________________ xxii From the work of Mananka it would be crystal clear that it is not sub-commentary (Tikayah tika) but the first commentary (prathama Vyakhya) directly explaining the text of the Gitagovinda itself. Mananka As a Commentator : Mallinatha, the celebrated commentator of Kalidasa's poems, declares at the beginning of his commentaries thus : इहान्वयमुखेनैव सर्व व्याख्यायते मया / नामूलं लिख्यते किञ्चिन्नानपेक्षितमुच्यते // This declaration of Mallinatha gives eloquent expression to the role of a commentator of Sanskrit poems. In the introductory verses to his commentary Rasika-priya King Kumbha confidently writes : शृङ्गारे सप्रपञ्चे रस इह रुचिरौचित्ययुक्तौ प्रकृष्टे ऽलङ्कारे नायिकाया गुणगणगणने वर्णने नायकस्य / गीतौ प्रीतौ च वृत्तौ लयमनु रसिकाः कौतुकं चेत्तदेमा दोषैर्मुक्ता गुणाढ्याः शृणुत नरपतेः कुम्भकर्णस्य वाचः // स कि बन्धः श्लाघ्यो व्रजति शिथिलभावमसकृ द्विचारेणाक्षिप्तो ननु भवति टीकापि किमु सा / म या ग्रन्थग्रन्थिप्रकटनपटुः किं तु तददो ___द्वयं युक्तं कर्तुं प्रभवतितरां कुम्भनृपतिः // These verses set forth the task of a commentator of the Gitagovinda. And it must be said to the credit of king Kumbha that he admirably fulfils his task. In one of his three verses introducing his Tippanika Mananka writes : कवीनां मतिमालोक्य सतां च सुखबुद्धये / कृता टिप्पणिका मुख्या मानाङ्केन महीभुजा // King Mananka's aim was very modest. He wrote his gloss for easy comprehension of the poem by the good (readers ). He does not set to himself the task of fully bringing out all the poetic beauties and the deeper significances intended to be conveyed by the poet. He generally contents himself with giving word by word explanations according to 'anvaya'; he cites grammatical sutras? (from Katantra) while explaining the formations of words, compounds, etc. At times he gives derivations' of words. Occasionally he adds a few quotations in support of his statements. Some-times he gives citations from Amarakosa, Anekartha and Vistara* and thus gives the reader the synonyms of the word under 1: See Parisista No. 2 2: See Parisista No.4 3. See Parisista No. 6 4: See Parisista No. 5
