions the Acarādarśa, Suddhipradipa, Suddhi-bimba, Sridattopadhyāya, Smrtisāra and Harihara,
The śrāddhaviveka of Rudradhara is the most famous of his works. (It was printed in the ashi Sanskrit Series in samvat 1993 ( i. e. 1936-7 A. D.) and the page references are made to that edition ). The work is divided into four paricchedas. He first defines śrāddha, and then treats of several topics, viz. the varieties of sraddha, the procedure at śrāddhas, the mantras that are recited, the proper time and place for śrāddhas, the Brāhmanas worthy to be invited at śrāddha and the proper food etc. Among the numerous works and authors referred to in the work the
1266 FC HA TF417 Tha: fugayT :1 1267 सन्त्येव रत्नाकरपारिजातमिताक्षराहारलतादयोन्ये । तथापि तत्रालसमानसाना
भवेत्प्रमोदाय मम प्रयासः ।।99. Rudradhara
841
undermentioned ones deserve notice. 1268 He refers to his own Suddhiviveka as already written (p. 48). Several Purāṇas are mentioned such as the Devipurāṇa (pp. 14–15, 32), Brahma purāṇa ( several times and 7 verses from it are quoted on p. 33), Matsyapurana (p. 37 five verses quoted ), Vayu (p. 37).
In several places he tells us that ne follows a different tradition on certain matters from that of the Pitrbhakti or of the Sugatisopāna. He points out that the prasātikā is a kind of grain known in Madhyadeśa as sāthilā.1268
For his Vratapaddhati, ride Mitra’s Notices, vol. VI, p. 15, No. 1995. He says that he was urged by his brother’s advice to write the work and that he foilows the Samayapradipa. 1270 From the colophon to the suddhiviveka it appears that Rudra dhara’s father’s name was Lakṣmidhara and his elder brother’s name was Haladhara.
Another work of his is the Varsakstya which deals with festivals and fasts.
He was the son of Mahamahopadhyāya Laksmidhara and youngest brother of Haladhara. His works are quoted by
1268 In Śrāddhariveka he quotes the following works :
06975, SIT167 (p. 29), E TTETEH163, TESTA ( pp. 13, 50 ), FTTH ( styled rata on p. 13 and quoted several times on pp. 3, 13, 14, 15, 24 ), 137379 ( 6 verses from Jyotisa on p. 37 ), YTTRE! efa (p. 19), H31751H (p. 16), Heluia, Trallent (p. 30), SNG 24 (pp. 13, 24, 29 ), 11743ft (p. 29),
6yg14 (p. 45), 1848 (pp. 14, 16, 15 ), 1999 ( 11514 p. 50), श्रीदत्तोपाध्याय ( p. 24 as author of पितृभक्ति and श्राद्धकल्प ), utfantata (pp. 20, 78), Fahi (pp. 48, 50), TYGRY (pp. 12, 13). malam p. 3 has : 77 39 que pot far f t
सङ्कल्पः । अस्मत्संप्रदाये तु तिथ्युलेखपूर्वकः पित्रादीनां प्रत्येकं गोत्रसम्बन्धिपदा नामनुकीर्तनपूर्वकः सङ्कल्पः क्रियते । तत्र नामगोत्राद्युच्चारपूर्वकः सङ्कल्प इति युक्तः
TE: 1; vide p. 13 for a similar difference, 1269 THIRT ATT TOT HTH 974 / folio 21 b of the Benares
ed. of #97 1920. 1270 qy tuyaulata: Tipart Tout: 1 at the end of the
व्रतपद्धति. H, D, 106
842
History of Dharmaśāstra Vacaspati in his Dvaitayanirṇaya, by Govindananda in the Sraddha kriyakaumudi, by Raghunandana ( as in vol. I, Tithitattva pp. 136, 137, 186, Śrāddhatattva p. 226, Prāyaścitta p. 542; vol. II. Śuddhi tattva pp. 265, 272), in several of his tattvas, by Kamalakara and Nilakantha.
As Rudradhara mentions the Ratnakara, the Smstisāra, Śridattopadhyāya and the Sraddhaviveka of Sūlapāṇi, he is certainly later than 1425 A. D. A ms. of his Vratapaddhati is dated in Laksmana samvat 344 i. e. 1463 A. D.1271 Besides he is quoted by Vacaspati and Govindānanda. Therefore he must have flourished between 1425 and 1460 A, D.
Raghunandana several times mentions Rudradhara in his Smstitattva viz. (in vol. I), Tithi pp. 136-137 (on Kojā gara Paurṇimā ), p. 186 ( Kuberapūjā ), Sraddha p. 226, Prayas. p. 542; (in vol. II ) Suddhi pp. 265 (criticized ), 272, 471. Vide M. M. Chakravarti in JASB vol. XI (1915) pp. 404-405 for some information on Rudradhara.
The Rudradhara who was a pupil of Candeśvara and author of the Kṛtyacandrikā, the Vivādacandrika and the Sraddha candrikā appears to be a different author.