Sayana

Sayana was one of the earliest commentators of the Vedas of 14th century AD. He wrote the commentaries on all the four Vedas. Sayana and his brother Madhava were the Ministers in the court of Bukka, king of Vijaya-nagar on the banks of the Tungabadhra in Bellary district Karnataka. He penned several works and regarded as a learned man. And apart from this, he was also warrior, who fought many battles.

Sayana flourished under the king Bukka I and his successor Harihara II in the Vijayanagar Empire of South India. His father was Mayana and he was the student of Vishnu Sarvajna and Samkarananda. He has composed more than hundred works, which includes commentaries on nearly all parts of the Veda. He wrote some of them along with his pupils and some were written with the support of his brother Madhava or Vidyaranya. Sayana got the patronage of Harihara and Bukka to inaugurate a period of great literary activity. It is only with their guidance Sayana`s knowledge in Sanskrit was systemized and written down in the form of manuals and textbooks.

Sayana also wrote an anthology named `Subbashitatiidhiwrixxcn` in the reign of Mampana. He has also another work called `Dbaturritti` in his name. All these writings are the roots of the various tenses with their derivatives. Sayana wrote a medical book named `Ayurvtdasudhanidhi`. Modern scholars have got a great help from his works. His commentaries on Vedas are known as `Vedartha Prakasha`. Sayana has also written many lesser manuals named `Sudhanidhis`, which deals with `Prayaschitta` (expiation), Yajnatantra (ritual), Purushartha i, e, aims of human endeavour, Ayurveda, Sangit Sara, Prayaschitra, Alankara, Sarvadarshanasangraha and Dhatuvrddh (grammar).