Dhundhiraja of Svamimalai

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

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

• 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

1. Julia Leslie 1989, p. 19.
2. Julia Leslie 1989, p. 12.
3. 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.
4. Julia Leslie 1989, p. 10.

Bibliography

• 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.