Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi
By Swami Harshananda
Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi literally means ‘the wish-yielding gem of the four ends of life’.
Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi is one of the most voluminous and celebrated digests of ancient religious rites and observations.It is written by Hemādri (13th cent. A.D.). He was a minister at the court of the Yādava king of Devagiri (modern Daulatabad in Maharashtra). He might have composed this during A.D. 1260-70. According to the statements in the book, the author intended to treat the subject in five sections:
- Vrata - Religious observances
- Dāna - Gifts
- Tīrtha - Pilgrimage
- Mokṣa - Emancipation
- Pariśiṣta - Supplement
Since the sections dealing with tirtha and mokṣa are not available now, some scholars feel that Hemādri could not complete his work according to his original intentions. The book is more popular in the Deccan and South India. It is considered as a authentic work.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore