[INDOLOGY] The definition of vārttika as a type of commentary

[Birgit Kellner]

Dear colleagues,

I was wondering whether any of you could help with tracing definitions
of vārttika as a type of commentary.

Hemacandra gives this definition in the Abhidhānacintāmaṇi:

Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 2.170  [=Boethlingk/Rieu ed. verse no. 256]:
uktānuktaduruktārthacintākāri tu vārttikam | ṭīkā nirantaravyākhyā
pañjikā padabhañjikā ||

A vārttika thus scrutinizes (the basic text) in terms of what has been
taught in it, what has not been taught in it, and what has been badly
taught in it. (Some remarks in Wezler 1974 on Yuktidīpikā, and 1975
Sekundär-Suffixe-Pāṇini)

A different definition is found in some Buddhist pramāṇa commentaries.

Prajñākaragupta's Pramāṇavārttikālaṅkārabhāṣya (ed. Sāṅkṛtyāyana 1953, p
521): sūtrāṇām anupapatticodanā(t? cf. below) tatparihāro
viśeṣābhidhānaṃ ceti vārttikalakṣaṇam.

Vibhūticandra's notes attached to the paper manuscript of
Manorathanandin's Pramāṇavārttikavṛtti (reproduced in the edition of PVV
Sāṅkṛtyāyana 1938-40, p. 516):

vārttikaṃ ca viśeṣābhidhānādirūpaṃ yathoktaṃ sūtrānāṃ anupapatticodanāt
tatparihāro viśeṣābhidhānam iti lakṣaṇam <|> ayam evārthaḥ paroktaḥ |

sūtrānāṃ doṣam udbhāvya parihāro yatra dīyate |
viśeṣacodanā cāpi vārttikaṃ tat prakīrtitam <||> iti ||

(Emendations to first half necessary for metrical and grammatical
reasons, perhaps "parihāro 'tra dyotyate"?)

I'm not sure how to best make sense of the second definition. Does
anyone know other occurrences of it, or pertinent discussions?

Thank you in advance,

Birgit Kellner


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Prof. Dr. Birgit Kellner
Chair of Buddhist Studies
Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context - The
Dynamics of Transculturality"
University of Heidelberg
Karl Jaspers Centre
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D-69115 Heidelberg
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