Bhaminivilasa of Panditaraja Jagannatha

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The Text

The text of the Bhaminivilaisa is printed here on the basis of the following printed editions :—

1. L.R. Vaidya’s ed?tion, Bombay, 1887.

2. S.M. Paranjape’s edition, Poona, 1895.

3. Sesidri edition, Bombay (no date given).

4. Bal’s edition with Mahadeva Siiri’s Gloss, Bombay, 1895.

5. Nisnayasagara edition with Acyutaraya’s commentary, Bombay, 1933.

6. Nirnayasagara edition of Rasagangadhara, Bombay, 1916.

Traditions about the Author

In spite of the fact that the author Jagannatha Panditaraja flourished as late as about the 17th century A.D., we have no historical account or authentic tradition on which we can base his life. A considerable mass of traditions has sprung round him and it is well nigh impossible in the present state of our knowledge to differentiate fact from fiction. Some of these tradi- tions are given below.

1. Jagannatha came from Tailanga country and started a school at Jaipur. Once upon a time a Kazi came to Jaipur and challenged the pandits of the place to a debate. None could meet his challenge, but Jagannatha studied the muslim religious bocks and defeated the Kazi on his own ground. The Emperor of Delhi hearing of our poet’s fame invited him to Delh and granted him his patronage. The poet there fell in love with a muslim girl? whom he married and spent his youth at the Moghul capital. In his old age he went to Benares but he was excommunicated by pandits like Appayadiksita on the ground that he was contami- nated by the contact of a muslim woman. Being very much distressed at it Jagannatha went to the Ganges and seated on the Ghat stairs began to sing the praise of Ganga in extempore verses. These verses are known by the name of Gangalahari. The mother Ganga was very much pleased by his devotion and began to rise one step at the end of each verse. After the 52nd verse the river took the poet and his muslim wife in her lap and carried away both of them in her current.

2. When Jagannatha lived under the patronage of Akbar, Emperor of Delhi, he married a muslim girl named Lavangi. After some time the wife died and Jagannatha in his sorrow for her, went to live at Benares. But he was insulted by the pandits of Benares. At this the poet went to the river Ganges and after having praised Ganga by means of his Gangalahari leaped into its rain-swollen current.

3. When Jagannatha was enjoying the favours of the royal court at Delhi he received an invitation from some ruling Prince. ‘To the invitation he sent the following reply:

   ‘Either the Lord of Delhi or the Lord of the Universe can fulfil (my) desires. Favours granted by other kings can only suffice for vegetables or salt.’’

4. Jagannatha had performed austerities to please a Goddess who granted him the following boon:

   ‘‘Roam till the land of Kurus (in the North) and do not doubt your success in debates with your oppo nents; but, my child, accept one boon from me and explain the S’astras.""’

5. Haridiksita, the teacher of the celebrated Nagegabhatta, went to Delhi and challenged Jagannatha. The peet feared him and his superior scholarship. He tied a charm round his arm and next day defeated the opponent Haridiksita. The great grammarian was very much vexed and disappointed and on returning home he resolved either to destroy himself or vanquish Jagannatha. Through the help of some divinity he defeated Jagannatha next day.

6. Jagannatha became a renowned pandit through the favour of the mother Ganga. Then he went to Delhi and described his poverty-ridden condition in the following verse before the Emperor.