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The backdrop of the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa

by Dhrubajit Sarma | 2015 | 94,519 words

This page relates “Commentary on the poem [Shrikanthacarita]� as it appears in the case study regarding the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa. The Shrikanthacarita was composed by Mankhaka, sometimes during A.D. 1136-1142. The Mankhakosa or the Anekarthakosa is a kosa text of homonymous words, composed by the same author.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 9 - Commentary on the poem [Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ]

There is only one commentary available upon the Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ of Ѳṅk󲹰첹, without which it would not be possible for its readers to relish the intrinsic rasa contained in it. Again, the Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ is couched up in references of different schools of Indian Philosophy, other branches of knowledge, mythical legends etc., therefore, the readers will not have been able to construe its technical terms as well as difficult words at all, at the absence of any handy commentary. However, to some extent, Jonarāja comes as a relief in dechiphering the meaning lying hidden in the poem. Ofcourse, there may be some previous commentaries prior to Jonarāja, which existence has been hinted by Jonarāja’s crititicism and repudiation of some others� interpretations.[1]

Բ첹 Jonarāja was a resident of the province of Kashmir, which may be inferred from the very title Բ첹. He was the progeny of an illustrious family. Nonarāja and Laularāja were respectively his father and grandfather.[2] Apart from the commentary on the Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ, Jonarāja had written two commentaries on the ܲīⲹ and the ṛtīᲹᲹⲹ also. According to Bühler, Jonarāja wrote the commentary on the ܲīⲹ on A.D. 1449 and on ṛtīᲹᲹⲹ of Jayānaka sometimes, between A.D. 1450-1475. He occupies a place, next to ṇa as a celebrated writer of the continuation of the Rājataraṅgiṇ� He has written the second Rājataraṅgiṇ�, in the reign of Jainul Ābidīn, the Sultan of Kashmir (A.D. 1420-1470). There is not much information available, regarding the life and works of Jonarāja. He has not added anything about himself in his second Rājataraṅgiṇ� However, little bit of information are collected from his own commentaries and from Śrīvara, another Sanskrit scholar of the Sultani age. It is known from Rājataraṅgiṇ� (verse 11) itself, that Jonarāja wrote his second Rājataraṅgiṇ�, at the command of the chief 󲹰󾱰 Śīśⲹṭṭ.[3] Jonarāja was also a devotee of Lord Ś, as he is found to have eulogizing Him, in the first verse of his Rājataraṅgiṇ�[4] In the ṣi of the commentary of the last canto of the Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ, Jonarāja has been referred.[5] Generally, the commentary of the commentators on different poems is found to have bearing some title. As for example, Ѳٳ’s commentary on the ܲīⲹ, is named ṇt貹ٳ, ñīī on the Raghuvaṃśa, the ܳ. and the ѱ𲵳󲹻ūٲ However, Jonarāja has not assigned any special name to his commentary on the Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ. At the very outset of his commentary on the poem, he is seen to have eulogized the goddess of learning.[6] Jonarāja was patronised by Jainollābhadīn. Again, he was the preceptor of Śrīvara.

In his ܲṣi屹ī, Vallavadeva has quoted some of the stanzas of Jonarāja. Jonarāja’s commentary exhibits some peculiar characteristic features. They are as follows�

While, the style of Ѳٳ is characterized by clarity, Jonarāja’s is not so lucid. Though Jonarāja endeavours to explain the text fully, some of his explanations are not precise.[7] Regarding the employment of the chandas and ṃk also, he is not thorough, as he has not referred to all of them. In the commentary, at many places, the texts differ from the text accepted by the editor. As for example, in the commentary, the text divo nirāśraya� is found as to be ԲԾśⲹ� in the text of the verse, X. 8. Similarly, 徱첹� is found in the commentary for 첹� in the text of X. 12. Generally, Jonarāja cites a ī첹 and afterwards he explains it.[8] Besides, while commenting, he discuses the grammatical terms at the end only, he abstains from discussing it at the middle.[9] It may be mentioned here that in both of the examples, Jonarāja’s technique of commentary is similar to Ѳٳ. Lastly, Jonarāja, at the very beginning of his commentary, states unambiguously that he aims at deciphering the literal sense of the poem only, however, sometimes he takes recourse to the secondary sense also, which actually augments the 峦ٳ.[10] Jonarāja abides by his statement, which can be proved by a careful analysis of his commentary.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

As for example, the commentator, while interpreting the term divādisārā�, writes “kecittu divādisārā� ityekapada� kṛtvā eva� vyācakṣate-divādau svargādau sārāmiti/tattu na lākṣaṇika� hṛdayaṃgama�.� Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., XVII. 5, page 239

[2]:

śrīlolarājasutapaṇḍitabhaṭṭanonarājātmajo vivaraṇa� vyadhitādyāsarge/
ājñāmavāpya viduṣāṃ kila jonarāja� pṛthvīmahendravijayobhidhakāvyarājye/
Sarkar, Aditi, Sanskrit Bhāṣāy Kāśmīrer Itihās, Introduction, footnote, page 31

[3]:

Ibid., page 15

[4]:

Ibid., page 16

[5]:

cf. iti śrīpaṇḍitalolatanayapaṇḍitanonarājatanayarājānakaśrījonarājakṛtayā ṭīkayā�./
Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., XXV. 152, page 363

[6]:

udetī yasyā� prakaṭībhavantyā� tirohitāyā� galatīva viśva�/
ravipravevāstu tamo harantī dṛśa� prabodhāya sarasvatī va�// Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., Commentary, page 1

[7]:

yato yatpurastrījanasya dṛśāmavagraho vṛṣṭipratibandha�/
vāṣpābhāva ityartha�/
sa kūṭasthatayā kālavyāpitvena sphurati/
vṛṣṭau hi satyā� paṅka� bhavati/
pratyavekṣayā paureṣu nityasukhiteṣu yadbhūjā� yaśa eva sphuratītyartha�//

Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., Commentary on III. 18; also Commentary on IV. 62, 63

[8]:

As for example, in the commentary on Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., VIII. 28, it is found that “śravaṇayo� karṇayorābharaṇīkṛta� bhūṣaṇatā� nītamaśoka� kart�...../�

Likewise, on VII. 25, “madana� kāma� sa eva dāhakatvāddhūtavaho’gnistatrādhvagotpalākṣījanasya virahiṇīlokasya...../�

[9]:

As for example, in the commentary on VII. 9, “iṣṭakeṣīkāmālānā� iti mālāśabdasya hrasva�/
vaṣṭi bhāgurirallopamavāpyorupasargayo� ityavaśabdasyākāralopa�/� also, in the commentary, on VI. 65, “ahaṃśubhayoryus iti yus/�, Jonarāja has done accordingly.

[10]:

śrīlaularājasutapaṇḍitabhaṭṭanonarājātmaja� sahṛdayairvihitābhyanujña�/
kāvye purāricarite kurute’bhiyoga� 峦ٳmātravivṛti� prati jonarāja�// śeṣārthayoriha vihastitabālabodhaśraddhāpratītiraraṇisthahutāśatulyā/
kaṣṭena yasya sucirādupatiṣṭhate’nna� māṅsaspṛhā bhavati tasya hi hāsahetu�// lakṣyādinā kvacana saurabhamārabheya tadvācyapoṣakatayetyavaseyameva/
arthavyaya� spṛśati parvasu yaddaridrastatkevala� bhavati maṅgalabhaṅgabhīte�//

Śī첹ṇṭ󲹳ٲ., Commentary, page 1

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