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The *author of Alankārasarvasva has been described in the introduction of Vyaktiviveka as a writer of many treatises such as साहित्यमीमांसा, नाटकमीमांसा etc., and as a critic of Mahimabhatta, the author of Vyktiviveka. He flourished in the first half of the 12th century A. D.
It is well known that, in the elucidation of Arthālankä. ras, Alankārasarvasva surpasses the Kāvyaprakāsa of Mammata and also criticises some of the views of the latter. The cominentary, which is know published, is well suited to the dignified nature of Alankārasarvasva and is superior, in every respect to Jayaratha's commentary published in the Kävyamāla Series. Samudrabandha, the author of the com mentary adorned the court of Ravi Varma Bhūpa clias San. grāmadhira, the king of Kolamba (Quilon) in Travancore. It was observed in the introduction of Pradyumnābhyudaya (Trivandrum Sanskrit Series No. 8) that this king, who was born in 1265 A. D. and conquered the countries as far as Conjeevaram might probably be an ancestor of His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore, and that the commentator, Samudrabandha, might be the father be of Simharāja, who wrote the Prākrita-Rūpāvatāra.
The edition is based on the following palm-leaf inanuscripts written in Malayalam character. 5. aud ., Alankārasarvasva belonging to the Palace Li
brary, about 4 centuries
old. ff. Do. lent by Mr. Kailasapuramı
Govinda Pisharodi, about
4 centuries old. #. the commentary of Alankārasarvasva, belonging to the Palace Li
brary, 3 centuries old. * Do.
lent by Mr. Kailasapuram
Govinda Pisharodi, 3 cen
turies old. . Do.
lent by Mr. Chakran Krishna
Varyar, about a century old.
TRIVANERUM,
T. GANAPATI SÂSTRÎ.
* It was stated in the introductiul of Vyaktiviveka that AlankarasarvaEva was written by Ruyyaka; but, now we have to take it to have been written by Mankhuka.
