[INDOLOGY] Question

[alakendu das]

Dr. Deshpande,
I was consulting Swami AlokAnanda's translation of "AporakshAnubhuti" . Upanetra has been translated as spectacle or lenses, or any other aid for proper vision.Prefix "Upa" is used to denote a meaning which implies something which is the nearest approximation to the word which follows the prefix. A spectacle or lens is the nearest approximation to eye , but not eye proper Shankaracharya lived in 8th C. E. It need to be searched as to whether vision -aids were available in 8th CE India.RegardsAlakendu Das

From: indology at list.indology.info
Sent: Wed, 11 Oct 2023 08:39:01 
To: Indology <indology at list.indology.info>
Subject: [INDOLOGY] Question


In his Aparokṣānubhūti verse 81, Śaṅkarācārya says: sūkṣmatve sarvavastūnāṃ sthūlatvaṃ copanetrataḥ. Here, some modern interpreters have interpreted the word upanetra as referring to eye-glasses or some lens that enlarges the view. I am just wondering about the history of lenses and eye-glasses around the time of Śaṅkara. An allied question will be the date and authorship of Aparokṣānubhūti. Any information and references are appreciated.Madhav M. DeshpandeProfessor Emeritus, Sanskrit and LinguisticsUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USASenior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
[Residence: Campbell, California, USA]



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