The backdrop of the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa
by Dhrubajit Sarma | 2015 | 94,519 words
This page relates “Specialities as a kosha text� as it appears in the case study regarding the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa. The Shrikanthacarita was composed by Mankhaka, sometimes during A.D. 1136-1142. The Mankhakosa or the Anekarthakosa is a kosa text of homonymous words, composed by the same author.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 6 - Specialities as a ṣa text
The speciality of the Ѳṅkś is noticed in the collection of copious uncommon terms and their meanings, not available elsewhere. It may be mentioned here that Ѳṅk첹 himself acknowledges the names of the following lexicographers viz. Ჹܻ, Amarasiṃha, Śśٲ, Dhanvantari etc. According to him, he utilizes the ṣa text of Śśٲ particularly. Ѳṅk첹 suggests a great number of meanings in his lexicon, that are not found indicated in any other dictionary. He often cites Bhallaṭa, the poet and the Ჹṣaٲ, in his commentary of the text. Again, he has given almost full cross references from the ṇṭܲ, Amaraṣa, Ayurvedic works and several other Sanskrit ṣa texts. Those references or examples, culled from different sources of knowledge, support the hypothesis that the ṣakāra Ѳṅk첹 was a literary genius also, conversant with various Śٰ as well as Sanskrit literature in general. This lexicon was popular even at the contemporary period of Ѳṅk첹 also.
As already referred, Mahendra, the disciple of Hemacandra has quoted both from the Ѳṅkś and its commentary, in his commentary of the Աٳṃg of his preceptor. From this, the popularity of the Ѳṅkś can be easily inferred. Again, in subsequent times, Jonarāja of fifteenth century A.D., quotes from the Ѳṅkś. in his commentary of the Śī첹ṇṭٲ. While quoting from the Śī첹ṇṭٲ, however, without making any special mention of the Ѳṅkś by name, Jonarāja just writes iti ṣa�. Though it means ṣa texts in general, actually it refers to the Ѳṅkś in particular.
Besides, Բ첹 Ratnakaṇṭha, the son of Śaṃkarakaṇṭha, who flourished in the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (A.D. 16581707) had written a commentary. In that commentary named ܱ貹ñ written on the ٳܳپܲܳñᲹ of Jagaddhara ṭṭ, Ratnakaṇṭha had made quotations from the Ѳṅkś. Again, there are quotations from the Ѳṅkś, in Ratnakaṇṭha’s ṭīk on ܻ𱹲’s ۳ܻṣṭ屹ⲹ also.[1] It may be mentioned here that, about the quotations of Ratnakaṇṭha, the observation of Zachariae is remarkable.[2] Thus, the Ѳṅkś was a very popular ṣa text in Sanskrit, cautiously studied, analysed and quoted in the works of contemporary as well as later period.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Mandal, B.C., Śī첹ṇṭٲ., page 64
[2]:
“Ratnakaṇṭha generally quotes only what is common to most Anekārthaṣas, and not what is peculiar to the Ѳṅkś.� Zachariae, Theodor, Ѳṅkś., Preface, page 4