Samvatsarapradipa
By Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharya
Summary
This note discusses the authorship and transmission of the Samvatsarapradipa, a work on ritual and calendar calculation. Dr. Hazra attributed the text to Halayudha, but the author argues that there may have been two works with the same name—one by Halayudha and another by Dhanañjaya. He cites Rayamukut’s Smrtiratnahara, which quotes a passage from the Samvatsarapradipa and attributes it to Dhanañjaya, and notes that Srinatha’s Durgotsavaviveka also refers to Dhanañjaya’s Samvatsarapradipa. The author urges Dr. Hazra to publish the evidence for his attribution and emphasises that multiple manuscripts may preserve variant traditions. He introduces the newly discovered Tithikriyavinirnaya by Srikara (identified as Srinatha’s father), which cites Samvatsarapradipa alongside works by Jimutavahana and Laksmidhara. These references show that the text was known in Bengal by the 15th century. The note concludes that the Samvatsarapradipa tradition is more complex than previously thought and that further research is needed.
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
The note challenges the attribution of Samvatsarapradipa solely to Halayudha and presents evidence that Dhanañjaya also composed a work by this name. It calls for publication of Dr. Hazra’s evidence and introduces Srikara’s Tithikriyavinirnaya, which cites the text. Recognising multiple Samvatsarapradipa traditions will improve understanding of Bengal’s Dharmasastra literature.