Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c53.4

v1.c53.4

Jagannātha describes himself as the son of Peru Bhaṭṭa¹ (or Perama Bhaṭṭa²) and Lakṣmī. He was, like Appayya, a South Indian writer, being a native of Tailaṅga³ (Telegu country), and belonged to the Vegināḍa family⁴. His father was reputed for his learning, having been, as Jagannātha himself tells us⁵, taught the Vedānta by Jñānendra-vikṣu, the Nyāya-vaiśeṣika by Mahendra Paṇḍita, the Pūrva-mīmāṃsā by Khaṇḍadeva and the *Mahābhāṣya* by Śeṣa Vīreśvara. Our author learnt these subject from his father, and also from one his father's teachers, Vīreśvara. Very little is known of his personal history, although curious tales about his fondness for a Muhammadan woman, and his death by plunging into the sacred river Ganges have gathered round his name¹. Jagannātha was also the author of several poetical works², besides writing the *Rasa-gaṅgādhara*, the latest yet not the least important work on Poetics, and the *Citramīmāṃsā-khaṇḍana*. He also wrote a grammatical work, directed against Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita’s famous commentary *Manoramā*, called *Manoramā-kuca-mardana*.