Gangadhara Vajapeyi

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Gangadhara Vajapeyi (b.1700) was a great vedic sacrificer (vajapeya yaji - one who has performed the Vajapeya yaga) of the Kanva branch of Shukla yajurveda from Thiruvalangadu in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. He was son of Devasimha Bhatta from the Telugu country. He was a Smarta brahmin belonging to the Vadhula gotra.

He was an expert in Nyaya and Tarka Shastra. He was asthana vidwan at the court of Maratha king Serfoji of Tanjore. He had performed the Vajapeya sacrifice presided by the Maratha king Serfoji.

Most importantly - he is remembered as the guru of Bhaskararaya - one of the greatest shrauta sacrificers and exponents of the tantra of recent times. Bhaskararaya acquired knowledge of the nyAya darShaNa (Tarka Shastra) from gangadhara vAjapeyI. Bhaskararaya was one of the foremost Srividya upasaka. Bhaskararaya's commentary on the lalitA-sahasranAma (bhashya) and his commentary on the SrI vidyA mantra are most well known.

[edit] Gangadhara Vajapeyi's Works

He wrote a rare commentary on Kuvalayananda (a book on alankara shastra) of Appayya Dikshitar viz: Rasikaranjani. He also wrote Kanada Siddhantachandrika (on Vaisesika).

He also wrote Avaidika darsana samgraha. The work was very popular in South India and is considered to be an important source book on Buddha-Jaina fundamentals next to Sarvadarsana-samgraha of Madhava.