Yadavaprakazar (Sanketis)

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INDOLOGY, "vishalsagarwal"

<vishalsagarwal> wrote:

 

> VA: It is a common belief that Sri Yadavaarya was not a Vaishnava.

> But this begs the question - who is a Vaishnava? Can we not term a

> believer in the Pancharatra as a Vaishnava of sorts? I say this

> because Sri Venkatanatha quotes the now lost commentary of Sri

> Yadava Prakasha on Gita 11.53 (in his subcommentary

> Tatparyachandrika) where SrI Yadavaprakash clearly s

> to Vaishnava doctrines. Being an Advaitin and a Vaishnava are

> not mutually exclusive.

 

In south India, zrIvaiSNavam and advaitam are philosophies with

little commonality. Yaadavaprakaasar was a Vaishnavaite (most

details about his life that we have are from Srivaishnava sources).

He took diikSai from Raamanuja, and renamed as Govinda Jeeyar

(Note that as an advaitin, Yadavaprakasa tried to kill his student

Ramanuja. But, R. was saved by his cousin by name Govinda.

When Yadavaprakasa became a parama-vaiNavar, it's significant that

R. named him Govinda). As a sign of repentence for following advaita

sannyaasa modes, Y. wrote his yatidharmasamuccayam which has definite

Srivaishnava leanings. Srivaishnava mendicants are closer with

householders and temple instituitions, and form integral with the

society and bhaktas. Unlike advaita monks dwelling in wilderness,

INDOLOGY/message/3193

 

In Chapter I of Yatidharmasamuccaya, Govinda Jeeyar attacks

advaita-type sannyAsam saying it's anti-vedic because an ascetic

cannot discharge the three debts one's borm with.

His srivaishnavism is clear from Y.'s remarks on tridaNDa (triple

staff) necessary for the mendicants (Ch. III and VIII).

Advaita uses ascetic titles, Hamsa and Paramahamsa.

The fourfold classification incl. hamsa and paramahamsa is explicitly

rejected by Y. in Ch. V.

 

The mukkOl(tridaNDi) mendicants (professing Vaishnavism) are mentioned

many times even during the tamil sangam texts' era. Yadavaprakasa's

praise of tridaNDi (and, not ekadaNDi) renouncers show his religion.

For ancient tamil and sanskrit passages of tridaNDi monks

philosophy, a ref. book by a Srivaishnava scholar,

Re. Tirumalai AyyaGkAr, mukkOl pakavar,

tiruvallikkENit tamizc caGka veLiyITu, jOti piras, Madras, 1949

(in some 40 pages or so). Also, Srirangam Sudarsanar,

caGkakAlat tamizar camayam will help.

 

The mukkOl-tridaNDam, signifying 3 things of permanent nature, is

also in Saivism. In fact, Saiva Siddhanta philosophy and

Sri Vaishnava philosophy of the south have deep parallels.

Look at the poem that the awe-struck Ramanuja sings upon

visiting Nammaazhvaar's birthplace:

 

ituvO tirunakari! ItO porunal!

ituvO paramapatat tellai! - ituvOtAn2

vEtam tamizceyta meypporuTkum mupporuLAy

Otum caTakOpan2 Ur!

 

(mupporuL - 3 things eternal).

 

Incidentally, Yadavaprakasa (TiruppuTkuzi near Kanchi) was

close in time with Bhaskara Bhatta (10/11th century CE).

INDOLOGY/message/2634

 

Sankaracharya is first mentioned by Bhaskara Bhatta and

Vachaspati Misra both living in late 10th century.

The only inscriptions mentioning Sankara of KalaDi

are in tamil and they start in 11th century. Taking into

account the new data from epigraphy, and Sankara's date is

likely around 900 CE.

INDOLOGY/message/2723

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan