Pongal/Sankranti

[N. Ganesan]

<<<
Regarding some other recent discussions:

The word "bhakti" occurs in the Svetasvatara Upanishad.
The date for this varies depending on whom you ask.
>>>

I quoted earlier:
p. 32, Har Dayal, The Bodhisattva doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit
literature:
"In fact, the very word bhakti, as a technical religious term,
occurs for the first time in Indian literature in a Buddhist
treatise and not in a Hindu scripture. The TheragAthA speaks
of bhatti: 'so bhattimA nAma ca hoti paNDito JatvA ca dhammesu
visesi assa'. This anthology contains verses that go back to
the earliest period of the history of Buddhism, and its final
redaction took place in the middle of the third century BC."

  Is the Svetasvatara Upanishad older than TheragAthaa?
  The latest translation of Upanishads from OxfordUP
  does not think so.

<<<
The Alvars are not the first example of Vishnu bhakti
in the Tamil country. The paripaaDal and silappadikAram
contain lovely poems to Maal, who is none other than
Vishnu.  These texts refer to Vishnu bhakti in a rather
advanced state...
>>>

 The TirumAl portions in paripaaTal and Cilampu
 are well known. Don't know who said "Alvars
 are the first example of TirumAl bhakti in the
 Tamil country". Definitely, it is NOT me.

Regards
N. Ganesan






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