Samkhyan terminology (was Re: A text dealing with Ayurveda)

[Vishal Agarwal]

----Original Message Follows----
From: Vidyasankar Sundaresan <vsundaresan at HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Samkhyan terminology (was Re: A text dealing with Ayurveda)
Date: Tue, 4 May 1999 19:02:03 PDT

Vishal Agarwal <vishalagarwal at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>Tradition also ascribes the authorship
>of a Tantric text called the 'Yogataravali' (recently sung by Madonna) to
>Govindapada- who was the direct teacher of Sri Samkaracarya. In addition,
>he is also said to have composed the text 'Rasahrdaya' and is said by
>tradition, to have lived a long life by the use of drugs.

Mr. Sunderesan wrote:
Well, such traditions are very problematic in their origins. Consider this -
Paramahamsa Yogananda (of the Self-Realization Fellowship) writes that one
guru known only as Babaji is the same as Govinda Bhagavatpada. And there
have been many who have identified themselves as 'Babaji' as he supposedly
never dies. Now, anyone who knows some advaita vedAnta should know that
physical death is hardly something to be avoided or postponed through the
use of drugs or the 'alchemy' of the rasa-siddhas. What weight should one
attach to such traditions? Isn't it much more possible that texts like
Rasahrdaya were attributed by their authors to the guru of Sankara, in order
to lend themselves the aura of orthodoxy and authenticity associated with
the Sankaran tradition?

Vishal writes: The tradition of Bhagvata Govindapada being adept at
Rasesvara Darsana is a part of the Advaita Lore itself and is recorded in
numerous traditional bigraphies. (I can find out some references if you
insist). He is said to have lived very long and yet had the body of a young
boy when his famous disciple arrived. Although Advaita does not indeed ask
one to preserve one's body, yet the Yogins are indeed seen to live long. In
modern times, we have the example of Devraha Baba of Mathura who lived a
very long life. Nobody can say that he prolonged his life because of love of
it.

The counter example of Sri Yogananda does not have a bearing on this
specific instance. That is what I feel.

Best regards,

Vishal


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