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INTRODUCTION.
The present edition of Alankarsarwasva comprises (1) Alankarsutra (2) a Vritti (commentary on the Sutra) and (3) notes on the Vritti. The Vritti published in the Kavyamâlâ series has the following introductory line, "ImagitęEITI TT artdyaga." From this it follows that both the Sutra and the Vritti are written by one and the same author. From a line in the same edition, "Efathat भवद्राजानकरुय्यकस्य' and from the closing line therein, सम्पूर्णमिदमलङ्कारसर्वस्वम" it follows that Ruyyaka is the author of this book and that the book Alankarsaryasva contains the Sutra and the Vritti.
But in our ancient manuscripts of the work the introductory line runs thus :- Taastam et argai.
scà. Here the word Te suggests that the Sutrakâr (the author of the Sutra) is the preceptor of the Vrittikir (the author of the Vritti). A couplet, at the end of the manuscripts runs thus :
"इति मख़ुको वितेने काश्मीरक्षितिपसान्धिविग्रहिकः । सुकविमुखालङ्कारं तदिदमलङ्कारसर्वस्वम्" ॥
Here the word aata which means to expand makes it clear that Mankhuka is the Vrittikâr who has explained the Sutra written by his guru Ruyyaka. That Ruyyaka is the guru of Mankhuka is made clear when we read some of the couplets of the 25th canto of the Sree Kanthacharita by the great poet Mankhuka. They are as follow.
