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Ramayana Commentaries

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M. G. Srinivasan • August 2, 1999 


[ From Sri M.G. Srinivasan, our old friend who has the pleasure
  of residence at 'kOyil', i.e., Srirangam. -- Mani ]

Dear Sri. Mani:

In the introduction to a modern translation of Srimad
Ramayanam (of Valmiki), the following passage occurs:

Begin quote
In the preparation of the translation and annotation of the epic, ten
Sanskrit commentaries have been examined. These are, in roughly
chronological order: the vivekatilaka of varadarAja uDAli, the rAmAnujIya
attributed to rAmAnuja, the tattvadIpikA of maheSvaratIrtha, the
amRtakataka of mAdhavayogin, the rAmAyaNabhUshaNa of govindarAja, the
rAmAyaNatilaka of nAgeSa bhaTTa, the rAmAyaNaSiromaNi of vamSIdhara
(bansidhara) SivasahAya, and the dharmAkUTam of trayambaka makhin. In
addition, extracts from the commentaries of satyatIrtha, munibhAva, and
sarvajnanArAyaNa have been used.

These works range in date from around the middle of the thirteenth century
A. D. (in the case of varadarAja) to the eighteenth (in the case of
trayambaka), and vary from the sparse glosses of the former to the dense
and often copious commentaries of mAdhavayogin, govindarAja, nAgeSa, and
SivasahAya, who have at least something  to say on almost every verse in
the poem.
End quote

I believe among the commentaries mentioned above, those of uDAli (also
known as uDAri), rAmaAnuja, and govindarAja are along the lines of Sri
vaishNava precepts. I think the translators have not heard about the
taniSloki of Sri PVP because it is not available in English. As you pointed
out in a recent posting, the rAmAnuja referred to above is not Sri
emberumAnAr.

In just about eight hours from now Sri Ranganatha will set out to visit
Kaveri Thayar, tomorrow being  the 18th day of the month of ADi. The Lord
has had a long rest since there was no utsavam since about the end of June.
Hoping to catch a glimpse of Him,

dasan Srinivasan