panditaraja

 Panditaraja Jagannatha - The King among Sanskrit Scholars: 

Of the long line of aestheticians India has produced through a course of two long millennia, Panditaraja Jagannatha can be called a genius par excellence. He had the privilege of being the last in the line, hence had the perspectives of all his predecessors. 

He was a man of critique and creativity. His work titled 'Rasagangadhara' - is a work on aesthetics. If not for a basic understanding of Nyayashastra, his words would be undiscernible.

Through chapters called as 'Ananas' - Faces, he expresses his theory on aesthetics and poetics like no other. His epithet is 'Panditaraja' - The king of scholars, which is no exaggeration. 

His fights with Appayya Dikshita's theories are well known and display to us a delightful case of academic disagreement in 17th Century India. Appayya's work 'Chitramimamsa' was refuted by Jagannatha in a counter work called 'Chitramimamsa khandana'. 

Another extolled scholar named Bhattoji Dikshita wrote a text titled 'Balamanorama'. Jagannatha strongly disagreed with Bhattoji and wrote a scathing critique titled 'Manoramakuchamardanam' - The slaying of Manorama's breast.    

For the scholarly material that Jagannatha produced, the world of Sanskrit is indebted to the Mughal court. 'दिल्लीवल्लभपाणि पल्लवातले गीतं नवीनं दयं' are his words which speak about his patronage in Delhi court under Jehangir and Shahjahan. 

In a colophon of his work he introduces himself as शाहजहाँन प्रसादादधिरात पदवी विराजितेन - 'He who occupies the position of scholar given by the king Shahjahan'.

Panditaraja himself exclaims that he receives plenty from the court in a shloka. His production of such scholarly treasures must have been because of a non worrisome life, enabled by Delhi's money. 

दिल्लीश्वरोवा जगदीश्वरो वा मनोस्थान पूरयि समर्थ: | 

अन्येन्यंपार्ल: परिदीयमानं शाकायवास्यालवणीयावास्यात ||

"It is either Delhishvara or Jagadishvara who can fulfil our desires. Whatever other patrons give would only be enough for salt or vegetables, nothing more."