Nyayamanjari Part 02

Author(s): K S Vardacharya
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute

Page 10

ruled over Kashmir during the last quarter of the ninth century (883-902) A.D. Hence we may surmise that Jayanta's period was also the same. His allusion to Dhvani and the disparaging manner, in which he refers to Anandavardhana indicate that either he was a contemporary of that famous poetician or came just after him. Hence it won't be wrong to ascribe Jayanta 't the last quarter of the 9th Century A.D.
About the personal life of Jayanta, we have some information in the 'Kādambarikathāsāra’ of Abł i nanda, son of Jayanta. According to that sakti of Bhāradvāja Gotra, who hailed from Bengal migrated to Kashmir. His son Mitra had a son by name 'sakti swamin' who was a minister of King Muktāpidaśaktisvāmin's son was Kalyāṇasvāmin who was wellversed in Yoga. He had a son named Candra, well was the father of our author Jayanta.
From the verses quoted above, another interesting factor comes to light. It is that Jayanta wrote his Nyāyamañjari' while he was in prison. Most proba. bly King Sankaravarman had thrown him into prison. Dr. J. V. Bhattacharya suggests that the King might have imprisoned Jayanta when this scholar protested against the lootings of the temples by that King. If this is true, then it is a good proof of the indepen dent spirit of our author Jayanta Bhațța.
Merit of Nyāyamañjari :
In the circle of scholars, there is little doubt regarding the pre-eminence of Jayanta's Nyāyamañjari,