Ishvara Pratyabhijna Vimarshini Part 1 (KSTS 22)

Horizontal ornamental rule

The following note is written by way of introduction to Vallabhadeva's commentary on the Shishupalavadha The Killing of Shishupala, which has been edited and published by the Research Department in the Kashmir Series of Texts and Studies. Vallabhadeva, as will be seen later, wrote this commentary in the early years of the 10th century A. D. Being a decided improvement upon those commentaries which have preceded it1, it commands a very respectable position as the oldest and the best commentary available. It has been

1. There are in the body of the commentary stray allusions to various commentaries by different authors who have preceded Vallabhadeva. Cf. "Created by the great ones, therefore [is this] commentary" original: "कृता महद्भिर्यत एव टीका" etc. (Shishu- com). It is regretted not even one out of these is available now.