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Re: Sankara and the Buddhists---a query
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: Re: Sankara and the Buddhists---a query
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From: f0g1@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Prasad Gokhale)
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Date: 26 Mar 1995 00:19:03 GMT
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From news@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca Sat Mar 25 19: 08:32 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
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References: <3ktadk$nu2@ucunix.san.uc.edu>
dran@ramanujan.cs.albany.edu (Paliath Narendran) writes:
> The philosophy and organization adopted by Sankara closely
> resembled those of the Buddhists, who were indignant,
> as can be well understood, at a movement intended to destroy
> them by their own methods. (p. 185)
Aadi Shankara had, I believe, better things on his mind than to
bring about the "destruction" of the Bauddha Sampraday. Indeed,
Romila Thapar, the notorious communist-historian would find
controversial bickerings amongst the Sages of late, which eventually
brought about the annihilation of people possessing opposing views;
the means of destruction being largely political and economical.
This is not the only gem that Romila-Devi has put forth. Calling
the muslim invaders as "visitors", however, has been the jewel in
the crown. Also, in a debate regarding the Ramjanmabhoomi, the
historian turned to matters philosophical, when presented with
unassailable archaeological, literary evidence by VHP regarding
the origins of Shree Ram temple at Ayodhya. Also, check out her
booklet questioning the Shree Keshavadeva mandir at Mathura. Full
of hogwash and lies. Analysing every single incident in the history
of Bharat, as either being communal, or motivated by political
ambitions has been rather prosaic. A cutlure has much more to it
than bickerings between rich and poor, have's and have-nots. But,
who is going to make these commies understand?? It is therefore
prudent to take Thapar's interpretation of historical events with a
grain of salt, and more so, only as opinions and not of great scholarly
value.
>The `traditional' date is given as 788-820 A.D., based on
>`SankaramandArasaurabha' of Nilakantha. Since this is consistent
>with the other facts, Prof. Raja says that the traditional date
>can be accepted.
New historical evidence has surfaced that has made Shankara's
traditional date to be re-calculated. The current line of thinking
places Chandragupta Maurya (Sandrodottus to the Greeks) to be
contemporaneous to Alexander, who is known to have invaded Bharat around
325 B.C. Taking this as the reference date, many other time-lines have
been derived.
However, it is now known that it was Chandragupta *Gupta* who flourished
during the Alexandrian Era - and that the Mauryas existed much before the
Guptas. The date of Chandragupta Maurya is calculated from a variety of
sources to be around 1550 B.C. Revisiting therefore the age when Shree
Shankara existed, the date of 509 B.C can be calculated.
Aadi Shankara therefore existed 500 years prior to the advent of the
Christian era, and not in 800 A.D. as has been traditionally accepted.
Regards,
---Prasad.
