Authorship of Saundaryalahari

Sankara's authorship of Saundaryalahari is not accepted by 35 many scholars. The following manuscripts discovered on Soundarya-lahari have their colophones as "Sankara" 36 1. A 4. No. 33 B. 24. Oriya Script 'Iti sri 2. l 3. 4. Sankaracaryaviracita Anandalahari Samapta. ' 34 Baroda Museum. B.1 "Iti Sri Sankaracaryaviracitan Saundaryalaharistotram sapratimam samaptim agamat devikrpatah." B.2 0.1. Baroda No.7356 "Iti Sri Parmahamsaparivrajaka Sankaracaryaviracitan Saundaryalaharinamna Sikharinivrttena Sri Jaganmatrkastutisampurnam. M.D. Desai-Baroda-B 3. "Iti Sri Sankaracaryaviracita...' 34. See Sankaracarya., pp.7-8 35. Norman Brown, Saundarya-lahari, p.25 36. Ibid. pp. 31-36

: 35 : 5. B 4.0.R.I. Baroda. No.3513. "Iti Sri Paramahamsa- 6. T parivrajakacarnacakracudamani Sahkaracaryaviracitam Sri Saundaryalaharistotram samaptam. 11 B 5. No.5393. "Iti Srimatparamahamsaparivrajakacarya Sri Sankarabhagavatpadah. # 7. B.L.I. No.483 of 1887, 1891. "Iti Sri Sankaracaryaviracitam Saundaryalahari stotram sampurnan." 8. H Harward University Library No.304. "Iti Sri Sankaracaryaviracitam Saudaryalaharistotram sampurnam." 9. H₂ No.881 "Iti Srimat Sankaracaryaviracitam saundaryalahari samaptam. 10. 9 11 HS No.881. "Iti Srimat Sankaracarya sampurnan. 11. H 6 No.882. Surat. "Iti Sri dravidavisayamandanena 9 akhandakavimandalakhandanena Sri Sankaracaryena viracita Saundaryalahari samapta." Still, many scholars ascribe its authorship, not to Sankara but, to somebody else belonging to that sampradaya, of a later period. The reason held, is that, the references made in the poem, are supposed to be of a later period (later than 10 th century A.D.) 37 whereas Sankara is said to have lived during 788-820 A.D. So also, the Sakta Philosophy mentioned in the work is much more different from the Advaitic philosophy of Sri Sankara. 37. A.B.O.121, pp. 313-332

: 36 : As to the references made in the work, the mention of (1) the number of rasas; (2) the nasabharana (nose-stud) and (3) the cities of Vijaya, Kalyani, etc., are the chief ones. Norman Brown is of the opinion that there is a mention of nose-stud in the 61 st stanza of Soundarya-lahari, which appears in Indian History only during 10 th century A.D. The stanza cannot be a later addition because, no manuscript 38 To one's surprise, it is seen that misses this stanza. Mackay has identified some of the studs found at Mohan-Jo-daro as nose ornaments. 39 L 40 Cape-comorin temple, which was a cause for the shipwrecks, owing to the lustre of its nose-stud, was installed even in the 6 th decade of 5 th century A.D. G.S.Gurye says "The Devi temple at Kanyakumari in the extreme south is dedicated to Bhagavati a name for Devi which is attested in the form of Bhadrarya, in Patna district inscription of the 6 th decade of 5 th century A.D. this installation Guru Dutt says 42 41 Regarding "it has been held not without any ground that the cult of Siva and Sakti, with which the Tantras are prominently associated, was already established and flourishing for four millenniums before Christ 38. See Norman Brown Saundaryalahari, p.27 39. Rai Govinda Candra Further excavations at Mohenjo-Daro, p.532 40. G.S. Gurye Gods and Men , p.245 41. Ibid. 42. Hindu Culture., p.254

: 37: at the time of the civilization of the Indus Valley. In historic times, Pliny mentions worship of Kanyakumari at Cape Comorin, a fact which suggests that it must have been established in South India long before the time of Periplus." Regarding the number of rasas, Norman Brown says:- "It has been claimed that before 9 th century, the number 43 of rasas is given only as eight. Bharata's Natyasastra, the book he depends for his argument, shows only what Bharata 44 accepted. Moreover, the unsatisfactory character of the 45 text Natyasastra and the mention of eight rasas in some manuscripts, and nine in some other manuscripts", cannot be considered as a support for his argument. The terms Kalyani, Vijaya, etc., mentioned in the 49 th stanza of S.I. raise doubt that it is an indication of Vijayanagar Empire which flourished during the 14 th century A.D. But a stone inscription at the time of Devapala mentions these names in 10 th century A.D. 46 The first available commentary on Saundaryalahari was that 47 of Laksmidhara of 14 th century A.D. Such a distant gap of time between the original text and its commentary makes 43. Saundaryalahari, p.27 44. Sankara mentions more than 9 rasas stanza 99, Soundarya-lahari, 45. "Paranandabhikhyam rasa rasayati." 45. Dr. V.Raghavan N.O.R., p.15 46. Raj Bali Pandey Historical and Literary Inscriptions, p.168 47. 'Vardhamana Kalyanavi jayarajyesu J.N. Farquhar Outline of Religious Literature in India, p.266

: 38 : one feel that the work too might have been composed somewhat near to 14 th century. But this presumption does not seem correct, because, so many works composed, centuries before, remain untouched even in the present century. It is true, that Sri Sankara was an ardent believer of Advaita. But, it does not mean that a philosopher like Sankara could not compose such works like Soundaryalahari Even in the explanation of lofty ideas in the Upanisads, he does not fail to show his talent in the usage of beautiful similies. In Brahmasutra-bhashya also, Sankara uses some words in support of 48 Tantras Sankara never condemns sagunopasana (meditation 49 of qualified Brahman). "Introducing the Brahmasutras he says that Brahman is apprehended under two forms, in the first place, as qualified, having multiformity of names and forms, in the second place as being opposite of this i.e., free from all attributes. These attributes given to Brahman are perhaps, more beautiful than the attributeless 50 Brahman. ...."Brahmasutra-bhashya, 1.3.8. #t Brahmasutra-bhashya, 4.2.16, 17. 48. "Yatha va ara nabhau samarpitan "Tadeko grajvalanam 49. 50. T 'Srutattvacca" Brahmasutra-bhashya "Dvaitan mohaya bodhat prag jate bodhe manisaya bhaktyartham Kalpitam dvaitam advaitadapi sundaram" A.G. Krishna Varyar God in Advaita, p.229

: 39 : Therefore, it can be very well concluded that there is much probability in identifying this excellent literary piece to be of the great Advaitin Sri Sankara (788-820 A.D).