Dear Prof. Deshpande,

It appears the dedication statement, श्रीमहालक्ष्मीबल्लाळेश्वरार्पणमस्तु indicates that the Kuladevatas of the author could have been the popular deities of Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur and Ballaleshwar (Ganapati). As you might very well know, families in Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka usually have two deities as Kuladevata - one male and one female. Khandoba is perhaps the most popular Kuladevata, but other deities enjoy their fair share of Kuladevata worship too.

Regards,

Anand

On Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 7:09:59 PM UTC+5:30, Madhav Deshpande wrote:

Dear Colleagues,

     I am working on a critical edition and translation of an 18th/19th century text वेदविचार ascribed to someone named शामशास्त्री द्रविड द्विवेदी.  The text discusses disputes among the Vedic Śākhās and Brahmin communities mostly in the region of Maharashtra and attempts to provide arguments to resolve them.  We know practically nothing about the author.  The colophon at the end of the text offers salutations to Tryambakeśvara and the author says he was inspired by Śrī Rāma, which makes me suspect that the author is a resident of the region of Nasik.  The very last line refers to Mahālakṣmī-Ballāḷeśvara.  Is anyone familiar with this region and aware of a temple to these deities?  Here are the final verses of the text:

                अज्ञानादथवा ज्ञानाद् ग्रन्थेऽस्मिन्यदुदीरितम् ।

              तत्सर्वं करुणासिन्धुः क्षम्यतां त्र्यम्बकेश्वरः ॥१॥

              अन्तःकरणतद्वृत्तिसाक्षिणा परमात्मना ।

              श्रीरामेण प्रेरितोऽहमकार्षं वाक्यसंग्रहम् ॥२॥

              तत्सर्वं कृपया विप्राः पण्डिता दीनवत्सलाः ।

              विचार्य संशोधयन्तु विप्रस्पर्धानिवृत्तये ॥३॥

इति श्रीमद्द्विवेदिद्रविडशामशास्त्रिविरचितं वेदविचारप्रकरणं संपूर्णतामगमत् । तेन परमात्मा श्रीरामः सुप्रसन्नो वरदो भवतु । श्रीमहालक्ष्मीबल्लाळेश्वरार्पणमस्तु ।

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Madhav Deshpande

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

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