काव्यप्रकाश (आचार्य मम्मट - सम्पूर्ण १० उल्लास सटीक)

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refers to the same fact in this wise, “ although this 10th chapter has
been written by two authors, still the appreciating I will miss no
pleasure of true excellence, indeed the general experience is that the
mango fruit bred out of crossed varieties is even more luscious
(than the fruit of either of its original parents).” Other commenta-
tors also interpret the shloka above referred to, to the same effect
Of commentaries and glosses on the Kāvya Prākāsha the number is
legion. Verses current amongst the Pandits refer to this fact thus—
काव्यप्रकाशस्य कृता गृहे गृहे टीका तथाप्येष तथैव दुर्गमः ॥
(commentaries on the Kāvya-Prakāsha have been done up in every
house, and yet it remains as difficult to understand as ever !)
Or again—
काव्यप्रकाशे टिप्पण्यः सहस्रं सन्ति तथापि ।
(although there are thousands of glosses on the Kāvya-Prakāsha
still, &c. &c.). There is no other Sanskrit work so much be-commen-
ted, except perhaps the Paribhāshendu-Shekhara of Nāgesha Bhatta It
might be worth mention in this connection that Vishwanātha Kavirāja,
the author of the other most famous work on Sāhitya, referred to
at the outset of this preface, thought fit to write an elaborate com-
mentary on the Kāvya-Prakāsha after composing his own independent
work, as is evident from the frequent references to the latter in the
former. Indeed the work seems to have excited a most singular
emulation amongst all classes of writers to show their appreciation
of it by means of comments; famous Naiyāyikas like Jagadīsha and
Gadādhara, leaders in Vyākaraṇa like Nāgesha Bhatta, renowned
Tāntrikas like Gokula-Nātha and Kalyāna Upādhyāya, have all tried
their hands at it. This gives us an idea of the high honour in which
the Kāvya-Prakāsha has always been held throughout India, as an
authority on its subject, and as a work, the careful study of which
is indispensable to every Pandit who aspires to be regarded as a
“ Sāhityāchārya ”.
A very full account of principal commentaries* on the work is
*Though no less than forty-six commentaries are enumerated,
there, three more commentaries have been found of which no men-
tion is made : (1) By one “ Paṇḍita-Rāja ” (identified by Pandits
with Raghunandana Rāya, the renowned disciple of Mahesha Thakk-
ura. This commentary begins thus : रघुवंशजलधिचन्द्रं रावणवनदन्तिपारीन्द्रम् ।