on zankara's date - 2

[N. Ganesan]

Earlier, experts have not considered the existence of important tamil
inscriptions that are useful about knowing Sankaran period.
VAcaspati's late 10th century nyAya works and the two tamil
inscriptions in 1065 CE and 1235-6 CE from Chola and Pandyan
kings point rather to a late date, than conventionally believed.
Sankara could well have lived around 900 CE.

Generally, Sanskrit material is given liberal dates. Contemporary
scholarship indicates the plausible dates for the Rig Veda as
1000 BCE and Buddha's date being  brought forward by 100+ years.
Another example is Kalidasa to be post-CilappatikAram.

In line with the RV, Buddha, so called "Bhasa's plays", etc.,
Sankara's date might well be around 900 A.D. rather than the usual
800 A.D. No need to emphasize the importance of Chola and Pandya
inscriptins relevant to the study of Sankara.

Regards,
N. Ganesan

Part of my old posting:
Adisankara calls his brahmasUtra bhASyam as "sArIraka mImAmsa".
In this 1065 CE inscription, it is called "bhagavatpAdIyam
sArIraka bhASyam". This is the oldest inscription that definitively
mentions Adisankara anywhere.

While trying to fix the date of Sankara who purportedly wrote
400 texts, it is hard to believe that the eminent philosopher
remained hidebound for centuries. Note that Pallavas and Imperial
Cholas were great patrons of Sanskrit learning. In the Pallava
period, the Saivaite Nayanmars and Vaishnava Alvars start
figuring in inscriptions a little after their times.
Take the case of Ramanujar, his bronzes exist from his lifetime
in the Chola times.

VAcaspati's late 10th century nyAya works and the two tamil
inscriptions in 1065 CE and 1235-6 CE from Chola and Pandyan
kings point rather to a late date, than conventionally believed.
Sankara could well have lived around 900 CE.

Regards,
N. Ganesan


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