Pandit Gaga Bhatt

Viśveśvara Bhațța, more popularly known as Gāgā Bhațța or Gaga Bhatt was a Brahmin scholar from Varanasi, best known for presiding over the coronation of the Maratha king Kshatriy Shivaji.

Gaga Bhatt was renowned as Vedonarayana ("greatest exponent of Vedic discourse"). The Bhatta family originally hailed from Paithan.^[1] His great grandfather Nārāyaņa Bhațța was a well-known scholar and his notable works on smriti include, Prayogaratna, Tristhalisetu and Antyeșțipaddhati. His grandfather was Rāmakŗșņa Bhațța, the eldest son of Nārāyaņa. His father Divākara Bhațța, the eldest son of Rāmakŗșņa was an author on smriti. His works include, Bhațțadinākara,Śāntisāra and Dinākaroddyota. His uncle, Kamalākara Bhațța, was also a noted scholar, mostly known for his Nirņayasindhu, a popular work on smriti. Gaga Bhatt himself is known for his Bhațțacintāmaņi, a work on Mīmāṃsā.^[2]

Gaga Bhatt presented a genealogy declaring that Shivaji's ancestors were Kshatriyas descended from the solar line of the Kshatriyas Ranas of Mewar.^[3] Shivaji had insisted on an Indrabhishek ritual, which had fallen into disuse since the 9th century. He was given the title Kshatriya Kulavantas Sinhasanadheeshwar Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahārāj by Gaga Bhatt.Shivaji's grandfather Maloji Bhonsle claimed descent from the Sisodia clan of Kshatriyas. According to this theory, Shivaji's original ancestors had migrated from Mewar to Deccan.Those Scholars who doubt Kshatriyas origin writes that Some local Brahmins doubted his Kshatriya ancestry, but the prominent Pandit Gaga Bhatt of Varanasi presented a genealogy declaring that Shivaji's ancestors were Kshatriyas descended from the solar line of the Kshatriyas Ranas of Mewar.But to the contrary a large number of ancient documents and scholars confirms the Kshatriyas origin of Shivaji. Some of the historical accounts stating that Shahaji and Shivaji were of Kshatriyas descent include:

Gaga Bhatt officially presided over the ceremony, and had a gold vessel filled with the seven sacred waters of the rivers Yamuna, Sindhu, Ganga, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. He held the vessel over Shivaji's head and chanted the coronation mantras, as the water kept dripping from the several tiny holes in the vessel. After the abulation, Shivaji bowed before Jijamata and touched her feet. Nearly fifty thousand people gathered at Raigad for the ceremonies.Shivaji was bestowed with the sacred thread jaanva, with the Vedas and was bathed in an abhisheka. He had insisted on an Indrabhishek ritual, which had fallen into disuse since the 9th century. Shivaji then had the title of "shakakarta" conferred upon him. He was bestowed with the Zaanva (or Janeu, the sacred thread), with the Vedas and was bathed in an abhisheka. Shivaji was formally crowned Chhatrapati ("Chhatrapati= Chief, head or King of Kshatriyas", representing the protection he bestowed on his people) on 6 June 1674 at the Raigad fort. For this act of greatness Shivaji aclaimed that Pandit Gaga bhatt is Bhrahmin of bhramins and thus procalimed the Bhatt dynasty as the "Bhattbhatt" dynasty.

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