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LXXXIX
and a commentator on his works. The name of Sankarasvåmin is long unknown, and about his date we have not the least idea. All that we can say is that he flourished before S'Antarakṣita and that the latest date that can be assigned to him is cir. 700 A. D. It is quite possible also that he was earlier than Uddyotakara whose famous work might have stamped his works out of existence.
Sankarasvâmin supported the Naiyâyika theory of Atman on the ground that the desires etc, must depend on something, because they are products, just as the colour etc. depend on some entity. The cause of these desires is the Atman. His idea of perception is worth noting. He held that the feelings of pleasure etc. are not cognitions. The feeling of pleasure and the cognition of happiness, however, remain in the same place. The perception of pleasure is caused by the mind which is one of the sense-organg.
Pras'astamati.
A. D. 700 S'ântarakṣita' refers to the opinions held by another Naiyayika scholar who is called Prasastamati. This author seems to be different from the Vaišeşika philosopher Prasastapada. Like his compeer Aviddhakarna we have no information about him, his doctrines, opinions and his time. All that we can hazard to say is that he flourished before S'ântarakṣita, and the latest date that can be assigned to him is cir. 700 A. D.
Some of the views held by this scholar are as follows. He supported the doctrine of God as an intelligent creator of the universe on the ground that the people in the beginning of creation must be dependent on somebody for instruction on Vyavahdra or conventionalities because they are the same and fixed everywhere, just as a child is dependent on the elders for instruction on language, etc. That somebody in the beginning of creation is God. God should be omniscient also, because the doer always
1. See for instance, p. 43 and the summary.
| SR No. | 010566 |
| Book Title | Tattvasangraha 01 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Embar Krishnamacharya |
| Publisher | Central Library |
| Publication Year | 1926 |
| Total Pages | 832 |
| Language | Hindi, Sanskrit |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari |
| File Size | 57 MB |