Sardipika And The Sarabodhini
Added to library: September 2, 2025

Summary
Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text, focusing on the relationship between the Sāradipikā and the Sārabodhini commentaries on Mammaṭa's Kāvya-prakāśa:
The article by T.S. Nandi, "The Sāradipikā and the Sārabodhini," explores the significant influence of the Sārabodhini (Sā.bo.) commentary by Śrīvatsalañcchana Bhattācārya on the Sāradipikā (SD) by Guṇaratnagani. Nandi's own edition of the SD (ullāsas I-VI) was published by Gujarat University in 1976. Simultaneously, the Kāvya-prakāśa (KP) with three commentaries, including the Sā.bo., was published by the Gangānātha Jhā Kendriya Saṁskṛta Vidyāpīṭha in Allahabad.
Nandi's primary argument is that Guṇaratna was heavily influenced by existing commentaries on the KP, with the Bālacittanurañjanī (Bāla) being the most significant, followed closely by the Sā.bo.. This paper specifically focuses on the influence of the Sā.bo. on the SD's coverage of KP ullāsas VII-X.
The author meticulously details this influence by presenting numerous parallel passages. He demonstrates how Guṇaratna:
- Preserves better readings: In many instances, the SD offers more accurate or clearer readings than the Allahabad edition of the Sā.bo..
- Fills in lacunae: Guṇaratna sometimes provides words or phrases that are missing in the Sā.bo., thereby completing the thought or explanation.
- Makes improvements: At times, Guṇaratna's elaborations or alternative phrasing enhance the clarity or precision of the commentary.
- Borrows extensively: The article provides numerous examples (numbered 1 through 60) where Guṇaratna either directly quotes from or closely follows the Sā.bo., sometimes with minor modifications. These examples span various aspects of poetics discussed in the KP, including definitions of terms, grammatical analysis, and explanations of literary devices.
Nandi highlights that Guṇaratna relied heavily on the Bāla, but the Sā.bo. was a substantial source of inspiration, with a significant number of instances (105 from ullāsa VII, and 11, 33, and 26 from ullāsas VIII, IX, and X respectively) where the SD reflects the Sā.bo..
The article serves as a testament to the SD's value as a research tool. It can assist in the critical editing of other commentaries on the KP by providing a means to identify and correct textual deficiencies in those works. Nandi concludes by reiterating that the Sāradipikā is an invaluable resource for accurately fixing readings and completing omissions in commentaries that had a formative impact on its own composition.