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PRABUDDH JEEVAN
MAY 2014
chapters: (1) The Agama or Scripture. It explains the In talking of the unreality of the external world, text of the Mandūkyopanishad. (2) The Vaitathya or Gaudapāda shows Buddhistic tendencies. He is very Reality. It explains the phenomenal nature of the Uni- near to Buddhist Nihilism and like Nagārjunā denies verse. (3) The Advaita or Monism. It establishes the causation, and the empirical world is traced to Avidyā Monistic Theory. (4) Alātashānti or quenching of the or Samvrti (Relativism). Firebrand. It further explains the relativity of all Sankara : Life and Literature : Opinions differ as experinces. As a stick burning at one end, when turned to the time when Sankara flourished, but according to round produces a circle of fire, so is the world-an Maxmuller and Macdonell, he was born in 788 A. D. illusion.
and died in 820 A.D. His place of birth was Kalādi near Gaudapāda presents an analysis of experience ac- Alwaye on the Malabar Coast. He had a prodigious cording to which life is a waking dream. Waking and intellect, and was pupil of Govinda, the pupil of dream experiences are on an equal par : they are Gaudapāda. Very early-at an age of 8-he became a equally real in their own orders or equally unreal in an Sanyasin, after tactfully taking his mother's permission. absolute sense.
Interesting and instructive stotries are narrated about What is meant by calling the world a dream is that his wandering and contact with different men. He enall existence is unreal. That which neither exists in the tered into mataphysical discussion with Kumārila and begining nor in the end cannot be said to exist in the Mandana Miśra, who were Mimānsists. Story has it that middle or the present. There is neither production nor when he controverted Mandana Miśra, Bhārati, the destruction; imagination realises non-existent existents. learned wife of this opponent was accepted as the
Truth is like the Void. All things are but dreams and umpire by both; and after a long discussion, the Māyā. Duality is imposed on the one by Māyā.
Vedāntin Sankara was declared successful by the lady, There is only an appearance of production in the and Mandana Miśra was convered into his pupil, and world. Just as the movement of burning charcoal is since then known in the changed name of percieved as straight or curved, so it is the movement Sureśvarāchārya. Story also has it, how when of consciousness that is the Percieved and the Per- Mandana was declared defeated, Bharāti said that only ceiver. Just as the attributes (straight or curved) are half the success was won, for she was the other, betimposed on the charcoal, so all appearances are im- ter half of her husband, and unless she be defeated, posed on the consciousness. All things are relative Sankara cannot be said to have fully won, She asked (HQ) and nothing is permanent ( T).
him questions on Kāmaśāstra, which he as a Sanyāsin These are Buddhistic views and Gaudapāda assimi- was ignorant of, and story has it, how he entered the lated the Sūnyavāda and Vijnānavāda teachings with body of Amaru, got the experience, and satisfied the teachings of the Upanişads. In him the negative Bhārati, This shows that Sankara was an adept in Yoga tendencies of Budhhism predominate, while contrasted practices. He established four maths or Seminars, at with that of Sankara who takes a more balanced out- Sringerim Puri, Dwārakā, and Badrināth. He died at look of Reality.
Beadri at an age of 32. Gaudapāda says that the category of causation does At the time Sankara's birth, Buddhism was on its not apply to Ultimate Reality. What is the order of cause decline and demoralised. Vedic rites had fallen into disand effect? If the two were simultaneous, like the horns repute. Saivites and Vaisnavites were following superof an animal, they cannot be cause and effect. If thay stitious practices. To prevent Buddhistic Atheism, are like seed and tree, we don't know the cause itself. Kumārila and Mandana Miśra were emphasising the Causation, to Gaudapāda, is an imposibility. Neither is value of Karma and denouncing Knowledge and God the cause of the world nor is waking experience Sanyāsa. In the midst of these tendencies Sankara the cause of dream-states. The various things are all flourished as a philosopher and a saint. He was very unreal; they only seem real so long as we accept liberal for he preached the highest Monism and yet casuality.
permitted the worship of Siva, Vishnu, Sakti and Sürya. In short, Gaudapāda establishes the unreal charac- He was a poet and a philosopher, and his philosophy ter of the world: (1) by its similarity to dream-states, (2) as well as his philosophic hymns have left a permaby the unintelligibility of causation, (3) by its non-per- nent impression on Indian thought and literature. sistence for all time.
His Works : Sankara's chief writings are his com
