On Sankara's date -2 (was Mimamsa, Vedanta etc.)

[Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan]

In a message dated 12/27/99 9:18:58 PM Central Standard Time,
vishalagarwal at HOTMAIL.COM writes:

> 3. The word 'Mimamsa' originally might have covered both the 'Karma Mimamsa'
>  of Jaimini (in 16 Chapters) and the Brahmamimamsa of Badarayana (in 4
>  chapters). Epigraphic evidence from Tamil Nadu mentions Brahmins subsisting
>  on 'Bhattavrtti' by studying the Mimamsa of 20 chapters.

This inscription is presumably the ANiyUr inscription, no. 76 of 1932. I have
not seen the ARE publication. But a secondary source, "The Development of
Education During the Coola Period" by Mrs. Loganayagy Sivasubramaniam in the
International Tamil Conference (Madurai) Proceedings, refers to this. The
bhaTTa was supposed to have eight qualifications. I am quoting the seventh
one, as described by Sivasubramaniam.

"(7) He should further be able to comment properly upon vimsical Athyaayam
Miimaamsa saastra i.e. to expand elaborately the Miimaamsa saastra in all its
twenty chapters."

It is not clear what the inscription says and what the scholar interprets.
Does anybody have access to this inscription, no.76 of 1932?

As for Vidyasankar's observation,  "Although there have been many gRhastha
authors in then tradition, the study of vedAnta is intimately associated with
saMnyAsa", the Kasakkudi plates  provide an interesting detail. These plates
were issued in the 28th year of Nandivarman II who ruled from 731-796 AD.
Here the recipient, a householder with sons and grandsons, is praised as an
expert in karmakANDa and jJAnakANDa among a whole lot of fields of study.

But the eNNAyiram inscription does seem to make a distinction between the
teacher of mImAMsA and that of vedAnta. The daily allowance of paddy given to
 the vedAnta teacher was substantially more than the one given to the mImAMsA
teacher. However, along with the teachers of other subjects, the mImAMsA
teacher was also paid a specific amount of gold as the remuneration for
teaching each chapter. The vedAnta teacher did not receive any gold.

How firm are the dates of vAcaspati mizra and bhAskara? Thanks in advance.

Regards
S. Palaniappan