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PREFACE
The author Manorathanandin
We are quite in the dark about the time of Manorathanandin who wrote this very useful commentary on Pramāṇavārttika. His name is not mentioned in any Tibetan work and the author himself does not give any clue to his identity. He does not mention the name of any other scholar from which we could infer the precise time. The present manuscript was copied by Vibhuti candra, a pupil of Sakyaśrībhadra (1127-1225 A.C.) who went to Tibet in 1203 A.C., so the lower limit of the period in which Manorathanandin flourished cannot be later than 1200 A.C. It seems that Manorathanandin's uriki was an important text for the beginners for the study of Pramanavarttika in Indian monasteries. The numerous footnotes which were found in the manus cript give further explanation on obscure points and sometimes they mention the names of scholars and different schools whose views are supported or criticized in the text. These names have nothing to do with, the author. They were taken down by Vibhuticandra mostly from the mouth of his teacher while studying
it.
The commentary-Manorathanandin's commentary is a vrtti, i.e. a commentary which gives literal meaning of each and every word. Its object is to make the meaning of the text quite clear. It has nothing to do with any scholarly discussion to help or criticize in a general
