Texts and Authors

(in roughly chronological order)

Jaimini

Date: Unknown (often put to 2nd or 1st c. BCE)
Works:
  • Mīmāṁsāsūtras: The foundational work of the Mīmāṁsā system (Pandit).

The Vr̥ttikāra

Often identified with Bhavadāsa, a pre-Śabara commentator on the Mīmāṁsāsūtra. He is called the Vr̥ttikāra by Śabara, who quotes him extensively at 1.1.5.

Śabara

Date: 5th century CE
Works:
  • Mīmāṁsāsūtrabhāṣya or Śābarabhāṣya: A commentary on the sūtras of Jaimini. Large portions of an earlier commentary, ascribed to one “Vr̥ttikāra,” are included at 1.1.5. (Pandit)
Refers to: Vr̥ttikāra

Kumārila

Date: 6th century
Works:
  • Mīmāṁsāślōkavārttika: A commentary on the first pāda of Śabara’s Bhāṣya (the so-called tarkapāda) (Pandit).
  • Tantravārttika: A commentary on Śabara’s Bhāṣya, running from 1.2 to 3.8 (Pandit).
  • Ṭupṭīkā: A commentary on the rest of the Mīmāṁsā system, from 4.1 to 12.4 (Pandit).
  • Br̥haṭṭīkā (lost) (Pandit)
Quotations

Kumārila quotes Bhartr̥hari (both the Vākyapadīya and the Dīpikā) in the Vyākaraṇādhikaraṇa, where he refers to him as Ṭīkākāra.

Electronic texts available:
Title Source Text files TEI files
Ślōkavārttika [Helmut Krasser] ISO-15919, IAST, देवनागरी ISO-15919, IAST, देवनागरी
Tantravārttika Mīmāṁsādarśanam (Ānandāśrama Sanskrit Series) ISO-15919, IAST, देवनागरी ISO-15919, IAST, देवनागरी
Ṭupṭīkā Benares 1904 ISO-15919, IAST, देवनागरी ISO-15919, IAST, देवनागरी

Prabhākara

Date: 7th century
Works:
  • Br̥hatī (also known as Br̥hatī Ṭīkā (Pandit): A commentary on Śabara’s Bhāṣya (Pandit).
  • Laghvī (lost): Apparently a briefer commentary on Śabara’s Bhāṣya (Pandit)

Maṇḍana

Date: early 8th century
Place: Mithilā?
Works:

Umbeka

Date: 8th century
Place: Mithilā?
Works:
  • Tātparyaṭīkā: A commentary on the Ślōkavārttika of Kumārila. (Pandit)
  • A commentary on Maṇḍana’s Bhāvanāvivēka (Pandit)

Śālikanātha

Date: 8th century
Place: Bengal?
Works:
  • R̥juvimalā Pañcikā: A commentary on the Br̥hatī of Prabhākara (not extant in its entirety) (Pandit)
  • Dīpaśikhā: A commentary on the Laghvī of Prabhākara, surviving only in fragments (Pandit)
  • Bhāṣyapariśiṣta: A commentary on the Bhāṣya of Śabara (Pandit)
  • Prakaraṇapañcikā: A set of essays (Pandit), including:
    • Śāstramukha
    • Nītipatha
    • Nayavīthi
    • Jātinirṇaya
    • Pramāṇapārāyaṇa (covering the six instruments of knowledge: note that the kārikās are given separately as Amr̥takalā)
    • Vimalāñjana
    • Tattvālōka
    • Nyāyaśuddhi
    • Mīmāṁsājīvarakṣa
    • Vākyārthamātr̥kā in two parts
    • Aṅgapārāyaṇa in two parts
    • Atidēśapārāyaṇa
  • A lost commentary on the Praśastapādabhāṣya of Praśastapāda (a Vaiśēṣika work)

Sucarita

Date: 10th century
Place: Unknown
Works:
  • Kāśikā: A commentary on the Ślōkavārttika of Kumārila

Paritōṣa

Date: 12th century?
Works:
  • Ajitā: A commentary on the Tantravārttika of Kumārila

Pārthasārathi

Date: 11th century?
Works:
  • Nyāyaratnākara: a commentary on the Ślōkavārttika of Kumārila (Pandit)
  • Nyāyaratnamālā: A set of essays (Pandit), including
    • Prayuktitilaka (pp. 1–29)
    • Svataḥprāmāṇyanirṇaya (pp. 30–39)
    • Vidhinirṇaya (pp. 40–55)
    • Vyāptivāda (pp. 56–72)
    • Vākyārthanirṇaya (pp. 73–102)
    • Nityakāmyavivēka (pp. 103–119)
    • Aṅganirṇaya in five parts (pp. 120–212)
  • Tantraratna: A commentary on the Ṭupṭīkā of Kumārila (Pandit)
  • Śāstradīpikā: A commentary on the Bhāṣya of Śabara (Pandit)

Bhavanātha

Date: 11th century?
Works:
  • Nayavivēka: a commentary on the first three sūtras of the Mīmāṁsā system (Pandit)

Bhavadēva

Date: 12th century
Works:
  • Tautātitamatatilaka: A commentary on the Tantravārttika of Kumārila (Pandit)

Sōmēśvara

Date: 13th century?
Works:
  • Nyāyasudhā: A commentary on the Tantravārttika of Kumārila (Pandit).