Traditional dates vs scientific dates

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On Dec 14, 3:18am, Jaganath.Bharadwaj wrote:

> All this goes back to the example of mistaking a rope for a snake

> episodes quoted (I believe from the Chandogya Upanishad) in reference

> to evidence of conclusion based on the external senses. It is

> accepted unanimously by all schools of Vedanta philosophy (this

> includes Advaita, Visisthadvaita and Dwaita) that evidence based on

> inference of what can be perceived by the bodily senses are prone to

> inaccuracies.

 

I don't think this is a correct reflection of the Visistadvaita

viewpoint. As I understand it, there are three pramaaNas, or

sources of knowledge: direct perception, inference through logic,

and the Veda. Each is completely reliable in its own sphere.

In fact, Visistadvaitins beginning with Ramanuja have emphatically

argued that unless one has an inherent defect in the sense organ,

everything that one perceives is absolutely reliable *within

that frame of reference*. In other words, we cannot rely on

our eyes to determine things that are suprasensual, such as the

nature of the self, God, or their interrelationship. At the

same time, sense perception is absolutely valid in determining

the nature of any physical entity. The scientific method has

very definite validity.

 

Similarly, we are allowed to use logic and inference to

determine the age of manuscripts, the cause of smoke,

and all sorts of varies and sundry things. However, logic

cannot conclusively tell us anything about the origin of

the universe, because once again, it is operating outside

its frame of reference.

 

Coming to the dating of the Azhvaars: it is generally accepted

even by devout Sri Vaishnavas that the Azhvaars lived in the

first millenium A.D. Puttur S. Krishnaswamy Iyengar,

Dr. K.K.A. Venkatachari and others have looked at the data

and have accepted them after careful review. It goes without

saying that both of these scholars are devout Sri Vaishnavas.

In fact, the introduction to the reprint of the "Holy Lives

of the Azhvars" book by A. Govindacharya clearly states that

the idea of the traditional dates have been abandoned long ago.

 

The dating of Kali Yuga, etc., are all relatively recent

concoctions. They have no basis in Sruti and are arbitrary

extrapolations of postulations by ancient seers who wondered

about the age of the world and the progressive lawlessness

they perceived. Would you similarly literally accept the

stories of Adam and Eve, the dating of the origin of the

world to 4004 B.C., etc., as in the Christian timeline?

I think not.

 

Mani