Sri Sivasahasra Nama Stotra in Mahabharata--2

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SRI MAATRE NAMAHA

SRI SIVA SAHASRA NAMA STOTRAM in Mahabharata (with commentary by Sri

Neelakantha )

 

The Bhashyam (commentary) upon Sri Sivasahasra Nama Stotra is

by a scholer named as Neelakantha. According to 'Catalogus

Catalogorum he resided at Kurpara in the west of Godavari in

Maharastra state in South India. He belongs to 'Chaturdhara' famil,

and is the son of Govindasuri and Phullamba. He belongs to 1650 A.D.

( approoximately). He was well versed in all branches of Sastras--

exoeric and esoteric--as is evidenced by his own stanza, which when

translated runs thus:--'I learnt Vedanta from Lakshmanarya,

Purvamimamsa from Naarayanatirtha, Tarka from Dhiresamisra,

Vyakarana from Pola Gangadhara, Vedas with their supplemantary parts

from paternal uncle. I got myself initiated to the worship of

Dakshinamurty by my own father. I learnt Srouta from Chintamani, and

I was attached to king Gopalafor attaining worldly prosperities'. He

was an ardent and devoted follower of the School of Sri

Sankaraacharya. In the introductory stanza of his commentary on the

Bhagawadgita of Mahabharata he reverences Sri Sankaracharya and

later on in his commentary on the verse(4-18) he compares his

commentary with that of Sankara and characterises the former as

being " a light which though sufficient to expel darkness from a

cave into which it may happen to be introduced, is yet not good

enough to stand coparison with the brightness of of the Sun. " He has

not commented upon the Vishnu Sahasranama but refers the readers to

the excellen commentary on the same by Sri Sankara. He seems to have

been a man of vast and varied learning, a fit commentator on such a

great and difficult work as the Mahabharata. According to 'Catalogus

Catalogorum' the following works are attributed to him

 

1.Mantra Kasikhanda

2.Mantra Bhagavata.

3.Mantra Ramayana and commentary.

4.Mantra Sariraka.

5.Mahabharata Bhavadipa.

6.Vedantakataka, critical remarks on Sutrabhashya of Sri

Sankara and three of his commentators, Sureswara, Padmapada

and Vachaspati Misra.

7.Ganesha Gita Tika composed in 1694 A.D.

8.Siva Tandava Vyakhya compsed at 1681 A.D.

9.Sourapauranika Matasamarthana.

10.Avimukta Nirukta Sara.

 

He cannot in any way be confounded with other Nilakanthas whose

names appear in the 'Catalogus Catalogorum ' in connection with

almost every department of Sanskrit Litarature.

 

DR.G.S.SUBRAMANYA SASTRY

 

drgsssastry

 

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