अनुवादवृत्तिरस्मिः: प्रामाण्याप्रामाण्यम्

Summary

Written in Sanskrit, this scholarly article discusses the epistemic status of commentaries that paraphrase or translate (anuvāda‑vṛtti) primary texts. Drawing on Nyāya and Mīmāṃsā theories of knowledge, the author asks whether such paraphrases possess the same authority (prāmāṇya) as the original śāstras. He reviews debates over whether the meaning conveyed by a translation is direct or derivative and whether errors by translators undermine authority. Illustrative examples from grammar treatises and commentarial literature show that while anuvādas aid comprehension, they can mislead if they deviate from the original intention. The author concludes that anuvādas are authoritative insofar as they faithfully convey the author’s meaning and are supported by traditional endorsement; otherwise, they are considered apremāṇa (non‑authoritative).