Question on 'Bhashya'

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

Was there any 'bhashya' on any scripture before the time of Sankara?

There was Gaudapadika's 'karika' on Mandukyopanishad, of course. But

that was not a bhashya; it was a separate composition. Can I take it

that the word 'bhashya' came to have the present connotation only

after Sankara wrote his bhashyas?

 

praNAms to all advaitins

profvk

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

Health - Feel better, live better

http://health.

[Guest guest]

Prof. V.K. There were bhaasya on puurva miimaamsa. and also on Brhamsuutra

by one who is referred as vRittikaara as part of puurvapaksha by. shankara.

A copy of Vishal's post some time back on the bhaashya-s.

Hari OM!

Sadananda

---------------------------

 

Here are some old passages on various Brahmasutra bhashyas or works on

Vedanta ( I am omitting the bibliographic information of the books I have

referred):

 

1. Prapanchahridaya:

In an anonymous work called Prapanchahridaya, the following description is

given about the commentators of the Mimamsa Sastra and its various portions:

„The Mimamsa Sastra is contained in a text of 20 chapters. Of these, the

first 16 chapters constitute the Purva Mimamsa.. Of this Mimamsa Sastra, the

Purvakanda deals on issues of Dharma, and is compiled by Jaimini. The last 4

chapters constitute the Uttara Kanda or the Uttara Mimamsa and are compiled

by Vyasa for dealing with the nature of Brahman. On this Mimamsa Sastra of

20 chapters, Bodhayana wrote a Bhasya that bore the name ŒKrtakoti.‚ Fearing

that the great length of this commentary would cast it into oblivion,

Upavarsa somewhat abridged it. ŒEven this commentary might be considered too

voluminous for study by people of dull wit‚- fearing thus, Devasvamin

considerably abridged Upavarsa‚s already abridged commentary considerably.

Bhavadasa also wrote a commentary on Jaimini‚s Sastra. Of the 2 kandas

comprising the Dharma Mimamsa Sastra, Sabara wrote a very brief commentary

on the Tantra Kanda (Chaps 1-12), ignoring the second kanda- Samkarsa Kanda.

And likewise, Sankarsana (textual variant- Samkarsa) wrote a brief

commentary on the Devata Kanda. On the Brahma Kanda (Brahma Sutras),

Bhagvatpada (Samkara), Brahmadatta and Bhaskara etc. too wrote commentaries

with different interpretations of the Sutras.‰

 

Significantly, the list does not mention other ancient Vedantins like

Dramida, Tanka etc. who definitely wrote on the Brahmasutras. Also, while

the list of commentators of Purva Mimamsa is chronological, this is not the

case with the list of commentators of Brahma Sutras. For instance, we know

that Brahmadatta preceded Samkara and Bhaskara succeeded him. So, we may

assume that the author of Prapancahrydaya places Samkara at the head of this

list out of regard for him or that the work Bhagavan indeed qualifies

Brahmadatta as well as Bhaskara. In the latter case, the omission of Samkara

would indeed be puzzling.

 

The list is silent about other ancient Mimamsakas like Bhartmitra and

Bhartrhari. The word Œapi‚ while describing the Bhasya of Bhavadasa

indicates that his commentary was an independent work, often at variance

with the traditional mode of interpretation of Purva Mimamsa sutras, but we

cannot be sure of this.

 

2. Atmasiddhi of Yamunacarya:

„ Even though Bhagavan Badrayana has composed sutras that have precisely the

same purpose (as my present work) and these sutras were explained by the

Bhasyakrt (Dramida Bhasyakrt in some manuscripts), whose language is both

concise and profound, and then they were expounded in great detail by the

Bhagavan Srivatsanka Misra himself whose language is a deep ocean of nyaya (

gambhira nyaya sagar)‰.

The text continues- „ Nevertheless, many persons have had their judgment

corrupted by giving their credence to various writings of uneven quality

that have correct and incorrect ideas interwoven through them like warp and

woof, books such as those composed by Acarya Tanka, Bhartrprapanca,

Bhartrmitra, Bhartrhari, Brahmadatta, Samkara, Srivatsanka, Bhaskara etc.

Since persons who have been confused in this way do not understand things as

they really are and have many erroneous conceptions, the undertaking of this

work or discussion with the aim of establishing a (clear, comprehensive and

definitive) understanding (pratipatti) of the (atman and paramatman) is

proper."

 

In this text, the Bhasyakrt is often identified with Dramidacarya. The way

in which the Bhasyakrt is cited suggests that he is a prestigious authority

of both Yamunacarya as well as his opponents.

 

 

The list appears to be chronological. The omission of Kapardi and Guhadeva

is also noteworthy.

 

3. Vedarthasamgraha of Sri Ramanuja

Bhagavan Ramanujacarya, in his Vedarthasamgraha, mentions six teachers of

Vedanta before him, who were the expounders of Visishtadvaita philosophy.

Their names are given as

1. Bhagavadbodhayana

2. Tanka

3. Dramida

4. Guhadeva

5. Kapardi

6. Bharuchi

At the beginning of his commentary on Brahmasutras ( called the Sribhasya),

he states- „The extensive gloss on the Brahmasutras by Bhagavan Bodhayana

has been abridged by former teachers. In accordance with his views, these

commentary is composed.‰

 

Ramanuja also quotes the views of Vakykara (also called Tanka or

Brahmanandin), Dramida and Bodhayana in Sribhasya and Vedarthasamgraha with

attribution.

 

4. Yatindramatadipika of Srinivasadasa:

Srinivasadasa (17th Cent. C.E.), in the introduction of his

Yatindramatadipika (, gives a list of teachers as the predecessors of

Ramanuja in propounding the Visishtadvaita Vedanta: 1. Bhagavan Bodhayana

2. Guhadeva

3. Bharuchi

4. Brahmanandin (Tanka)

5. Dramida

6. Sri Parankusa ( Nammalvara Sathakopa) 7. Nathamuni

8. Yamunamuni

9. Ramanuja

Significantly, the name of Kapardi, which occurs in the Vedarthsamgraha, is

missing in this list.

 

In the epilogue of the same work, Srinivasadasa mentions a list of works (in

chronological order) which he had referred to compose the

Yatindramatadipika. The list is headed by ŒDramidabhasya‚, followed by works

of Nathamuni and so on. Surprisingly, no work of Guhadeva, Bharuchi or Tanka

is mentioned in the list.

 

 

5. Sesha, the commentator on the Madhava Vijaya of Narayana Bhatta, states

that Madhavacharya refuted 21 Bhasyas on the Sariraka Sutras that were

written by teachers before him. These are enumerated as- 1. Bharativijaya

2. Samvidaananda

3. Brahmaghosha

4. Shataananda

5. Vaagbhatta

6. Vijaya

7. Rudra Bhatta

8. Vamana

9. Yadava Prakasa

10. Ramanuja

11. Bhartrprapanca

12. Dravida

13. Brahmadatta

14. Bhaskara

15. Pisacha

16. Vrttikara

17. Vijaya Bhatta

18. Visnukranta

19. Vaadindra

20. Madhavadesaka

21. Samkaracarya

The list is clearly non-chronological. For example, the Vrttikaara, the

oldest commentator on the Brahmasutras, is placed in the middle. Moreover,

all these writers did not flourish before Samkaracarya (for instance # 9,

10, 14, 15).

 

Gathering exact details about the views and personal information on these

ancient teachers is a difficult task. I am in the process of creating

webpages on each of them and the one on Brahmadatta should be up by next

week. For Sundara Pandya and Bharuchi, see the relevant webpages via my

homepage at

 

http://www.voi.org/vishal_agarwal/homepage.html

 

(Note that the link of Brahmadatta is not yet active)

 

Some useful references:

 

 

Mimamsaka, Yuddhishthhira; 1977; Mimamsa-sabarabhashyam, Vol. I; Ramalal

Kapoor Trust, Bahalgarh, Distt. Sonepat, Haryana (In Hindi or Sanskrit- see

the introd.)

 

Kane, P. V.; 1928; Vedanta Commentators before Sankaracarya; „Proceedings

and Transactions, Fifth Indian Oriental Conference‰; Vol. 2, pg. 937-953

 

Pandey, Sangam Lal; 1983; Pre Samkara Advaita Philosophy; Darshan Peeth,

Allahabad, India. First published in 1974. Reprinted in 1983

 

Thangaswami, R; 1980; Advaita-Vedanta Literature, A Bibliographical Survey;

University of Madras; Madras (In Sanskrit)

 

Udayvira Shastri; 1970; Vedanta Darsana ka Itihasa; Virajananda Vaidika

Sodha Samsthana; Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh)--in Hindi

 

J. A. B. van Buitenen; Ramanuja‚s Vedarthasamgraha; Deccan College

Postgraduate and Research Institute; Poona; 1956 (See appendix and introd.)

 

S. Kuppuswami Sastri; Bodhayana and Dramidacarya, Two old Vedantins

presupposed by Ramanuja; „Proceedings and Transactions of 3rd Oriendtal

Conference‰; Vo. 53, pg. 468-472; 1924

 

D. H. H. Ingalls; „The Study of Sankaracarya‰; „Bhandarkar Oriental Research

Institute‰; vol. 33, part 1-4, pg.1-14, 1952; Poona, India

 

Mysore Hiriyanna; „Fragments of Bhartrprapanca‰; Proceedings of All India

Oriental Conference; Vol. 3, pg. 439-450, 1924

 

Mysore Hiriyanna; „Bhartrprapanca-An old Vedantin‰; Indian Antiquary; vol.

53, pgs. 77-86; 1924

 

A. Sankaran; „The Vrttikaragrantha‰; Journal of Oriental Research; Vol. 1,

pg. 283-286; 1927

 

Mysore Hiriyanna; Brahmadatta: An old Vedantin; Journal of Oriental

Research; Vol. 2, pg. 1-9, 1928

 

Mysore Hiriyanna; „Fragments from Brahmanandin‰; „Commemorative Essays

Presented to Prof. Kashinath Bapuji Pathak‰ Class B. No. 7; Bhandarkar

Institute Press, Poona, India

 

V. A. Ramaswami Sastri; „Old Vrttikaras on the Purvamimamsasutras‰; Indian

Historical Quaterly; Vol. 10, pg. 431-452, 1934

 

Hajime Nakamure; A History of Early Vedanta Philosophy; Motilal Banarsidass;

Delhi, India

 

Regards

 

Vishal

 

Homepage- http://www.voi.org/vishal_agarwal/homepage.html

 

 

 

 

>"V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk

>advaitin

>advaitinlist <advaitin>

> Question on 'Bhashya'

>Tue, 30 Jul 2002 05:01:18 -0700 (PDT)

>

>Namaste

>

>Was there any 'bhashya' on any scripture before the time of Sankara?

>There was Gaudapadika's 'karika' on Mandukyopanishad, of course. But

>that was not a bhashya; it was a separate composition. Can I take it

>that the word 'bhashya' came to have the present connotation only

>after Sankara wrote his bhashyas?

>

>praNAms to all advaitins

>profvk

>

>=====

>Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

>My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

>You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

>Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

>

>

>

> Health - Feel better, live better

>http://health.

 

 

 

 

 

_______________

Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

[Guest guest]

PraNAms, Sadanandaji.

 

What a pleasure! For just one simple question of mine you have

provided me with a whole encyclopaedia of relevant matter. Thanks a

million. I wish I were much younger to benefit by all the

contributions to this Group by stalwarts like you, Murthygaru and

Sunder.

 

praNAms to all advaitins

Yours, profvk

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

Health - Feel better, live better

http://health.

[Guest guest]

I join you Professor Krishnamurthy in thanking the learned members of

this list for their wonderful contributions to our knowledge. They

have our gratitude. The education many of us get here (for free!) is

truly unique and remarkable.

 

As a side note, it has been found that a nutritious but a low calorie

diet leads to extension of age. Yogis, who are primarily fruitarians

(or raw fooders) seems to enjoy good health and longer life than

average.

 

Love to all

Harsha

 

 

 

 

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk> wrote:

> PraNAms, Sadanandaji.

>

> What a pleasure! For just one simple question of mine you have

> provided me with a whole encyclopaedia of relevant matter. Thanks a

> million. I wish I were much younger to benefit by all the

> contributions to this Group by stalwarts like you, Murthygaru and

> Sunder.

>

> praNAms to all advaitins

> Yours, profvk

>

> =====

> Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

> My website on Science and Spirituality is

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

> You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought

Vision and Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's

manuscripts from the site.

>

>

>

> Health - Feel better, live better

> http://health.

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

There is a humorous anecdote about Sri Ramakrishna and

Narendra (later Swami Vivekananda) : When asked what he would do if

he were to be a fly sitting on the edge of cup filled with ambrosia,

Swamiji said he would sip it all his life! Sri R. laughed and told

him not to be a coward! He expected him to say he would drown himself

in it and become immortal!

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

advaitin, "harshaimtm" <harshaimtm> wrote:

> As a side note, it has been found that a nutritious but a low

calorie

> diet leads to extension of age. Yogis, who are primarily

fruitarians

> (or raw fooders) seems to enjoy good health and longer life than

> average.

>

> Love to all

> Harsha

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the timely and lovely reminder about our mortal worries

amidst this quest for immortality!

 

Madathil Nair

______________________

 

advaitin, "harshaimtm" <harshaimtm> wrote:

> As a side note, it has been found that a nutritious but a low

calorie

> diet leads to extension of age. Yogis, who are primarily

fruitarians

> (or raw fooders) seems to enjoy good health and longer life than

> average.

[Guest guest]

Prof. V.K. - Thanks for your nice sentiments.

 

Vishal forgot to mention that there were two other subcomentaries on Shabara

bhaashya of Jaimini's

Suutra-s - one by Prabhakara and the other kumarila Bhatt. Shankara refutes

both of them in his

Brahmasuutra bhaashya. As you are familiar of the vada between Kumariila

Bhaata's student Mandana

Misra and Shankara - The former becomes shankra's disciple, Sureshwara. As the

story goes,

Shankara first gives his Suutra Bhaasya to Sureswara for further commentary but

Padmapaada and

his group objected that Sureswara may be biased towards his old teacher and

karmakaanDa.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

=====

What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift

to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

 

 

 

Health - Feel better, live better

http://health.

[Guest guest]

Thank you Sri Nairji.

 

Professor Krishnamurthy had mentioned that he wished he was younger

to benefit more from Sri Sadaji, Sri Sunderji, Sri Murthyji, and

others brilliance and wisdom here. The thought of the fruitarian diet

as a life enhancing and extending method came to mind in that context.

 

I have some background in yoga and dietary things and so certain

comments trigger my reaction!

 

Love to all

Harsha

 

 

advaitin, "madathilnair" <madathilnair> wrote:

> Thanks for the timely and lovely reminder about our mortal worries

> amidst this quest for immortality!

>

> Madathil Nair

> ______________________

>

> advaitin, "harshaimtm" <harshaimtm> wrote:

>

> > As a side note, it has been found that a nutritious but a low

> calorie

> > diet leads to extension of age. Yogis, who are primarily

> fruitarians

> > (or raw fooders) seems to enjoy good health and longer life than

> > average.

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

Badarayana's Brahmasutras may be considered as the culmination

of several previous similar efforts. The following Acharyas are

referred to by Badarayana himself:

 

Ashmarathya, Badari, Karshnajini, Atreya, Audulomi, Kashakritsna.

 

Panini refers to Parasharya's Bhikshu-sutras (Vedanta-sutras), as

well as Karmanda , and Panchashikha.

 

Ref.: M. Sahasrabuddhe, 1968 - Pre-Shankara Advaita , Univ. of Poona.

 

If Panini's ashtadhyayi is considered as a scripture [Vyakarana],

Patanjali's Mahabhashya came centuries before Shankara.

 

Many texts have been lost to us, many have yet to be discovered in

the thousands of manuscripts scattered across the country and the

globe, and likely to become extinct due to ravages of time.

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

 

advaitin, "Kuntimaddi Sadananda" <k_sadananda@h...> wrote:

> Prof. V.K. There were bhaasya on puurva miimaamsa. and also on

Brhamsuutra

> by one who is referred as vRittikaara as part of puurvapaksha by.

shankara.

> A copy of Vishal's post

>

>

>

> >"V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk>

> >

> >Was there any 'bhashya' on any scripture before the time of

Sankara?

> >There was Gaudapadika's 'karika' on Mandukyopanishad, of course.

But

> >that was not a bhashya; it was a separate composition. Can I take

it

> >that the word 'bhashya' came to have the present connotation only

> >after Sankara wrote his bhashyas?

[Guest guest]

Just some clarification - my post was actually a copy of the post of Shree

Vishal Agarwal - a very

careful resercher. Since we are talking about Bhaashhya, I had some discussiosn

with Vishal on

the authorship of Brahmasuutra in the Bhakti list. I am posting copy of this

discussions as it may

be of some interest to the advaitin list members. I advice everyone to look into

Vishal's web

pages.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

-------------------

>KS: . Is the author

>of Brahmasuutra, Sage Badaraayana the same as Vyaasa Bhagavaan? I know most of

the

bhaashyakaara-s equate the two as one.

 

VA: In many old texts, Badarayana is actually counted separately from Parasharya

Veda Vyasa. For

instance Samavidhana Brahmana 3.9.8 mentions Badarayana 4 generations or so

after Parasharya (who

is placed before Jaimini). Sri Sudarsana Suri considers the Samavidhana passage

in the beginning

of his Srutaprakasika and declares that there were two Badarayanas, one of whom

was the same as

Vedavyasa.

There is no need to equate Badarayana with Vedavyasa to settle the authorship of

Brahmasutras.

Badarayana as a teacher is mentioned in numerous texts, and many of the views

cited therein do not

occur in the Brahmasutras. Eg. Baudhayana Gryhasutra 3.9.3

Baudhayana Srautapravara sutra: 20.2

Hiranyakesin Srautasutra: 16.7.23; 22.2.20 Hiranyakesin Grhyasutra: 1.25

Bharadvaja Parisesasutra 128:

Sankarsha Kanda Sutra: 3.2.38

Atharvaprayaschitta: Dvaipayana is mentioned in 2.2.3 It is possible that

VedaVyasa coombined the

Brahmasutras of Kasakrtsna etc. to create the eclectic text that we know today

(since the views of

Kasakrtsna etc. are likewise found quoted in many other texts, like those of

Badarayana).

 

Parasarya as such is quoted/mentioned in several texts also 1. Asvalayana Srauta

sutra: 12.15.2

2 Apastamba Srauta sutra: 24.10.6

3. Hiranyakesin Srauta sutra: 21.3.14

4. Baudhayana Srautapravara sutra: 48.15 5. Vaikhanasa Dharma sutra: 4.6.1;

4.5.9 6. First

Aranyaka of Taittiriya Aranyaka 7. Katha Aranyaka (do not have the last two

texts with me right

now)

 

The equation Badarayana = Veda Vyasa however predates Shankaracharya. For

instance, in Shloka

Varttika on Mimamsasutra 1.1.5 (which mentions Badarayana), Kumarila Bhatta

states the view to be

that of Veda Vyasa, which indicates that he equated Veda Vyasa with Badarayana.

In commenting on

this verse of Shloka Varttika, Umbeka also clarifies that Veda Vyasa is meant.

Canto XXVI of

Manimekhalai (~500 AD or earlier) also seems to credit Veda Vyasa with the

authorship of the

Brahmasutras.

 

I have seen a passage in Padma Purana which gives Badarayana as a synonym of

Vyasa (do not have

the text with me right now).

 

KS: >But as one

>finds it in the Brahmasuutra the criticism of not only saankhya and yoga but

also Bouddha and

Jaina matams which puts the time of suutrakaara to post-Buddha period. In fact

the dialectic

arguments in Buddhism did not start till around Naagarjuna period. When we think

of Vyaasa

Bhagavaan we think of pre-historic at least 5000 years ago. The equation of Sage

Baadaraayana with

Vyaasa Bhagavaan - is it done to uplift the status of Brahmasuutra to the

prasthaanatrayam- If not

how can one account for the criticism of the post-Buddha philosophies.

 

VA: The sutras of padas 1-2 of Adhyaya II can be interpreted very easily to omit

all references to

specific Buddhist or Jaina tenets. However, Pashupata, Pancharatra, Yoga,

Bahrspatya, Samkhya,

Vaisheshika cannot be wishes away. Of these, there is no need to assign S, V, Y,

B, P at least to

post Buddhist period and current datings by Indology are quite speculative.

Buddhist scholars like

Asvaghosha themselves place Kanada etc, before Buddha. Infact, if you will

recall, I had shown on

the Advaita list how Sutras 2.1.1-2.1.3 themselves can be interpreted easily so

that there is no

reference to Samkhya and Yoga as such.

 

KS: >I am aware of the Giita sloka in 13th

>Ch.-that has some reference to bharmasuutra - There the interpretation could be

also something

other than the Baadaraayana suutra-s. Any thoughts on this?

 

VA: There could have been more than one Brahmasutras. Infact, the references to

specific views of

the Acharyas mentioned in the Brahmasutras in other texts as well forces us to

draw this

conclusion. For instance, consider the case of Ashmarathya. He is found quoted

in: 1. Purva

Mimamsa sutra: 6.5.16

2. Sankarsha Kanda sutra: 2.2.42; 4.2.2

3. Brahmasutra: 1.2.29; 1.4.20

4. Bharadvaja Srauta sutra: 1.14.7; 1.16.7; 1.17.1; 1.20.15; 2.11.7; 4.3.9;

4.22.12; 4.13.14;

4.17.7; 4.21.13; 9.2.17; 9.5.2; 9.6.3; 9.7.7; 9.7.8; 9.8.2; 9.9.6; 9.9.11;

9.9.15; 9.15.12;

9.16.9; 9.17.10; 13.2.7; 15.1.6; 15.1.8; 15.2.3; 15.2.6; 15.4.7

5. Bharadvaja Paitramedhika sutra: 1.10.12 6. Bharadvaja Parisesha sutra: 102;

117; 130; 132; 139;

142; 143; 185 7. Bharadvaja Grhya sutra: 1.20

8. Apastamba Srauta sutra: 5.29.14; 9.3.15; 9.4.7-9; 9.6.3; 9.8.3; 9.10.12;

9.16.6; 9.19.14;

10.16.4; 14.13.8; 14.22.13; 19.6.10; 19.8.8; 19.10.4; 21.3.7-8; 21.6.2; 21.15.6;

21.19.19-20

9. Rudradatta's commentary on the Apastamba Srauta sutra: 5.17.1; 7.10.2; 9.2.1;

10.21.11

10. Satyashadha Srauta sutra: 23.1.20; 23.1.54; 23.1.135 11. Mahadeva's

commentary on the

Satyashadha Srauta sutra: 25.1.14 12. Asvalayana Srauta sutra: 5.13.10; 6.10.30

13. Baudhayana

Pravara sutra: 3.46

14. Atharvaprayaschittani: 3.7-8

Incidently, Sri Vedantadeshika quotes an older interpretation of the relevant

Gita shloka

according to which the words 'Brahmasutra padaschaiva' refer to a text on

Samkhya by Panchashikha.

(See the epilogue of his subcommentary on Sri Ramanuja's Bhashya on the Gita).

In my opinion, the

reference is to the commentary on Gita by Yadavaprakasha.

 

Sincerely,

 

Vishal

 

 

=====

What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift

to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

 

 

 

Health - Feel better, live better

http://health.