[Advaita-l] On the history of Bharathavarsha

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

> Why is it so important that I align with you and echo your sentiments?  I
> have said that I am nobody. Are you saying that I am somebody and that I am

It is not important, indeed, but I think that everybody is somebody. 

> My stand from the beginning has been not to take one side or the other in
> this matter but to express my concern on the fall out from such discussion
> on Sringeri or Kanchi or Dwarka Math either individually or collectively.

This is where we differ again. Although I believe everybody is somebody, I
don't think what you or I say on an email discussion list is of sufficient
importance to impact institutions such as the Advaita Mathas, either
favorably or adversely.

> So much so your 'sathyam' on these dates are quite impermanent in its very
> nature which unfortunately you wish to ignore.  

To the contrary, I do not wish to ignore it at all. I have accepted, long ago,
that the emotional investment that many people have in giving a date before
Christ for all historical Indian religious personalities is a significant source of
"impermanence" against the 8th century date. Conversely, my insistence that
500 BCE is not universally accepted in the traditional sources only serves to
underline the "impermanence" of the 5th century BCE date too. At the very
least, I wish to point out that the supposed unanimity behind this early date
can only come through deliberately ignoring one of the most important sources
of Sankaran tradition, namely the Sringeri Matha.
 
> At least the fact is that you and Bhattacharjee stay behind Sringeri and
> Dwaraka the existence of which you both do not question.  So it all boils
> down to Kanchi Math with its antogonists and protogonists on its origin.  I
> pointed out how taking a stand on it will, willy nilly, help the adharmists
> to use the very followers of Sankara to be used against each other.

Again, I need to point out that in this particular thread, I have been most
careful to keep two issues quite separate - the date of Adi Sankara and the
origin and history of Mathas. I have only been forced to address this because
you and others brought it up.

Unfortunately, this particular genie cannot be easily put back into the
bottle. Close to a hundred and fifty years ago, some followers of Sankara 
in south India chose to fight other followers of Sankara in south India, for
various reasons. That continues to have an effect on these sorts of 
discussions today. Please do not think that this can be simply wished away
by continuing to ignore the Sringeri tradition.

what we can agree on is that this discussion has run its course and there
is no further cause served by continuing to post about this. So let us leave
it at that.

Best regards,
Vidyasankar
 		 	   		  
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