About the Book: Vacanamala: A Sub-Commentary on Visvarupas Commentary on the
Yajnavalkya Dharmasastra
The Vacanam?la, a sub-commentary on Vi?var?pas commentary B?lakr??? on the
Y?jñavalkya Dharma??stra, is a late medieval text originating probably in Kerala
and edited here for the first time. The author does not reveal his name, at
least in the extant portion of the commentary. He demonstrates an encyclopedic
knowledge of vast domains of learning, including grammar, lexicography, and,
especially, Dharma??stra. His familiarity with the medieval commentaries and
legal digests is impressive. The three prominent Dharma??stric scholars he cites
most often are Vijñ?ne?vara. Deva?a Bha??a, and Varadar?ja. Some of these
citations have significant textual differences from the