Indian Antiquary Vol 62

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 90

THE INDTAX ANTIQUARY
[ APRIL, 1933
THE ADVAITA VEDÅSTA IN UP SEVENT, CENTURY. The second roference which occurs on page 399 By PECE. DASHARATHA SHARMA, M.A..
of the same edition of the book is much more to the It is generally believed that a durlistic interpreta point, and so clearly worded that it can bear no two tion of the Vedanta philosophy held the field in the interpretations. Moreover, the context iself, tho eighth century, when Sankara wrote his great com. consolation of Harga on the death of his father, is mentary on the Vedanta Sairas, and that his teacher highly significant, and makes the meaning a little Govinda's teacher, Caudapâda, was the first man clearer than it would otherwise be. to interconnert the idea of Mâyâ und Brahman.
Tho passage in question runs as follows The main reasons for reaching these conclusions are that Gaudapâda is the only Ac&rya of the
24Hg kí để fall fo@sở......... Advaita Vedanta named by Sankara, that Sankara h agutaal:, 46191, 1971himself makes the confession that the absolutist creed was recovered from the Vedas by Gaudepâda,'
हितगौरवाच, प्राह्यगिरी गुरवः, श्रुतिस्मृतीतिहासविशारदाच that throughout his commentary on the Brahna ag cai, wanauerat quif TSatras Sankara contends against some other rival
| भाल्या राजानो, यथावदधिगतात्मतत्वाश्च संस्तुता मस्कinterpretations of a dual tendency, and that Ramanuja refers not only to one or two, but many fo, garere 54:, BATTER4999 Acâryas of the Visistädvaita school. But that this theory, with all the plausibie arguments in its
: 1119799fagurat qiroat: favour, is still open to considerable doubt and per- The Brahmavadins mentioned herein can, of haps rejection, will be shown by the two references, course, he only the Vedantins of the Advaita school, especially the second, that I give below from the for the dualists could have nothing to say by way Hargacarita, & work written at least a hundred years of consolation on the death of a person. Moreover, before the birth of Sankara.
| even if this line of argument be not regarded 18 con. On page 632 of Jivananda Vidyasagara's edition elusive, the tell tale adjective ENTETTA of the book, we find an excellent description of the To would leave no doubt as to the exact naturo philosophical sects flourishing in the seventh cen- of these Brahmavadins. The expression Hartier tury, which, besides mentioning the Bhagavatas,
signifies that these Brahmavadins (who, it the Kapilas, the Jainas, the Lokayatikas, the might be noted, Are the only Brahmavadins men. Kanadas, the Pauràpikas, the Aigvar Karanikas ortioned by Bana) must have gone about preaching the Naiyâyikas, the Karandharins or the Dhâtu- like Gaudepada that all existence is unreal, that all VÅdins, the Saptatântavas or the Miminuakse, the this duality is Mêya, that Brahman is the only real. Sabdas or the VaiyAlara nas, and the Bauddhas, The word F ending the compound qualifying speaks of the Pancartrikas and the Aupanigadas. the noun Brahmavândin is almost as characteristic ; As tho Pancaråtrikas, whose system is generally re- it shows that are was not a mere unsubgarded as the main basis of Visistådvaita, are clearly stantiated postulate, but a well thought-out theory distinguished herein from the Aupaniondas, should we which the Brahmavadins of tho seventh century hot be justified in regarding the latter as the inter- could prove by the use of strong arguments and preters of the Upanişads in the absolutist sense ? cogent reasoning.
BOOK-NOTICES. AN ACCOUNT OY TIBxr : THE TRAVELS OF IPPO at the time by Sir C. Markham (and the Hakluyt LITO DESIDERI OF PISTOIA, S.J., 1712-1727. Society tried to obtain it), it was not until 29 years Edited by Filippo De Filippi, with an Introdus later that extracts from it were published by Prof. tion by C. WESSELS, S.J. 81 X 54 in.; pp. xviii + Puini, in the Memoirs of the Italian Geographical 475 : 17 plates and a map. London, Routledge Society and even then it escaped notice in other & Sons, 1932.
countries, as it was not published as a continuous Although the manuscript of the Italian Jesuit mis. narrative, but only in extracts arranged as appen. sionary Ippolito Desideri was rediscovered in Pistoia dices to Puini's own description of Tibet. The as long ago as 1875, a fact which was announced present translation gives the narrative in ita
1 Translation -
Nobly born old men whc had been in the royal household for the last two generations ; elderly relatives who enjoyed consideration on account of family succession and whose words demanded attention; old Brahmanas versed in Sruti, Smyti and Itihdsa; ministers conversant with the Vedas and nobly descended, consecrated princo; approved Ascetics, well-trained in the doctrines of the self ; sages, indifferent to pleasure and pain; Brahmavadins, skilled in expounding the nothingness of the world; and Pauranikas, expert in allaying sorrow surrounded Harga, who being distressed by the death of his father, was in that condition.