1897.] M. M. Cliakravarti —Language and Literature of Orissa. 333 
extravagant sanctity was attacked to the temple as described in the work. 
The middle of the thirteenth century is thus arrived at as the anterior 
limit of the work. Its posterior limit is settled by the fact that the 
Mahatmya is referred to with veneration by Raghunandana 1 of the six¬ 
teenth century and by Narasimha Acarya 8 of the fifteenth century. 
Probably the close of the thirteenth century is nearer the truth as re¬ 
gards the date of this work. 
Similarly Ekamra-Purana and Ekamra-Candrika refer to the temples 
of Ananta-Vasudeva and Meght^vara. Ananta-Vasudeva was built 
in the eleventh century A.D., its inscription having been composed 
by Vacaspati-Mi^ra. 3 Meghe 9 vara was built still later about the end of 
twelfth century (circa 1200 A.D.) 4 The period of one hundred years 
being allowed to account for the sanctity of the temples, the anterior times 
of these guide-books must be later than the close of the thirteenth 
century. The Arka-Mahatmya must similarly be later than the sun- 
temple of Konarka it deals with. This great temple was built under 
orders of Narasimha Deva I. probably in the 3rd quarter of the thir¬ 
teenth century. 5 Hence the Arka-Mahatmya cannot be placed earlier 
than fourteenth century. Lastly the existing Viraja-Mahatmya is 
not very old. In the beginning it refers to the temple of Jagannatha, 6 
and in one passage the pilgrims are advised to pay their respects at the 
shrine of Gaijge 9 vara. From the name and description, I take this to 
be a Liqga established by Gaqg^vara which was another name of 
Codagaijga. On the whole I would not put the present Viraja-Mahatmya 
earlier than thirteenth century. 
Raghunandana’s Astaviri^a 
tattvani, pp. 67-8. I quote here and elsewhere from Beni- 
madhab De & Co.’s Bengali Edition, which in spite of numerous errors, is the only 
edition known to me giving a complete text of this encyclopaedic work. 
8 Acarapradlpa MS., Fol. 7. 
8 “ " L - 33 of 
Inscription; Dr. R. L. Mittra’s Ant. Orissa, Vol. II, pp. 84-5. 
4 See Babu N. N. Yasu’s article, Journ. As. Soc . Beng ., Vol. LXYI,, Ft. I, No. I 
1897, p. 14 et seq. 
6 Journ. As. Soc. Beng., Vol. LXV, pp. 232-3. 
6 My MS. copy, 1st Adhyaya, p. 6. 
■itot sfcr ^icrt nxwtvr- 11 
fawr i 
J. i. 43 * 
