[Advaita-l] Vivekachudamani Vs Bhashyas

[nanda chandran]

How can it ever be conclusively proved that the vivekachoodaamani was not 
authored by Shankara?

For every argument supporting such a proposition, a counter argument too can 
be proposed.

Also if the tradition indiscriminately named as the author of several texts 
as Shankara (as would be the implication behind the allegation), why was not 
the same principle applied to other vital texts on the subject? Why is the 
bhaamati or the khandanakhandakhaadya not ascribed to Shankara?

If it any later point in time in history the Vivekachoodaamani was composed, 
how would it have been ascribed to Shankara without the tradition 
knowing/opposing it.

Writing style can differ in the same person due to various causes - passage 
of time, shift on emphasis in worldview etc (for example Ishvara Krishna, 
the author of the Saamkya Kaarikaas, is identified with the great Sanskrit 
poet Kaalidaasa by some traditions - though the writing style is obviously 
different). That a young firebrand dialectician/philosopher at a later point 
in time got down to the brass tacks is not unusual.

Vivekachoodaamani stands almost unrivalled in its pre-eminence in the 
subject of Advaita commented upon by such jnaanis as Ramana Maharishi. Even 
if it wasn't composed by Shankara, it is a measure of its validity that its 
authorship is ascribed to the aachaarya and is unopposed by tradition.

Questions disputing its authorship can only have dubious motives.

For the serious Advaitin such questions are irrelevant.

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