Bachaspati Mishra

Bachaspati Mishra (1425-1480) Exponent of nyaya philosophy and Sm'r'iti-xhastra. He was born in the Samouli branch of Polibarh clan of Mithila. He wrote ten and thirty-one books respectively on Ny'a'ya doctrine and Dharma discipline. His scholarly works include new compilation of 'Akshmapadsutra'; titled Ny'a'yas'u'troddh'a'r and its interpretation titled Ny'a'yatatt'a'lok B'r'itti. He wrote the note Prakaxh on Nyayaratna of Manikantha Mishra after being requested by the wife of Maharaja Prataprudra of Pavchalexhwar – Padmabati. His other books on the Nyaya doctrine are: Pratyakkha-nir'n'ay, Shabda-nir'n'ay, Khandanoddhar, (reply to Khandankhanda-khadya written by Xriharsha), Chintamo'n'i-praka'x, etc.

The books on Smriti-shastra by Bachaspati Mishra are most famous. Because of this, he was well known as 'Smarta Bachaspati'; among the shastrakars or shastra specialists. His books on Smriti-shastra'; included: Achar-Chintamo''n'i, Dan-nir'n'ay, Dwaita-nir'n'ay, Bibad-chintamo'n'i, Byabohar';chintamo'n'i, X'huddhi-chintamo'n'i, etc. Their influence was observed among the Smriti-shastra writings of Bengal. Apart from Nyaya and Smriti, Bachaspati also wrote books on other subjects. Notable among these were a book titled Shahasr'a'dhik'a'ra'n on Mimamsa philosophy and a book of poetry titled Pitribhakti-tara'n'gi'n'i. [Satyanarayan Chakravarti] [Chakraborty, Satyanarayan Professor of Sanskrit, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata]