Mimamsa, Vedanta etc.

[Vishal Agarwal]

----Original Message Follows----
From: "N. Ganesan" <naga_ganesan at HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Mimamsa, Vedanta etc.
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 07:58:10 PST

Naga Ganesan asked:
Is the "Manimekhali" here refering to the buddhist epic, ma.nimEkalai?
VA: Responds: Yes, it was a typo. I reproduce the relevant passage (from
Danielou's translation): "Before enquiring of the chief representative of
the Vedic tradition, Manimekhalai first contacted a Pramanavadi who belonged
to this sect. He expounded to her the logical conceptions and the Pramanas
envisaged by Mimamsa. In explaining the means of Knowledge, the pramanavadi
referred to 3 Sages: Veda Vyasa, who divided the Vedas into 4 parts,;
Krtakoti (the commentator) and the infallible logician Jaimini. These 3
thinkers have established that instruments of knowledge through which the
validity of any theory can be determined are, according to the school,
either 10 or 8 or 6 in number."
In my opinion, he Manimekahlai is of no use in establishing the date of
Samkaracharya. For one, the text does not even mention the Pallavas,
although it names the Chola-Chera-Pandya dynasties. Even after Bhagvatpada
Samkaracharya and Kumarila/Prabhakara, Jayanta Bhatta still refers to 'the
followers of Vrttikara Upavarsha' in his Nyayamanjari. For that matter, if
the astronomical configuration for the date of birth of Buddha in the
Manimekhalai is considered, we arrive at approximately 1850 B.C.E !!! (a
date which some seem to derive from the Puranas as well).

Naga Ganesan said:
Dakshinamurti bas-relief panel is Sankara. A team of three saints,
whom Sivaramamurti identifies them as Jaimini, Vyasa and Sankara.
Other scholars say that this kind of deification appears to be too
early and, more likely is Jaimini, Vyasa and Krtakoti.
VA: There is no tradition about Krtakoti/Upavarsha having died young (see
accounts in Subandhu's Vasavadatta, or the Avantisundari etc.). He appears
to be from Vallabhi/Vidarbha and is said to have travelled to Pataliputra
(Mahapadma Nanda's court) with Vyadi etc. However, from the fantastic
descriptions given in these accounts (like Lord Skanda creating a cleavage
in his tongue and stuffing Wisdoom therein), it appears that Upavarsha
Acharya (= Krtakoti. Halabhuti, Bodhayana) was already a legendary figure by
550-600 C.E. And of course, the Sabara Bhashya and subcommentaries on
Slokavarttika use epithets like 'Bhagvan' for him.

Best wishes

Vishal
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