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Hemādri Paṇḍita, popularly known as Hemāḍapanta, was a polymath and a prime minister from 1259 to 1274 CE during the reign of King Mahādev (1259–1271) and King Ramachandra (1271–1309) of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty, which ruled the western and southern part of India. Hemadpant is also the creator of Hemadpanti architecture.^[1]^[2]

Origin

Hemadri Pandit was born in a Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin (DRB) family^[3]^[4] that had its origin in the Hemadri village in the Dakshin Kannada District of Karnataka. As per other sources, Hemadri was born in the southern Kannada-speaking regions of the Yadava kingdom in a Kannada Madhyadina Shaka Brahmin family.^[5] His father, Kāmadeo, had brought him up in Maharashtra. On the other hand, in Hemadri's biography^[6] written by Keshav Appa Padhye, the author has mentioned that Hemadri was a Shukla Yajurvedi Vatsagotri (belonging to the Vatsa Gotra), Panchapravari (5 pravara) brāhmaṇa (५: जामदग्ना वत्सास्तेषां पञ्चार्षेयो भार्गवच्यावनाप्नवानौर्वजामदग्नेति, ref. आश्वलायनश्रौतसूत्र). Padhye has mentioned the reference for this information to be the book authored by Hemadri himself, the चतुर्वर्गचिंतामणि, or chaturvarga-chintāmaṇi.

Career

Hemadri was a diplomat, an administrator, an architect, a poet, and a theologian and scholar. During his prime ministership, the Yadav kingdom reached its zenith;^{[citation needed]} soon after his tenure, the Turkic emperor of Delhi, Alāuddin Khalji, and his successors ended the Yadav rule in southwestern India.^{[citation needed]}

Writings

Hemadri wrote the encyclopedic book about dharma, the Chaturvarga Chintāmaṇi. It contains, among other subjects, thousands of Vratas along with the modus operandi for performing them.^{[citation needed]}
He wrote the commentary Āyurveda Rasāyan on the Ayurvedic Samhita "Ashtānga Hṛdayam", containing descriptions of various diseases and their remedies.^{[citation needed]}
A small historical book, the Hemādpanti Bakhar (Hemadpant's Chronicle) is credited to him.^{[citation needed]}
He created the Mestakas to standardize procedural sections of state administration.^{[citation needed]}

Cultural contributions

Hemadri introduced the use of the Modi script for Marāthi (cursive style of writing Marathi) in government correspondence, a script which continued to be used till the end of Peshwa rule.^{[citation needed]}
He conceived of buildings and temples which did not use lime under his Hemadpanti architecture style.^{[citation needed]}
He introduced the plantation of pearl millet (Bājari) as a staple crop.^{[citation needed]}
He encouraged and supported many artists and writers like Bopadev and studied their books and presented his own criticism.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ P. V. Kate (1987). Marathwada Under the Nizams, 1724-1948. Mittal Publications. p. 7. ISBN 9788170990178.
^ Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri (1966). A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar. Oxford University Press. p. 482.
^ Kāḷācyā paḍadyāāḍa , Volume 2. Marāṭhī Sāhitya Parishada. 1992. p. 373. देवगिरी येथे रामचंद्रराव राजा राज्य करीत असता दमरदारीच्या कामावर हेमाद्री ऊर्फ हेमाडपंत' हा देशस्थ ऋग्वेदी ब्राह्मण काम करीत होता
^ Religious Cultures in Early Modern India: New Perspectives. Routledge. 2014. ISBN 9781317982876.
^ Novetzke, Christian Lee (18 October 2016). The Quotidian Revolution: Vernacularization, Religion, and the Premodern Public Sphere in India. Columbia University Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-231-54241-8.
^ "Hemadri Urf Hemadpant Yanche Charitra By Keshav Appa Padhye". Varada Books. Retrieved 10 September 2024.

Sources

Samasta Maharashtriya Brahman Potshakha (A Genealogy of all the Maharashtrian Brahmins, Marathi) by Dr. Abhaykumar Savaji
Hemadri Athawa Hemadpant (Hemadri, or Hemadpant; Marathi) by Keshav Appa Padhye
Maharashtra Saraswat (The Saraswats of Maharashtra, Marathi) by Vinayakrao Bhave
Aitihasik Prastavana (Proposals on History, Marathi) by Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade