Dhundhiraja of Svamimalai

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Dhundhi-raja (IAST: Ḍhuṇḍhirāja), also known as Ḍhuṇḍhi Vyāsa, was an 18th-century Sanskrit writer from Varanasi, who settled in the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom of present-day Tamil Nadu, India. He is noted for writing a commentary on Mudra-rakshasa (1713 CE) and an adaptation of Gita-govinda.

Biography[edit]

Dhundhi-raja was also known as Dhundhi-raja-vyasa-yajvan or Dhundhi-raja-yajvan,^[1] yajvan being the title accorded to a person who had performed a ritual sacrifice (yajna).^[2] King Shahaji I gave him the title Abhinava-Jayadeva ("the new Jayadeva") for writing Shaha-vilasa-gita,^[1] a free adaptation of Jayadeva's Gita-govinda.^[3]

Dhundhi-raja was a Marathi-speaking brahmin, originally from Varanasi. His father's name was Lakshmana-vyasa alias Lakshmana-sudhi. In the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom, Dhundhi-raja resided at Svamimalai near Thanjavur. His patrons included several members of the Thanjavur court, including the kings Shahaji I and Serfoji I, as well as the ministers Tryambaka and Raghunatha. He describes himself as a pauranika (Purana story-teller) of Shahaji.^[1]

Dhundhi-raja had a son named Balakrishna, and a grandson named Shankara-dikshita, who composed Pradyumna-vijaya.^[1]

Works[edit]

Shaha-vilasa-gita or Shaha-vilasa-gitam (IAST: Śāhavilāsagīta or Śāhavilāsagītam), a poem adapted from Gita-govinda. It celebrates the love between king Shahaji I and a courtesan.^[3]
Mudra-rakshasa-vyakhya (IAST: Mudrārākṣasavyakhya), a commentary on Mudrarakshasa^[4]

The introductory verses in Dhundhi-raja's Mudra-rakshasa-vyakhya are same as those of his patron Tryambaka's Dharmākūta: it is possible that Tryambaka took these verses from Dhundhi-raja's work. Alternative theories ascribe the authorship of Mudra-rakshasa-vyakhya to Tryambaka or the authorship of Dharmākūta to Dhundhi-raja.^[2]

References[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Julia Leslie 1989, p. 19.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Julia Leslie 1989, p. 12.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Elisa Ganser (2021). "From Text to Performance: On Multilingual Practices of South Indian Dance". In Giovanni Ciotti; Erin McCann, Erin (eds.). Linguistic and Textual Aspects of Multilingualism in South India and Sri Lanka. Institut Français de Pondichéry. pp. 604–605. ISBN 9782855392424.
↑ Julia Leslie 1989, p. 10.

Bibliography[edit]

Isobel Julia Leslie (1989). The Perfect Wife: The Orthodox Hindu Woman according to the Strīdharmapaddhati of Tryambakayajvan. Oxford University South Asian Studies Series. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-562107-5.

[FOOTNOTEJulia_Leslie198919-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Julia Leslie 1989, p. 19.

[FOOTNOTEJulia_Leslie198912-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Julia Leslie 1989, p. 12.

[EG-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Elisa Ganser (2021). "From Text to Performance: On Multilingual Practices of South Indian Dance". In Giovanni Ciotti; Erin McCann, Erin (eds.). Linguistic and Textual Aspects of Multilingualism in South India and Sri Lanka. Institut Français de Pondichéry. pp. 604–605. ISBN 9782855392424.

[FOOTNOTEJulia_Leslie198910-4] Julia Leslie 1989, p. 10.

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