117. Kāshinātha Upādhyāya
Volume I: Part II pp. 974–978
Kāshinātha Upādhyāya is primarily recognized for his extensive work titled Dharmasindhusāra. This treatise holds a pre-eminent position as a leading authority in the Deccan region, particularly concerning a vast array of religious matters and practices. Its scholarly depth is underscored by the meticulous enumeration of numerous authors and their works mentioned within its pages, which collectively address a broad spectrum of subjects relevant to dharma. Beyond this significant opus, insights into Kāshinātha Upādhyāya's personal history reveal a prolific scholar. He is credited with authoring several other works, further contributing to the Dharmaśāstra tradition. Notably, the composition of the seminal Dharmasindhu, which refers to this same extensive work, can be precisely dated to the years 1790 and 1791 A.D., marking its definitive place in the chronology of Hindu legal and customary literature.
— Synopsis by P.V. Kane, from History of Dharmaśāstra
117. Kāshinātha Upādhyāya
117. Kāśīnātha-Upādhyāya
Kāśīnātha Upādhyāya or Bābā Padhye composed an extensive work called Dharmasindhuśāra or Dharmābdhisāra, which is popularly known as Dharmasindhu. It is now the leading work in matters of religious observances in the Deccan and has been referred to even in judicial decisionṣ1 It has been published several timeṣ In the following the Nirṇayasāgara edition of 1936 has been useḍ He says that he consulted former nibandhas and, following the order of the subject-matters in the Nirṇaya- sindhu, composed the work which sets forth only the establi- shed conclusions after eliminating the original smṛti textṣ2 He (Kāśīnātha Upādhyāya) expressly mentions Mādhavā-cārya in the Introductory verse (3) and states that he consulted former nibandhas such as the Nirṇayasindhu that establish conclusions (in matters of Dharma). He sometimes employs the very words of the Nirṇayasindhu as, for instance, on defining Vaiṣṇava and Smārta.
The following are among the principal authors and works mentioned by the Dharmasindhu : Akhaṇḍādarśa, Agnipurāṇa, Kālatattvavivecana (frequently), Kaustubha (frequently), Gṛhyāgniśāgara, Puruṣārthacintāmaṇi, Pārijāta, Pūrtakamalākara, Bhaktinirṇaya, Bhaṭṭojiīkṣita, Bhāskararāya (described as Navīnatara on p. 77), Mahārṇava, Mādhava, Muhūrta-Cintā-maṇi, Muhūrtamārtanḍa, Rāmārcanacandrikā, Śāntimayūkha, Śāntisāra, Śūdrakamalākara, Śrāddhasāgara, Sāpiṇḍyadīpikā.
The Dharmasindhu is divided into three paricchedas (sections) and contains 433 closely printed pages (in the Nir. eḍ of 1936). The first pariccheda covers 34 pages and deals with the divisions of the year, seasons, months (lunar, solar, sāvana, nākṣatra, Bārhaspatya), discussion on matters to be avoided on certain days and tithis and to be performed on theṃ The 2nd pari-ccheda (covering pp. 35-116) deals with religious acts to be done in the several months from Caitra onwards to Phālguna and p. 115 states that authoritative texts should be found from works like Kaustubha, Nirṇayasindhu, and those of Mādhava. The third pariccheda is divided into two parts, the first covering pp, 117-314 and the second covering pp. 315-433. The first part of the third pariccheda deals with the Saṁskāras from Garbhādhāna onwardṣ In each case it starts with the considera-tion of proper times (months, tithis, the week days, the astro-logical yogas) and discusses the results of eclipses, night, even-ing and other times for different acts; Nārāyaṇabalī, Nāgabalī, listening to the recitation of Harivamśa, adoption of a son and his sapinda relationship; other rites like puṁsavana, ṣaṣṭhipūjana, Śānti such as Goprasava, for being born on the 14th tithi of the dark half of a month, or on amāvāsyā (called sinīvālī or kuhū), for birth, on Nakṣatras like Mūla, Āśleṣā, Jyeṣṭhā or on Yogas like Vyatīpāta or in the midst of an eclipse or on birth of twins or on birth of a daughter after three sons or a son after three daugh- ters in succession, naming a child after the name of a devatā, of a month, of a nakṣatra and vyavahārika (for general use); other rites like taking an infant out of the house in the sun; first feeding of food; piercing the ear-lobe; Vardhāpana rite every month on the day of birth and every year; Caula (first tonsure of the hair on the child's head); Upanayana, proper years and times for it astrologically and otherwise; Vināyakaśānti on Upa- nayana and marriage, duties of a brahmacārin; samāvartana (returning from guru after learning the Veda and vidyās): Vivāha (marriage) and astrological considerations before deciding on the proposed bride, particularly avoiding sāpiṇḍya; discussion about sagotra and sapravara; consideration of pratikūla (i. e. after a marriage is decided upon but the rites of marriage are not gone through and then somebody within three degrees of the proposed bride's or bridegroom's gotra dies, that is pratikūla); consideration of the positions of the Sun and Jupiter of the proposed bridegroom and bride; discussion of the proper year for the marriage of a girl and the proposed bridegroom; eight forms of marriage; proper months for marriage; the description of the rites in the case of a proper marriage; the homa for marriage and homa on entering the bridegroom's house; arka- vivāha (marriage with arka plant after the death of two wives in succession and before performing the third marriage with another girl).
pages 235-314 deal with daily duties (āhnika) from leaving one's bed such as answering calls of nature, cleaning the teeth, taking a bath, performance of the morning sandhyā (Vedic prayers &c.); performance of homa, pūjāprayoga; bath in the noon; Brahmayajña, tarpana; Vaiśvadeva; Baliharaṇa; Deva- yajña; bhojana; other duties which are Naimittaka and Kāmya; what should be done and not done in Kaliyuga (pp. 309-312); dreams that foreshadow favourable results; latter part of the 3rd pariccheda (pp. 315-433) deals with śrāddhas; meaning of the word śrāddha; varieties of śrāddhas viz. Pārvaṇa (for three 117. Kāśinātha-Upādhyāya ancestors viz. father, grandfather and great-grandfather), Ekoddi- ṣṭa, Nandiśrāddha, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇaśrāddha.
Kāśinātha was a very learned man and a great devotee of God Vithobā at Pandharpur in the Sholapur District. He wrote several other works such as the Prāyaścittenduśekhara (Bühler X. 87) and a work called Viṭṭhala-rūmantrasārabhāṣya.3 In the latter he takes several Ṛk verses (such as Ṛgveda I. 95. 1-11 and I. 164. 31) and explains them as applying to God Viṭṭhala.4
We know a good deal about the family of Kāśinātha Pāḍhye from his own works and from the biography of the great Marathi poet Moropant published by Mr. L. R. Paṅgarkar (eḍ of 1908, chap. 16 pp. 107-119). His family hailed from Golavali, a village in the Ratnagiri District. They were Karhāḍā Brāh- maṇas and had the Joshi and Upadhye vṛtti of seventy-two villages in the Sāṅgameśvara taluka of the Ratnagiri District. At the end of the Dharmasindhu he says that his grandfather H. D. 123 was Kāśyupādhyāya who had two sons Yajñeśvara and Ananta. Ananta was a very pious man and a great devotee and left his native land Koṅkaṇa, and resided at Pandharpur on the Bhīmā. The Dharmasindhu does not give the reason for Ananta's migration from Koṅkaṇa. But it is said that the Padhyas had a dispute with another family about the upadhye vṛtti, took it for decision to the Peshwa's Court at Poona and were defeated, on which they cursed the Peshwa, vowed not to stay in the territories under the Peshwa's rule and migrated to Pandharpur. Vide मा. द. सं. वृत for śake 1833 p. 100 for the judgement delivered in 1762 A. D. in the dispute between Joshi and Padhye. The Dharmasindhu was composed5 in śake 1712 i. e. 1790-1 A. D. Kāśinātha was related to the great Marathi poet Moropant, as his daughter Āvadī was married to Rāmukṛṣṇa, the second son of the poet. He had great veneration for Moropant and refers to the Mantrabhagavata of the latter.6 Kāśinātha became a samnyāsin and died in śake 1727 i. e. 1805-6 A. D.7