Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa

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Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa (born 1513 C.E.) was a renowned scholar and author in the field of Dharmaśāstra, prosody, and Alaṅkāra, residing in Benares during the 16th century. He belonged to the Bhaṭṭa family, originally from Maharashtra, known for their dedication to the study and composition of Dharmaśāstra texts. Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa's father, Rāmeśvara Bhaṭṭa, migrated from Pratiṣṭhāna in Deccan to Banaras.[1]

It is believed that he played a role in rebuilding the famous Viśvanātha temple in Banaras,[2] which had been repeatedly demolished by Muslim attackers in the past. [note 1]

He is also the ancestor of authorities like Kamalākara Bhaṭṭa, Gāgā Bhaṭṭa, Dinakara Bhaṭṭa, and others.[4]

Works[edit]

Bhaṭṭa's notable works include a commentary on the Vṛttaratnākara of Kedāra Bhaṭṭa, Vṛttaratnāvalī, Prayogaratna, Tristhalisetu,[5] and Antyeșțipaddhati.[6] His work, Vṛttaratnāvalī, is mentioned in a report by F. Kielhorn.[7]

Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa's life and works provide valuable insights into the scholarly pursuits and cultural heritage of Benares during the 16th century.[8][4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kane, P. V. (1990). History of Dharmaśāstra (2nd ed.). Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona. p. 904.
  2. ^ O'Hanlon, Rosalind (March 2011). "Speaking from Siva's temple: Banaras scholar households and the Brahman 'ecumene' of Mughal India". South Asian History and Culture. 2 (2): 264–265. doi:10.1080/19472498.2011.553496. ISSN 1947-2498. S2CID 145729224.
  3. ^ Asher, Catherine B. (May 2020). "Making Sense of Temples and Tirthas: Rajput Construction Under Mughal Rule". The Medieval History Journal. 23 (1): 9–49. doi:10.1177/0971945820905289. ISSN 0971-9458.
  4. ^ a b Acharya, Kumuda Prasad. "A CONCISE HISTORY OF SANSKRIT CHANDA LITERATURE". Shodhganga.
  5. ^ Gokhale, R. (ed.). 1915. Tristhalīsetu of Narayan Bhatta. Pune: AnandashrmaMudranalaya.
  6. ^ Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa (1985). Richard Salomon (ed.). The Bridge to the Three Holy Cities. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. pp. xxvi–xxvii. ISBN 978-0-89581-647-4.
  7. ^ Kielhorn, Lorenz Franz (1881). Report on the search for Sanskrit manuscripts.
  8. ^ "Narayana-bhatta, Nārāyaṇa-bhaṭṭa, Narayanabhatta: 4 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2024-02-16.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ However, this effort was short-lived, as the temple was once again demolished by Aurangzeb, who then constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque in 1678 on the site where the temple had stood.[3]