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Introduction
Bhava's son (bhavappao, Sk. bhavātmajaḥ or bhavapitrkaḥ, i.e. bhava + Deśya appas + suffix ka). He belonged to the Gautama Gotra. He was a member of the assembly of the literary elites that adorned the court of king Nāgāvaloka, and as such he had benefited much from his associates. In one of the Mangala verses (Tg. 3j Sankuka pays comliments to his patron-king, who was also known as Amma according to the commentator. Sankuka, being a great admirer (and possibly a close friend) of Bappabhatti collected and appropriately arranged the stray Gāthās of the latter. For this he was also requested by eminent poets and scholars of his literary circle. Consequently Sankuka compiled this Tärāyana, 'the assembly of stars' so called because it contains groups of star-like brilliant Gāthās. Vv. 75 and 175 characterize this compilation as Kośa and in the colophon it is called Subhāșitakośa. The commentator refers to the anthologist as gāthakośakāra (Tg. v. 52). Sankuka enumerates various nicknames, sobriquets or epithets by which Bappabhatti was known. They are Guņānurāga, Bhadrakirti, Gajapati, Ācārya, Svetabhikṣu and Vadin. In the colophon Bappabhatti is given the epithet of maha-vādindra "The Grand Master of Šāstric Debators'. The Prabhāvakacarita enumerates the following Birudas of Bappabhatti : Bhadrakirti, Vādikuñjara-kesarin, Brahmacārin, Gajavara and Rāja pūjita. At another place it narrates an episode (vv. 284 to 344) which explains how Bappabhatti got the birudas "Gajavara' and 'Brahmacärin' (v. 340). It is to be noted however that Sankuka's list does not contain ‘Brahmacārin'.
(c) General Structure
Of the total 175 verses of Tg., about 59 verses are written by Sankuka : 9 introductory verses, 40 index verses (32 + some 8 in the missing portion) and one concluding verse. These verses reveal Sankuka as an adept in composing Prakrit Gāthās of high literary excellence, and as a connoisseur receptive to the finest qualities of epigrammatic poetry.
5. 'appo piyā', Dešināmamālā, I, 6.
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