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217
On the Date and Works of the Naiyayika Sankarasvamin
refers to an author of topical interest who was not yet known to Śãntarakṣita, i. e. his appendix to the Svataḥprāmāṇyaparikṣā where he refers to Umbeka 18.
We do not know exactly when Kamalasila has finished his work. It is, however, clear that he could not possibly have written it after his departure for Tibet around 79019. The great accuracy of his commentary which interprets his teacher's text with consummate precision gives the impression that he worked on it for the most part under supervision of his teacher and only put on the finishing touch-by including some new literature-after his teacher's departure. I, therefore, think that it was written before ca. 765 and Sankarasvamin's essays would have to have been written after that time. Thus Sankarasvamin's literary activity can be determined as between 750 and 770 or 790 at the latest, and his life-time as ca. 720/730-780/790.
Only the fact that his *Kṣaṇabhangasiddhidūṣaṇam has been quoted or referred to by Karnakagomin 20 would speak against such a relatively late date. But R. GNOLI's proposition of the middle of the 7th century for Karnakagomin's life 21 cannot be maintained. His main argument that Sakyamati's commentary depends on his-is a perversion of the more reasonable historical probability that the purely philological commentary of Sakyamati was used as the basis for a commentary enlarged with digressions and appendices which are motivated by the better and later understanding of Dharmakirti's philosophical positions and problems 22. Moreover Karnakagomin, too, quotes Umbeka 23.
In spite of some as yet unanswered questions regarding the dates of important authors of Dharmakirti's tradition, f. i. Prajñākaragupta 24, I think that it is necessary to assume that Dharmakirti's
18 TSP 981, 22 ff.; cf. L. SCHMITHAUSEN, Mandanamiśra's Vibhramavivekaḥ mit einer Studie zur Entwicklung der indischen Irrtumslehre. Wien 1965, 216, note 150; K. KUNJUNNI RAJA, Preface in: Ślokavārtikavyākhyā Tātparyaṭikā. Madras 1971, VIII ff.
19 Cf. E. FRAUWALLNER, loc. cit., 143f.
20 PVSVT 515, 8-14 and 79, 27-80, 2 (which is a free report of the first part of a fragment found in J 66, 22ff.).
21 R. GNOLI, The Pramaṇavārttikam of Dharmakirti, the First Chapter with the Autocommentary. Roma 1960, Introduction, XXII; followed by E. FRAUWALLNER, loc. cit., 145f.
22 Cf. my remarks in HB II, 87, where I suggested ca. 750-810 for Karnakagomin, thus a contemporary of Dharmottara.
23 PVSVT 21, 2-13; 497, 19-25; K. KUNJUNNI RAJA, loc. cit., X f. 24 Cf. MAHENDRAKUMAR JAIN, Siddhiviniscayaṭīkā I. Benares 1959. Introduction, 43f.; R. GNOLI, loc. cit., XXII.
