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CHAPTER XV
THE BHASKARA SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY
Date of Bhāskara. UDAYANA, in his Nyāya-kusumāñjali, speaks of Bhāskara as a commentator on the Vedānta in accordance with the traditions of the tridanda school of Vedānta and as holding the view that Brahman suffers evolutionary changes? Bhattoji Dikșita also, in his Tattva-viveka-țīkā-vivarana, speaks of Bhatta Bhāskara as holding the doctrine of difference and non-difference (bhedābheda)?. It is certain, however, that he flourished after Sankara, for, though he does not mention him by name, yet the way in which he refers to him makes it almost certain that he wrote his commentary with the express purpose of refuting some of the cardinal doctrines of Sankara's commentary on the Brahma-sūtra. Thus, at the very beginning of his commentary, he says that it aims at refuting those who, hiding the real sense of the sūtra, have only expressed their own opinions, and in other places also he speaks in very strong terms against the commentator who holds the māyā doctrine and is a Buddhist in his views. But, though he was opposed to Sankara, it was only so far as Sankara had introduced the māyā doctrine, and only so far as he thought the world had sprung forth not as a real modification of Brahman, but only through māyā. For
1 Tridanda means "three sticks.” According to Manu it was customary among some Brahmins to use one stick, and among others, three sticks.
Pandita Vindhyeśvari Prasāda Dvivedin, in his Sanskrit introduction to Bhāskara's commentary on the Brahma-sūtra, says that the Vaisnava commentators on the Brahma-sūtra prior to Rāmānuja, Tanka, Guhadeva, Bhāruci and Yamunācarya, the teacher of Rāmānuja, were all tridandins. Such a statement is indeed very interesting, but unfortunately he does not give us the authority from which he drew this information.
2 " Bhattabhāskaras tu bheda-bheda-vedānta-siddhānta-vādi"; Bhattoji Diksita's Vedānta-tattva-ţikā-vivarana, as quoted by Pandita Vindhyeśvari Prasada in his Introduction to Bhāskara's commentary. 3 sūtra-bhiprāya-samurtyā svābhiprāyā-prakāšanāt vyakhyātam yair idam śāstram vyākhyeyam tan-nivyttaye.
Bhāskara's Commentary, p. I. Also "ye tu bauddha-matāvalambino māyā-vādinas te' pi anena nyāyena sūtrakārenai' va nirastāḥ." Ibid. 11. 2. 29.
In another place Sankara is referred to as explaining views which were really propounded by the Mahāyāna Buddhists-vigitam vicchinna-mülam māhāyānikabauddha-gāthitam māyā-vādam vyāvarnayanto lokān vyāmohayanti. Ibid. 1. 4. 25.
Rámo Rāmānun, says that inskrit introcas...
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