Commentaries on Ramayana

[John Brockington]

on 15/10/03 7:27 am, Kenneth Zysk wrote:

> Perhaps someone can help with information about several commentaries on the
> Ramayana. I should appreciate any information, dates, etc., with possible
> references for the following commentaries:

The best person to ask about this is Robert Goldman, who has studied them
intensively as part of his work on the Princeton translation of the Critical
Edition of the R-am-aya,na.  However, here are some initial reactions.

> 1. "Tilaka:" According to CC vol. 1 (pp. 515, 523) the author is Ramavarman or
> Ramasarman, son of Himmativarman, pupil of Nagesa.  However, accordinging to
> the Critical Edition, vol. 5 (p. xi), the author is Nagesa. Which is correct?

The general consensus is that the Tilaka commentary was written by N-age'sa
Bha.t.ta; why the CC suggests otherwise is unclear to me.

> 2. "Ramayanatattvadipika" of Mahesvaratirtha or Mahesa. According to CC vol. 1
> (p. 446), the author is a pupil of Narayanatirtha, who could be the son of
> Nilakanthasuri of Varanasi, thus putting his date in the 18th cent. However,
> the Critical Edition, vol. 1 (p. xxx) dates him at around A.D. 1550.
> Clarification ?

Since this is one of the older commentaries, the earlier date seems more
likely than the later.

> 3. "Ramayanasiromani." An edition of the Ramayana with three commentaries
> printed by The News Printing Press of Gujarati in about 1918-19 (no date is
> given), contains a commentary called Ramayanasiromani, which, according to the
> opening mangala verses, seems to have been authored by a disciple of
> Vamsidhara. I do cannot find any other reference to this commentary. What is
> the problem here?

The R-am-aya.na'siroma.ni is generally ascribed to Va.m's-idhara
'Sivasah-aya and this seems consistent with its opening verses.

Yours

John Brockington


Professor J. L. Brockington
Secretary General, International Association of Sanskrit Studies

Sanskrit, School of Asian Studies
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