Pakshadhara Mishra
{{Short description|Scholar and Philosopher from Mithila}}
{{Infobox philosopher|name=Pakshadhara Mishra|birth_place=Mithila|occupation=Philosopher Professor|school_tradition=Nyaya School of Indian Philosophy|
Pakshadhara Mithila School|main_interests=Nyaya Shastra|notable_students=Vasudeva Sarvabhauma, Raghunatha Siromani|region=Mithila region}}
Pakshadhara Mishra (also known by the alias Jayadeva) was a 15th-century Indian philosopher from the Mithila region{{cite book |last1=Bhattacharya |first1=Dineshchandra |title=History of Navya-Nyaya in Mithila |date=1958 |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal |pages=115–127 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.16612/page/n13/mode/2up}} and the founder of the Nyaya Shastra sampradaya in the tradition of Gaṅgeśa.{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=WJ |title=Jayadeva Pakṣadhara |journal=A Dictionary of Hinduism |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2009 |volume=2009 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198610250.001.0001/acref-9780198610250-e-1188?rskey=obgwmY&result=1}}{{Cite book |last=Mookerji |first=Radhakumud |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mjFfqpq7HhkC&q=students+of+pakshadhara+mi%C5%9Bra |title=Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist |date=1989 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-0423-4 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Vidyabhusana |first=Satis Chandra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0lG85RD9YZoC |title=A History of Indian Logic: Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Schools |date=1988 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers |isbn=978-81-208-0565-1 |language=en}} He was a practitioner of the Nyaya Shashtra during the 15th century CE. He was a member at the court of King Bhairava Singh of the Oiniwar Dynasty in Mithila.{{Cite book |last=Choudhary |first=Indra Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Some_Aspects_of_Social_Life_of_Medieval.html?id=jCQaAAAAIAAJ#Pakshadhara%20Mishra |title=Some Aspects of Social Life of Medieval Mithila, 1350-1750 A.D.: With a Special Reference to Contemporary Literatures |date=1988 |publisher=Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute |pages=101 |language=en}} Notable pupils of his pupils include Vasudeva Sarvabhauma and Raghunatha Siromani.{{Cite web |title=Pakshadhara Mishra {{!}} Indian philosopher {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pakshadhara-Mishra |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Kochhar |first=Rajesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sto6EAAAQBAJ&q=pakshadhara+mishra |title=Sanskrit and the British Empire |date=2021-09-02 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-43553-5 |language=en}}
Among his most notable works is the Aloka which superseded all previous commentaries on the Tattvachintamani. The Aloka itself has been confidently dated to some time between 1465-75 A.D.
Etymology
It is said that he once obtained victory in a debate that lasted a fortnight (Paksha), and after that he was referred to as Pakshadhara Mishra.{{Cite book |last=Bakshi |first=S. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Early_Aryans_to_Swaraj.html?id=Ldo1QtQigosC#v=onepage&q=Pakshadhara%20Mishra&f=false |title=Early Aryans to Swaraj |last2=S.G |date=2005 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=978-81-7625-537-0 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Kochhar |first=Rajesh |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Sanskrit_and_the_British_Empire.html?id=sto6EAAAQBAJ#v=onepage&q=Pakshadhara%20Mishra&f=false |title=Sanskrit and the British Empire |date=2021-09-02 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-43553-5 |language=en}}
Early life
Pakshadhara Mishra was born in a Maithil Brahmin family in the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent. His father name was Vaṭeśvara Mahamahopadhyaya.{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2020-08-15 |title=Pakshadhara mishra, Pakṣadhara miśra: 1 definition |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/pakshadhara-mishra |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2024-10-30 |title=Volume 5 (1879) [page 173]: Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/history/compilation/notices-of-sanskrit-manuscripts/ocr/1467666/173#pages |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}} He belonged to the Sarisav Pahi village of the Madhubani district in Bihar, India.{{Cite book |last=Śarmmā |first=Rāmaprakāśa |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Mithila_ka_itihasa.html?id=TZAJAQAAIAAJ#%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B5 |title=Mithila ka itihasa |date=1979 |publisher=Kamesvarasimhadarabhangasamskrtavisvavidyalaya |pages=521 |language=hi}}{{Cite book |last=Jhā |first=Lakṣmīnātha |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Mithil%C4%81_k%C4%AB_s%C4%81%E1%B9%83skr%CC%A5tika_lokacitraka.html?id=5GkcAAAAMAAJ#%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B5 |title=Mithilā kī sāṃskr̥tika lokacitrakalā |date=1999 |publisher=Mitranātha Jhā |pages=29 |language=hi}}
Academy of Pakshadhara Mishra
The academy of Pakshadhara Mishra was a famous centre of learning Nyaya Shastra. It was located at Bhaur village in the Madhubani district of Bihar, India.{{Cite book |last=Choudhary |first=Rabindra Nath |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Political_History_of_Khandavala_Dynasity.html?id=nmYeAAAAMAAJ#village%20of%20pakshadhara%20mishra |title=Political History of Khandavala Dynasity [sic] in Mithila, 1556-1793 |date=1987 |publisher=Capital Publishing House |pages=45 |language=en}} It is nearby to his native village Sarisav Pahi. The eminent Naiyayikas Vasudeva Sarvabhauma and Raghunatha Shiromani studied Nyaya Shastra at the academy of Pakshadhara Mishra.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Dawn_and_Dawn_Society_s_Magazine.html?id=rq45AQAAIAAJ#v=onepage&q=University%20of%20Nadia%20&f=false |title=The Dawn and Dawn Society's Magazine |date=1907 |language=en}}
Literary works
Pakshadhara Mishra wrote a text known as the Tattvanirṇaya. He also wrote the texts Dravya Padartha and Lilavati Viveka.{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2020-09-03 |title=Tattvanirnaya, Tattvanirṇaya, Tattva-nirnaya: 1 definition |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/tattvanirnaya |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=शर्म्मा |first=रामप्रकाश |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B9.html?id=G7sBAAAAMAAJ#%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%B0%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0 |title=मिथिला का इतिहास |date=1979 |publisher=Kāmeśvarasiṃhadarabhaṅgāsaṃskr̥taviśvavidyālaya |pages=477 |language=hi}} Similarly, he also authored a version of the text Vishnu Purana at Jamsam which was located on the west side of the disappeared city Amravati in Mithila. It is still preserved at the library of the Patna Research Society.{{Cite book |last=Miśra |first=Ajaya |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Mah%C4%81mahop%C4%81dhy%C4%81ya_%E1%B8%8C%C3%B4_Sara_Ga%E1%B9%85g%C4%81n.html?id=1XdjAAAAMAAJ#%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80 |title=Mahāmahopādhyāya Ḍô. Sara Gaṅgānātha Jhā kī sārasvata-sādhanā kā adhyayana |date=1995 |publisher=Nāga Prakāśaka |isbn=978-81-7081-315-6 |pages=10 |language=hi}}