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224
YASASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE
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VEDANTISTS
The school of Vedanta prevalent in Somadeva's time was the Advaita school; and he records the views of the Vedantavadins or the Brahmadvaitavadins. He refers to Samkarācārya, asserting that the Buddha's doctrine was imitated by the latter'. The allegation that the great philosopher was a Buddhist in disguise seems to have been widely current by the middle of the tenth century. Somadeva appears to have been acquainted with the writings of the school of Samkara; and his statement of the ultimate goal according to the Brahmadvaitavadins runs thus : 'यथा घटविघटने घटाकाशमाकाशीभवति तथा देहोच्छेदात् सर्वः प्राणी परे ब्रह्मणि लीयते । This reminds one of the following verses of Samkara's Sarva-vedanta-siddhantasärasamgraha:
serer area महाकाशो यथा तथा । उपाध्यभावे स्वात्मैष स्वयं ब्रह्मैव केवलम् ॥ 695 यत्र यत्र मृतो ज्ञानी परमाक्षरवित् सदा । परे ब्रह्मणि लीयेत न तस्योत्क्रान्तिरिष्यते ॥ 1000. Sureśvarācārya says in his Naiskarmyasiddhi II. 68:
arr विशुद्ध आकाशे सहसैवाभ्रमण्डलम् । भूत्वा विलीयते तद्वदात्मनीहाखिलं जगत् ॥ The doctrine of the Vedanta recorded by Somadeva is summed up also in the following verse quoted in the Matharavṛtti on Sāṁkhyakārikā (39):
देहे मोहाश्रये भने युक्तः स परमात्मनि । कुम्भाकाश इवाकाशे लभते चैकरूपताम् ॥
SAIVAS
An interesting feature of Somadeva's treatment of Saiva doctrines is the light thrown by it on the controversy between the Saivas and the Jainas on the subject of omniscience and creation. The first is claimed by the Saivas for Śiva or Maheśvara, while it is reserved by the Jainas for their Arhat; and as for creation, attributed by the Saivas to Śiva, it is altogether denied by the other sect. The roots of this controversy go to earlier times, and that it is older than the middle of the tenth century is certain. Vidyananda who belongs to the ninth century tries to refute S'amkara-mata, Śaiva doctrine, in his Āptaparikṣā3, and rejects the claim of Mahesvara to be regarded as the creator of the universe and the omniscient author of a system teaching the way to salvation (mokṣa-marga). It will be out of place to analyse his argument; but in dealing with this topic Vidyānanda and Somadeva supplement each other and record valuble information on the
1 ' द्वैताद्वैताश्रयः शाक्यः शंकरानुकृतागमः' VI. 2. Vol, II, p. 276.
2 See preceding Chapter.
3 'सांप्रतं शंकरमतमाशंक्य दूषयन्नाह' etc.
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