Vaidyanatha-Diksitiyam

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Vaidyanatha-Diksitiyam from Hindu Dharma

 

Vaidyanatha Diksita's own name for his work is Smrti-Muktaphala-

Nibhandana-Grantha. We know very little about the author of this

extremely useful book. Diksita must have lived some two hundred years

ago; he belonged to Kandiramanikkam, near Nacciyarkoil (in Tanjavur

district). It must be noted that he himself practised the dharmas he

had dealt with in his nibhandana and he is also believed to have

performed big sacrifices.

 

Vaidyanatha-Diksitiyam is considered superior to similar works by

Medhatithi, Vijnesvara, Hemadri and so on. Exhaustive in nature, it

deals with the duties and rites pertaining to the different castes

and asramas (the four stages of life), ritual purity, sradhha,

prayascitta, stridharma, dayabhaga, dravyasuddhi. It even gives

directions about the division of paternal property. When the Hindu

code Bill was introduced in free India some put forward the view that

the division of property must be based on the sastras. Such division

is called "Dayabhaga". The division of property in Kerala, in the

uncle-nephew line, is called marumakkatayam. The word "dayadi" is

derived from "daya".

 

Diksitiyam is the last among the nibhandanas. In the preparation of

this work Vaidyanatha Diksita had the advantage of making a

comparative study of all the previous works on Dharmasastra. Before

it the authority followed it to some extent in the South was the

nibhandana of Tozhappar. Vaisnavas and Smartas alike today accept the

Diksitiyam as an authority.

 

The nibhandanas are not like the Vedas (Sruti), the Kalpa-sutras and

the Smrtis. Since they came later it is not easy to make them

acceptable to all. Diksita, it must be noted, does not show the least

trace of bias in his work and has followed the Mimamsa in determining

the meaning of Vedic texts. He has brought together previous sastras

and arrived at conclusions only after resolving the contradictions in

them. This is the reason why his work is considered as authority in

the South. When the Smrtis differ in some matters, he takes a broad

view and suggests: "Let each individual follow the practices of his

region and the tradition of his forefathers".

http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part15/chap3.htm