Skip to content
Browse articles

MISCELLANY - Date of Rasakadambakallolini, a Commentary by Bhagavadd?sa on the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva-Between A.D. 1550 and 1600

By P. K. Gode

Vol. 19 · No. 4December - 1943pp. 360–366English

Summary

The article determines the probable date of composition of Rasakadambakallolin?, a Sanskrit commentary by Bhagavadd?sa on Jayadeva�s G?tagovinda, and narrows it to between A.D. 1550 and 1600 (possibly extending to 1628). 1. Background Jayadeva, author of G?tagovinda, flourished between A.D. 1200�1300 and was a prot�g� of Lak?ma?a Sena (whose Gaya inscription is dated A.D. 1116). Numerous commentaries on G?tagovinda exist; this study focuses exclusively on Rasakadambakallolin? by Bhagavadd?sa. 2. Manuscripts and Catalogues The commentary is listed in Aufrecht�s Catalogus Catalogorum (CC I, 154; II, 31; III, 33) and described by Dr. Eggeling in the India Office Catalogue (No. 3871, 1904). Additional manuscripts are recorded by: H. Poleman (Census of Indic MSS. in U.S.A. and Canada, 1938). Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (B.O.R.I.), Poona (Nos. 345, 343, 344, and 45 across 1871�95). Adyar Library Catalogue, 1928. 3. Description of the Commentary Eggeling notes that Bhagavadd?sa�s commentary emphasizes poetic composition and rhetoric, drawing examples from the Bh?gavata Pur??a, ???g?ratilaka, K???akarn?m?ta, and similar works. 4. Influence and Geographical Spread G?tagovinda influenced: Deccan literature, notably ?i?up?lavadha by Bh?skarabha??a Borikar (ca. 1275�1320). Gujarati tradition, evidenced by ??r?gadeva�s stone inscription (A.D. 1291) borrowing verses from G?tagovinda. Kannada literature, through Aprameya ??stri�s ???g?raprak??ik? (c. 1750) and Cikka-Devar?ja�s G?ta-Gop?la (A.D. 1672�1704). 5. References within Rasakadambakallolin? The commentary cites numerous earlier works and authors, such as: Bh?gavata, Bharata, Amara, Vi?vaprak??a, Har?val?, K?vya-prak??a, Rasaratn?kara, Ras?r?ava-sudh?kara, Pa�cas?yaka (by Jyotiri?vara, A.D. 1324), Manoram?k?ra, and K???akar??m?ta. A notable reference to Rana Kumbhakar?a of Mewar (A.D. 1433�1469) in a B.O.R.I. manuscript dated A.D. 1628 confirms the commentary�s post-15th-century origin. 6. Chronological Analysis References to: Ras?r?ava-sudh?kara (A.D. 1330�1350, by Si?ghabh?p?la), Pa�cas?yaka (A.D. 1324, by Jyotiri?vara), Bhagavadd?sa�s citation of San?tana Gosv?min�s Bh?gavatabh?vanit?t?, dated A.D. 1542, ? establish A.D. 1400 as the lower bound and A.D. 1600�1628 as the upper bound. A mention of �Manoram?k?ra�, likely referring to Bha??oji D?k?ita, author of Prayoga-Manoram? and ?abdakaustubha (fl. A.D. 1560�1620), further supports this range. Gode concludes that Bhagavadd?sa probably composed Rasakadambakallolin? between A.D. 1575 and 1620, likely around A.D. 1600�1628, based on manuscript evidence and internal references. 7. Authorship and Identity The colophon of the commentary mentions: �Composed by ?r?mad Bhagavadd?sa, devoted to pleasing the devotees of God, at ?r? V?nd?vana.� No biographical details beyond his name and this location are known. Aufrecht records another author named Bhagavad?sa, who wrote Hindi commentaries (?r?bhagavad?s, pupil of D?modara, active around A.D. 1701*), but Gode does not establish their identity as the same person.

AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.

Conclusion

Based on internal and manuscript evidence, the Rasakadambakallolin? of Bhagavadd?sa was composed between A.D. 1550 and 1600 (possibly extending up to 1628). The commentary�s literary references, manuscript colophons, and cross-citations confirm its post-medieval origin and its close temporal relation to Bha??oji D?k?ita�s grammatical works. Bhagavadd?sa remains known chiefly for this single, rhetorically rich exposition on G?tagovinda, composed in V?nd?vana for devotional and poetic study.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “Date of Rasakadambakallolini, a Commentary by Bhagavaddasa on the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva—Between A.D. 1550 and 1600”
  • “If the above extract found in a MS. of A.D. 1628 is a genuine part of the Rasakadambakallolini of Bhagavaddasa we may safely infer that this commentary was composed beween A.D. 1469 and A.D. 1628.”
  • “It was copied by मेथजी, son બ वासुदेव at મૃક્ષપુર while महाराजाधि- : राज रारुल श्रीउदयकण was ruling”

Works cited in this article

  1. Fleet's Gupta Inscriptions, No. 18
  2. Sabityadarpana, ed. 1923. Intro. p. cxxxiii
  3. Bihler, Kashmir Report, p. 64
  4. A. B. Keith (1.0. Cata) Nos. 7043-6, 8125 etc
  5. Peters' 5, 343, 344

Discussed in this article

People

Texts & works

AI guide

Discuss this record

Ask about the article, its topics, issue context, selected passages, or reading strategy.

Start with the record

I can unpack the summary, turn it into study questions, explain a selected passage, or compare it with the other articles in this issue.

Original PDF

Inline viewer

Checking source PDF

The viewer will load here if the archive file is reachable.

Same author

More by P. K. Gode

All articles →
The Indian Historical Quarterly

Māruta-maṇḍana, of Vanamalin and its date

By P. K. Gode

September - 1946
The Indian Historical Quarterly

Date of Subhasitamuktavali

By P. K. Gode

March - 1946
The Indian Historical Quarterly

Two Religious Poems on Hindu Nose‑ornaments

By P. K. Gode

December - 1941
The Indian Historical Quarterly

Gunapataka

By P. K. Gode

March - 1941