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MAT, 1904.)
RAMABHADRA-DIKSHITA AND THE SOUTHERN POETS.
129
There is no descendant in the male line cf Ramabhedra-Dikshita, as his son VaidyanathaDikshita died childless. His vernacular was Tamil. His father was a man of moderate circumstances. His preceptor, Chokkanatha-Dikshita, who was better circumstanced, brought him ap from a boy and bestowed great care on his education. In due time he became an adept in all the six darianas. He made a critical study of the whole of the Mahabhdshya under bis preceptor, as is known by the following passages :
फणिग्रामणिवाग्गुम्फमाणनाडयदुक्तये। कलये शब्दकोमुद्याः कवये गुरवे नमः ।।
Ramabhadra-Dikshita's Shaddarbantsiddhantasanhgraha. अप्रत्युपक्रियसमस्तपदप्रबोधविश्राणनोपकृतिनिस्तुलितानुकम्पम् । शेषं द्वितीयमिव शाब्दिकसार्वभौमं । श्रीचोक्कनाथमखिनं गुरुमानतोस्मि ॥
Râmabhadra-Dikshita's conimentary on the Paribhash&vritti. The subjoined extract from Ramabhadra-Dikshita's Spingaratilakabhdna shows that Chokkanatha not only taught him Sanskrit grammar thoroughly, but also gave his eldest daughter to him in marriage.
स एवायं यस्मै किल निखिलविद्वज्जनश्लाघनीयवैदुष्यशालिनी वदावदशिब्यसहलविभाव्यमाननिजप्रभावाः श्रोतधमोइव मूर्तिमन्तस्तलभवन्तश्चोकनाथमखिप्रवरा वितीर्णवन्तोषप प्रथमामात्मकन्यामन्यामिव पुनरपि स्नेहेन
निरवद्यां वितरन्ति स्म पदविद्याम् । His proficiency in Vyakarana was exceptionally high and he was often called PratyagraPatañjali, s. e. 'the modern Patañjali,' by his contemporaries.'
ChokkanAtha-Dikshita, the poet's father-in-law, was a pious Chhindôga Brahmana of the Sandaka gôtra and Dråhyâyaņa sútra. His father was Dvadaskhayâji Narayana-Dikshita and his mother Ganapati. This sounds rather strange as the name of a woman. But that she actually bore the name Ganapati is evident from the subjoined passages. .
धातारं सूत्रकारं शिवनुतिसुहितं पाणिनि वाक्यकारं विष्णुं कात्यायनं तं गिरिशमहिवराधीश्वरं भाष्यकारम् । तातं नारायण श्रीगणपतिमपि तां मातरं सादरं तानाचार्यान् सर्वतन्त्रप्रणयननिपुणानानमेः कर्म कुर्मः ।। नमः श्रीद्वादशाहादियाजिने सोमयाजिने । महाभाष्यमहाम्भोधिसेतवे गुरवे नमः ॥
Bhdshyaratnávali by Chokkanátha-Dikshita.
1 See also the passage from his popil Veokatesvara-Ksvi's commentary on Patailjalicharita, quoted below.
• Compare the speech of the tradhira quoted on p. 128 above from Bhagarantarya's Raghavabhyudayaadjaba.
