EDITORS' NOTE.

In this volume are printed four commentaries with the text of the Pushti-Pravāha-Maryādā of S'rī Vallabhāchārya. The four commentaries printed here are those of S'rī Gokulanathaji, S'rī Raghunāthaji, S'rī Kalyanarayji and S'rī Pitambarji. The first two are grand-sons of S'rī Vallabhacharya, the third his great- grand-son and the fourth is 6th agnate descendant. The last Commentary though it is published in the name of S'rī Pitambarji, we have no doubt, is actually written by his learned son S'rī Purushottamji. S'rī Purushottamji seems to have written this and dedicated it to his father by ascribing the authorship of the same to him. Whatever that may be, the style is evidently familiar one which we meet in other writings of S'rī Purushottamji.

Pushti-Pravāha-Maryādā is one of the so-called ‘Shodas'a Grantha’ sixteen works of S'rī Vallabhacharya. Though this is a Prakaraṇa grantha, the whole of it is unfortunatily not available. The last portion of it seems to have been lost by the time S'rī Gokulnāthaji came to write his commentary on it. S'rī Gokulnathaji remarks at the end of his commentary thus:—‘यद्यप्यत्र ग्रन्थोपसंहारदर्शनाभावादग्रेऽपि ग्रन्थोऽस्तीति ज्ञायते, तथाप्यग्रिमग्रन्थस्याप्रसिद्धत्वाद्यावत्प्रसिद्ध एव व्याख्यात इति नानुपपत्तिः काचित्’. S'rī Raghunathaji another commentator also remarks at the end of his commentary ‘इत ऊर्ध्वं ग्रन्थत्रुटिः’. S'rī Gokulnathaji and S'rī Raghunathaji are both grandsons of S'rī Vallabhacharya, and from the above we come to know that they were unable to trace the whole of the present Prakaraṇa Grantha and therefore they had to satisfy themselves by com- menting on that portion of Pushti-Pravāha-Maryādā which was available to them during their times. Though we are not informed exactly as to what was lost from this work by these commentators, we do learn from the last commentator S'rī Pitambaraji or S'rī Purushottamji that the portion of this work dealing with the प्रयोजन, साधन, अङ्ग, क्रिया and फल of प्रवाहमार्ग and प्रयोजन, स्वरूप, अङ्ग, क्रिया, साधन and फल of मर्यादामार्ग, seems to have been lost. Whatever that may be, we have also to satisfy ourselves by publishing the portion which is available. Inspite of our efforts we have not been able to trace the whole of it anywhere. How the last portion of the present work came to be lost as early as the time of S'rī Gokulnathaji is a question which is not possible for us to answer definitily. In the absence of any reliable information whatever we may say would be nothing more than speculation. It is not absolutely impossible that this work in the original with others of S'rī Vallabha- charya, was consigned to oblivion by the wife of S'rī Gopinathaji (elder son of S'rī Vallabhacharya) when differences arose between her and her brother-in-law S'rī Vitthala Dikshita, on the death of her husband, as to the succession to the seat of Acharya between her son Purushottamaji and S'rī Vitthala Dikshita. It does not seem to be probable that S'rī Vallabhacharya himself left it incomplete. Possibly this work as it is available deals fully with the Pushtimarga, while the rest of the portion dealing with Pravāha and Maryādā being uninteresting to the exclusive tendencies of S'rī Vitthala Dikshita became neglected with the result that by the time Gokulanathaji came to write his commentary, he was unable to trace it. In those days the means of communication were few. Whatever might have been the reason for the loss, the fact is that we have now to satisfy ourselves with the fragment as is available.