{{Short description|Work of commentaries in Indian literature}} '''Bhashya''' ({{ indic | lang = sa | indic = भाष्य | trans = Bhāṣya }}) is a "commentary" or "exposition" of any primary or secondary text in ancient or medieval Indian literature.<ref name=mmwbhashya/> Common in Sanskrit literature, ''Bhashyas'' are also found in other Indian languages such as Tamil. Bhashyas are found in various fields, ranging from the Upanishads to the Sutras of Hindu schools of philosophy, from ancient medicine to music.<ref name=richa17>Richa Vishwakarma and Pradip Kumar Goswami (2013), ''A review through Charaka Uttara-Tantra'', International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda, Volume 34, Issue 1, pages 17–20</ref><ref>Karin Preisendanz (2005), The Production of Philosophical Literature in South Asia during the Pre-Colonial Period (15th to 18th Centuries): The Case of the Nyāyasūtra Commentarial Tradition, Journal of Indian Philosophy, Volume 33, pages 55–94</ref><ref>PV Kane (2015 Reprint), History of Sanskrit Poetics, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120802742}}, page 29</ref>
The Indian tradition typically followed certain guidelines in preparing a Bhashya. These commentaries give meaning of words, particularly when they are about condensed aphoristic Sutras, supplementing the interpreted meaning with additional information on the subjects.<ref name=richa17/> A traditional Bhasya would, like modern scholarship, name the earlier texts (cite) and often include quotes from previous authors.<ref>Elisa Freschi (2012), Proposals for the Study of Quotations in Indian Philosophical Texts, Religions of South Asia, Vol 6, No 2, pages 161, also 161-189</ref> The author of the Bhasya would also provide verification, acceptance or rejection of the text as interpreted, with reasons, and usually include a conclusion.<ref name=richa17/> The title of a commentary work sometimes has the title of the text commented on, with the suffix "-Bhashya".<ref>GC Pande (2011), Life and Thought of Śaṅkarācārya, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120811041}}, pages 93-107</ref>
Among the earliest known ''Bhashya'' are the Maha-bhashya of Patanjali from the 2nd century BCE,<ref>A Datta (2009), Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, Volume 2, Sahitya Akademi, {{ISBN|978-8126023844}}, page 1338</ref> and ''Sabara Bhashya'' of the Mimamsa school of Hinduism, dated to have been likely composed between 100 BCE and 200 CE, but no later than the 5th century.<ref>Othmar Gächter (1990), Hermeneutics and Language in Purva Mimamsa: A Study in Sabara Bhasya, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120806924}}, page 9</ref> An example of Buddhist literature Bhashya is Vasubandhu's ''Abhidharmakośa-Bhāṣya''.<ref>Lodrö Sangpo (Translator, 2012), Abhidharmakośa-Bhāṣya of Vasubandhu, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120836105}}</ref>
==Etymology== The term ''bhashya'' literally means "speaking, talking, any work in the current, vernacular speech".<ref name=mmwbhashya/> The term also refers to, states Monier-Williams, any "explanatory work, exposition, explanation, commentary" that brings to light something else.<ref name=mmwbhashya>Monier Monier-Williams (2002), A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Etymologically and Philologically Arranged to cognate Indo-European Languages, Motilal Banarsidass, page 755</ref> A ''bhashyakrit'' is the author, and these words are related to the root ''bhash'' which means "speak about, describe, declare, tell".<ref name=mmwbhashya/> (Cf. the productive ending ''-ology'' in English, which derives from the Greek verb λεγῶ (legō), meaning "speak".) Bhashya is known as ''urai'' in the Tamil literary tradition, which literally means "prose".
==Discussion== A typical Bhashya would be an interpretation of a Sutra or other classical work word by word.<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/77 77]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref> It can also consist of word by word translations and the individual viewpoint of the commentator or Bhashyakara.
There are numerous Bhashyas available on various Sanskrit and non-Sanskrit works. A few examples are Brahma Sutra Bhashya by Madhvacharya<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dvaita.org/madhva/AnandaT_6.html |title=References about Srimad Ananda Tirtha |access-date=2008-06-16 |archive-date=2020-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702124557/http://www.dvaita.org/madhva/AnandaT_6.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Adi Shankara,<ref>[http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/articles/adhyasa_bhashyam.htm Brahma Sutra Bhashya]</ref> Gita Bhashya and Sri Bhashya<ref>[http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/acharyas/ramanuja/sribhashya.html Sribhashya]</ref> by Ramanuja and Mahabhashya by Patañjali.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | title = Philosophical elements in Patañjali's {{IAST|Mahābhāṣya}} | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Indian philosophies | author = K. Kunjunni Raja |editor= Harold G. Coward |editor2=K. Kunjunni Raja | volume = 5 (''The Philosophy of the Grammarians'') | pages = 115 | publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publ | isbn = 81-208-0426-0 | year = }}</ref>
==Tamil literary tradition==
{{Main|Commentaries in Tamil literary tradition}} Following the Sanskrit literary tradition, commentaries to literary works remain one of the most important and telling aspects of the Tamil literary tradition. Commentaries to ancient Tamil works have been written since the medieval period and continue to be written in the modern era.<ref name="Mohan2011">{{cite book |author=R. Mohan and Nellai N. Sokkalingam |title= உரை மரபுகள் [Conventions of Commentaries] |year= 2011 |publisher= Meiyappan Padhippagam |location= Chidambaram}}</ref>{{rp|p=21}} The exegesis to the work ''Iraiyanar Kalaviyal'' is considered the first commentary in the Tamil literary tradition,<ref name="Mohan2011"/>{{rp|p=10}} which is the first prosaic commentary to a composition in verse.<ref name="Mohan2011"/>{{rp|p=10}} This marked the beginning of commentaries in Tamil literary tradition, which reached it peak between the 10th and 15th centuries.<ref>{{cite book |author= Kalpana Sekkilar |title= திருக்குறள் பரிதியார் உரைத்திறன் [Tirukkural Paridhiyar commentary critical studies] |year= 2009 |edition= 1|publisher=Thamilmann Padhippagam | location= Chennai |language=ta|isbn = 978-93-6153-543-7}}</ref>{{rp|p=47}}
Many ancient Tamil works continue to remain in comprehension chiefly due to exegesis or commentaries written on them. The most famous examples of such works are the Tolkappiyam and the Tirukkural,<ref name="Mohan2011"/>{{rp|pp=23–24}} with the latter remaining the most reviewed work in the Tamil literature.<ref>{{cite book |author=M. V. Aravindan |title= உரையாசிரியர்கள் [Commentators] |year= 2018 |publisher=Manivasagar Padhippagam | edition = 8 | location= Chennai}}</ref>{{rp|p=337}} According to K. Mohanraj, as of 2013, beginning with Manakkudavar from the Medieval era, there were at least 497 Tamil commentaries on the Tirukkural written by 382 scholars of whom at least 277 scholars have written commentaries for the entire work.<ref>{{cite book |author= M. G. Kovaimani and P. V. Nagarajan |title= திருக்குறள் ஆய்வுமாலை [Tirukkural Research Papers] |year= 2013 |edition= 1|publisher=Tamil University | location= Tanjavur |language=ta|isbn = 978-81-7090-435-9}}</ref>{{rp|p=463}}
Nakkeerar, Ilampooranar, Senavaraiyar, Paerasiriyar, Deivachilaiyar, Nacchinarkkiniyar, Manakkudavar, Paridhiyar, Parimelalhagar, Kalladar, and Adiyarkku Nallar are some of the most celebrated commentators in the history of Tamil literature, all of whose works are praised on par with the original works to which they wrote exegeses.<ref name="Mohan2011"/>{{rp|pp=23–24}}
== See also == * Works of Madhvacharya * Works of Adi Shankara * Ten medieval commentators
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://archive.org/stream/Sribhashya_of_Ramanuja-VS_Abhyankar_Parts_1_2/SribhashyaOfRamanuja-VsAbhyankar-Part11914#page/n15/mode/2up Sri Bhashya] Ramanuja *[https://archive.org/stream/ChandogyaUpanishadWithShankaraBhashya-EnglishTranslationPart1/03ChandogyaUpanishadWithSankaraBhashya-English-Part1#page/n0/mode/2up Chandogya Upanishad with Shankara Bhasya], GN Jha (Translator) * [https://archive.org/search.php?query=adhyasa%20bhashyam Adhyasa Bhashyam audio of Adisankaracharya (Dr.Goli)]
Category:Literary terminology Category:Sanskrit literature Category:Sanskrit words and phrases