Who wrote the Bhasapariccheda ?
By Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharya
Summary
This short article investigates the authorship of the Nyāya primer Bhāsāpariccheda (also known as Bhāṣāpariccheda). The treatise, widely studied in traditional logic curricula, has long been attributed to Viśvanātha Pañcānana, whose commentaries such as Muktāvalī and Siddhāntamuktāvalī are well known. The author of the article reports the discovery of a two‑hundred‑year‑old manuscript whose colophon credits the work to a different author, Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa, raising doubts about Viśvanātha’s authorship. Examining internal evidence and cross‑referencing other manuscripts and commentaries, the article notes that some versions describe the author as “the son of Viśvanātha,” while others give titles like Śrīnivāsa or Śrīdhara. The author reviews secondary literature and concludes that Viśvanātha likely authored the main commentary Muktāvalī but that the core Bhāsāpariccheda may have been written by a pupil or relative, with later scribes conflating their names. The article emphasises the need for critical editions of Nyāya texts based on multiple manuscripts to establish accurate authorship and transmission.
Conclusion
Uncertainty over who composed the Bhāsāpariccheda highlights the complexities of textual transmission in Indian scholastic traditions. The article suggests that while Viśvanātha Pañcānana’s commentarial work is well attested, the basic compendium may stem from another scholar in his circle. Accurate attribution requires systematic collation of manuscripts rather than reliance on later printed editions.