Date of Parthasarathimisra and Sequence of his Works

Summary

In this essay the author attempts to determine when Parthasārathi Miśra, an important Mīmāṃsā scholar, lived and to arrange his works in chronological order. Parthasārathi provides few personal details: he names his father Yajaitman but omits his era and birthplace. Scholars therefore infer his date from citations by other authors. The article notes that Madhava Vidyāranya and other fourteenth‑century thinkers quote Parthasārathi, so he must have lived earlier. Conversely, he quotes the works of Kumārila Bhaṭṭa and Maṇḍana Miśra, indicating that he post‑dates the eighth century. Halāyudha’s ‘Mīmāṃsā‑sarvasva’, written in the late eleventh or early twelfth century, also references Parthasārathi’s writings. By weighing these clues, the author argues that Parthasārathi flourished in the eleventh century, perhaps around AD 1050. The article then analyses the sequence of his treatises. His ‘Śāstra‑dīpikā’ is a commentary on Kumārila’s Ślokavārttika; his ‘Nyāyaratnamāla’ is a shorter compendium; and his ‘Tantraratna’ discusses the methodology of Dharma. Internal evidence suggests that the ‘Śāstra‑dīpikā’, being a comprehensive work, was likely written first, followed by the more concise manuals. The author evaluates citations between these works and compares them with later glosses to determine their relative chronology. The essay concludes that Parthasārathi’s lucid commentaries popularised Mīmāṃsā doctrines in eastern India and that his ideas influenced both later Mīmāṃsakas and the authors of Dharmaśāstra digests. By establishing an approximate date and order for his writings, the article contributes to a clearer understanding of the development of Mīmāṃsā scholarship.