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Commentaries on the Gommafasāra
at ignore the the authoriti of
At this juncture, we cannot ignore the confused view of Pt. Todarmal and a few other scholars that Keśavavarņi was the author of the Sanskrit Jivatattvapradipikā, which was based on the assumed Karņāțaka vrtti of Cāmundarāya. This confusion arose out of the following factors:
(a) The names of both the Kannada and the Sanskrit commentaries are the same viz., Jivatattvapradipika. (b) The names of the author of the Gommagasāra and the author of the Sanskrit Jivatattvapradipika are the same viz., Nemicandra. (c) The vague reference, ... Gommatarāyeņa ja kayā desi... Viramattamdi' etc., found in gāhā 972 of the Ka.Kā of the Gommagasära, led to believe that Cāmundarāya was the author of the Kannada Jivatattvapradipikā. (d) Besides, some queer readings in the verse 'sritvā karnatakavšiti.....,' etc., in some MSS of tlie Sanskrit Jivatattvapradipikā led to believe that Keśavavarņi was its author. And this confused view was carried over by several later scholars until 1940, when Dr. A. N. Upadhye gave serious thought to this confusion, examined the concerned manuscripts of the commentaries and clearly proved that Keśavarņi (1359 A. D.) is the author of the Kannada commentary and one Nemicandra (originally from the Gurjara country and contemporary of Sāļuva Mallirāya-- 1st quarter of the 16th century A. D.) is the author of the Sanskrit commentary, which is the translation of the Kannada commentary itself; and he also stated that no MS of the výtti of Cāmundarāya has come to light."
After duly acquainting ourselves with these four commentaries on the Gommatasüra, a question stands before our eyes : What could be said about the desi (Kannada) commentary, or otherwise, of Cāmundarāya alluded to by his own preceptor, Ācārya Nemicandra, in gāhā No. 972 of the Ka.Kā. of the Gommatasara?
That no MS of any všiti, or anything like it in Kannada, on the Gommatasāra by Cāmundarāya has come to light", cannot be denied. Pt. Nathuram Premi observes that the right anvaya of this gāhā cannot be achieved as the reading appears rather incorrect. He thinks that Cāmundarāya might have prepared a copy in Kannada script (pratilipi) of the Gommagasära.Pt. J. K. Mukhtar, giving due thought to this question, noting the vague nature of some words in this gāhā and finding a metrical flaw in it, presents a textually criticised alternate gāhā." The original gāhā is:
gommatasuttallihane Gommagarāyeņa ja kiyā desi / so rão cirakālam ņāmeņa ya Viramattardi //
"May (C#mundarāya) named Viramārtanda (or) Gommaţarāya be ever victorious, who prepared the vernacular (commentary) while Gommațasāra was being written". 15
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