117 Kāśīnātha-Upādhyāya

  1. Kāśīnātha-Upādhyāya

Kasinātha Upadhyāya or Bābā Padhye composed an extensive work called Dharmasindhusāra or Dharmābdhisāra, which is popularly known as Dharmasindhu. It is now the leading work in matters of religious observances in the Deccan and has been referred to even in judicial decisions. 1526 It has been published several times. In the following the Nirnayasagara edition of 1936 has been used. He says that he consulted former nibandhas and, following the order of the subject-matters in the Nirnaya sindhu, composed the work which sets forth only the establi shed conclusions after eliminating the original smsti texts.1537


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1526 I. L. R. 49 Bom. 739 at p. 756. 1527 नत्वार्यान् वितनोमि माधवमुखान् धर्माधिसारं मितम् ॥ दृष्ट्वा पूर्वनिबन्धान्

निर्णयसिन्धुक्रमेण सिद्धान् । प्रायेण मूलवचनान्युज्झित्य लिखामि बालबोधाय ॥ Introductory verses 3 and 4; then at the end the following verse states the object he has in view and how he is going to achieve it and also the persons for whom his work is intended : कृस्लोपि धर्मशास्त्रार्थ: संक्षेपणात्र निर्मितः । बिजुधानां च बालानां तुष्टये कष्टहानये ॥ मूलभूतानि पद्यानि विकृतानि क्वचित् क्वचित् । निर्विकाराण्यपि नवान्युक्तान्यत्र च

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  1. Kāśinātha-Upādhyāya

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He ( Kāśinātha Upadhyāya) expressly mentions Madhavā. cārya in the Introductory verse (3) and states that he consulted former nibandhas such as the Nirnayasindhu that establish con clusions ( in matters of Dharma). He sometimes employs the very words of the Nirṇayasindhu as, for instance, on defining Vaiṣṇava and Smārta.

The following are among the principal authors and works mentioned by the Dharmasindhu : Akhandadarśa, Agnipurāṇa, Kalatattvavivecana (frequently ), Kaustubha ( frequently), Gphyā gnisāgara, Puruṣārthacintamani, Parijāta, Pūrtakamalākara, Bhaktinirṇaya, Bhattoiidiksita, Bhāskararāya (described as Navinatara on p. 77), Mahārnava, Mādhava, Muhūrta-Cintā. mani, Muhurtamārtaṇḍa, Ramarcanacandrikā, Santimayukha, śāntisāra, Śūdrakamalakara, Śrāddhasāgara, Sāpindyadipikā.

The Dharmasindhu is divided into three paricchedas (sections) and contains 433 closely printed pages (in the Nir. ed. of 1936). The first pariccheda covers 34 pages and deals with the divisions of the year, seasons, months ( lunar, solar, savana, nāksatra, Bārhaspatya ), discussion on matters to be avoided on certain days and tithis and to be performed on them. The 2nd pari ccheda ( covering pp. 35-116 ) deals with religious acts to be done in the several months from Caitra onwards to Phālguna and p. 115 states that authoritative texts should be found from works like Kaustubha, Nirnayasindhu, and those of Madhava. The third pariccheda is divided into two parts, the first covering pp, 117–314 and the second covering pp. 315-433. The first part of the third parichheda deals with the Samskāras from Garbhadhāna onwards. In each case it starts with the considera tion of proper times (months, tithis, the week days, the astro logical yogas ) and discusses the results of eclipses, night, even ing and other times for different acts; Nārāyanabali, Nāgabali, listening to the recitation of Harivamśa, adoption of a son and discussion about the gotra of an adopted son and his sapiṇda relationship; other rites like punisarana, șasthīpājana, Śānti such

(Continued from the previous page) कानिचित् ।। मीमांसाधर्मशास्त्रज्ञाः सुधियोऽनलसा बुधाः। कृतकार्याः प्रानिबन्धै स्तदर्थ नायमुद्यमः । ये पुनर्मन्दमतयोऽलसा अज्ञाश्च निर्णयम् । धर्मे वेदितुमिच्छन्ति रचितस्तदपेक्षया । निबन्धोऽयं धर्मसिन्धुसारनामा सुबोधनः। अमुना प्रीयता xilafeget iach: Il 6–10 at end,

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as Goprasava, for being born on the 14th tithi of the dark half of a month, or on amāvāsyā (called sinivāli or kuhu), for birth, on Nakṣatras like Mūla, Aśleṣā, Jyeșthā or on Yogas like Vyatipāta or in the midst of an eclipse or on birth of twins or on birth of a daughter after three sons or a son after three daugh ters in succession, naming a child after the name of a devatā, of a month, of a nakṣatra and vyāvahārika (for general use ); other rites like taking an irfant out of the house in the sun; first feeding of food; piercing the ear-lobe; Vardhapana rite every month on the day of birth and every year; Caula ( first tonsure of the hair on the child’s head); Upanayana, proper years and times for it astrologically and otherwise; Vināyakaśānti on Upa nayana and marriage, duties of a brahmacārin; samāvartana (returning from guru after learning the Veda and vidyās ): Vivaha ( marriage ) and astrological considerations before deciding on the proposed bride, particularly avoiding sāpind ya; discussion about sagotra and saprarara; consideration of pratikula (i. e. after a marriage is decided upon but the rites of marriage are not gone through and then somebody within three degrees of the proposed bride’s or bridegroom’s gotra dies, that is pratikūla); consideration of the positions of the Sun and Jupiter of the proposed bridegroom and bride; discussion of the proper year for the marriage of a girl and the proposed bridegroom; eight forms of marriage; proper months for marriage; the description of the rites in the case of a proper marriage; the homa for marriage and homa on entering the bridegroom’s house; arka vivāha ( marriage with arka plant after the death of two wives in succession and before performing the third marriage with another girl ).

pages 235-314 deal with daily duties (āhnika ) from leaving one’s bed such as answering calls of nature, cleaning the teeth, taking a bath, performance of the morning sandhyā (Vedic prayers &c.); performance of homa, pūjāprayoga; bath in the noon; Brahmayajña, tarpaṇa; Vaiśvadeva; Baliharaṇa; Deva yajna; bhojana; other duties which are Naimittaka and Kāmya; what should be done and not done in Kaliyuga ( pp. 309-312); dreams that foreshadow favourable results; latter part of the 3rd pariccheda ( pp. 315-433 ) deals with śraddhas; meaning of the word śrāddha; varieties of śrāddhas viz. Pārvana (for three

Kasinatha-Upadhyaya

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ancestors viz. father, grandfather and great-grandfather), Ekoddi sta, Nandisraddha, Sapindikaranasraddha.

Kāsinātha was a very learned man and a great devotee of God Vithoba at Pandharpur in the Sholapur District. He wrote several other works such as the Prayascittendusekhara (Būhler 3. 110), an exposition of the Vedastuti in the Bhagavatapurana (X. 87) and a work called Vitthala-rimantrasārabhasya.1538 In the latter he takes several Rk verses ( such as Rgveda I. 95. 1-11 and I. 164.31) and explains them as applying to God Vitthala.1sti

We know a good deal about the family of Kāśinātha Padhye from his own works and from the biography of the great

Marathi poet Moropant published by Mr. L. R. Pangarkar (ed. of 1908, chap. 16 pp. 107–119). His family hailed from Golavali, a village in the Ratnagiri District. They were Karhada Brah maṇas and had the Joshi and Upadhye vștti of seventy-two villages in the Sangameśvara taluka of the Ratnagiri District. At the end of the Dharmasindhu he says that his grandfather

1528 Vide D.C. ms. No. 100 of 1869-70 dated sake 1731. In this

विठ्ठल is derived as, वित् वेदनं ज्ञानं तेन ठा: शून्याः तान् लाति स्वीकरोति. 1529 अथ श्रीमद्विठ्ठलदेवताप्रतिपादका मन्त्रा व्याख्यायन्ते । सर्वे वेदा यत्पदमामनन्तीति

श्रुतेः (कठोप. २.१५) सगुणे ब्रह्मणि तत्तच्छब्दप्रवृत्तिहेतूनां सम्भवान् सर्वे शब्दाः परस्मिन् पुंसि प्रवर्तन्ते इति श्रीविष्णुसहस्रनामभाष्याच्च सर्वस्य वेदस्य भगवत् प्रतिपादकतया सकलसूक्तानां तत्परत्वं स्पष्टमेव । तथापि विशेषतः श्रीविठ्ठलपरत्वस्य श्रद्धावद्विद्वज्जनानां बोधार्थ यथामति कतिचिदेव मन्त्राः प्रदर्यन्ते । ms. of विठ्ठलऋकान्त्रसारभाष्य ( No. 100 of 1869-70) now lodged in the B. O. R. I. Library. The first verse cited is द्वे विरूपे (क्र. I. 95 1). After explaining the eleven verses of Rgveda I. 95 the ms, proceeds to elucidate some other verses of the Rgveda such as I. 164.31. He propc unds certain general principles of the interpretation of Vedic verses and applies them to seveval verses of the Rgveda. Reasons of lack of space forbid further remarks. This work richly deserves to be printed and published. He remarks on folio 28 b - अत एवैकस्य मन्त्र स्यैक एवार्थ इत्यपि न नियमः। अस्य वामीयसूक्तादिषु (क्र. १.१६४) निरुक्त व्याख्यादिभेदनानेकार्थानां भाष्ये प्रदर्शनात् । चत्वारिशृङ्गा (ऋ. ४.५८३) इत्यादिमन्त्रस्य अग्निपरतया व्याख्यानात् । निरक्ते यज्ञपरतया व्याख्यानात् व्याकरणभाष्ये भगवतानन्तन व्याकरणशास्त्रस्वरूपवर्णनपरतया व्याख्यानाच्च… भाष्यव्याख्यानस्यापलक्षणरूपत्वात् । विस्तरभयैकैकार्थप्रदर्शनेनार्थान्तराण त्यागात् । सर्वार्थप्रकाशकस्यानादेरपौरुषे यस्य वेदस्याधुनिकपौरुषेयव्याख्यानरूप

भाष्येणार्थयत्तानियमनासम्भवात् । H. D. 123

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was Kāśyupadhyāya who had two sons Yajñeśvara and Ananta. Ananta was a very pious man and a great devotee and left his native land Konkana, and resided at Pandharpur on the Bhima. The Dharmasindhu does not give the reason for Ananta’s migration from Konkaṇa. But it is said that the Padhyes bad a dispute with another family about the upadhye vrtti, took it for decision to the Peshwa’s Court at Pouna and were defeated, on which they cursed the Peshwa, vowed not to stay in the territories under the Peshwa’s rule and migrated to Pandharpur. Vide #1. 5. H. H.for sake 1833 p. 100 for the judgement deli vered in 1762 A. D. in the dispute between Joshi and Padhye. The Dharmasindhu was composed 1630 in sake 1712 i. e. 1790–1 A. D. Kāśinātha was related to the great Marathi poet Moro pant, as his daughter Avadi was married to Ramakrśṇa, the second son of the poet. He had great veneration for Moropant and refers to the Mantrabhagavata of the latter.1531 Kasinātha became a samnyāsin and died in sake 1727 i. e. 1805-6 A. D.1582