On Dates And Works Of Sankaranandana

This document, "On the Dates and Works of Sankaranandana" by Helmut Krasser, aims to clarify the life, works, and doctrinal affiliations of the Indian scholar Sankaranandana.

Here's a comprehensive summary:

1. Name and Identity:

• The author advocates for the name Sankaranandana over the more common "Sankarananda," citing its consistent use in significant Sanskrit sources like Vadidevasuri's Syadvádaratnakara and Abhinavagupta's Isvarapratyabhijñāvivṛti. The Tibetan translation of his name, "bDe byed dga' ba," is also consistent with "Sankaranandana."
• He is often referred to as "Bram ze" or "Bram ze chen po" (the Brahmin or great Brahmin) in Tibetan traditions.

2. Sankaranandana's Works:

• The paper presents a detailed list of Sankaranandana's works, expanding on previous scholarship. The list prioritizes a relative chronology.
• Krasser clarifies that works like Īśvarāpakaraṇasaṅkṣepa and its commentary (Saṅkṣiptēśvarapākaraṇakārikā) should be considered a single work.
• He identifies several works not previously attributed to Sankaranandana or clarifies existing attributions, including commentaries on Dharmakirti's Vādanyāya and Sambandhaparikṣā, and the Pratibandhasiddhikārikā.
• Krasser also corrects folio references in manuscripts for some of Sankaranandana's works, based on the work of Bühnemann.

3. Dating Sankaranandana's Activity:

• Krasser revisits the dating of Sankaranandana, correcting earlier assumptions. He builds upon Raniero Gnoli's revised dating of the 9th or 10th century.
• Gnoli's argument for this dating is based on Sankaranandana being quoted by Abhinavagupta (c. 950-1020) and refuting Dharmottara (740-800).
• Krasser's analysis, particularly his chronological table of works and their relationship to the writings of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta, suggests a period of activity from approximately 970 to 1020/30, leading to a proposed lifetime of approximately 940/50 to 1020/30.
• This dating is supported by the fact that Sankaranandana's works were known to Utpaladeva (c. 900/25-950/75), and several of his works were written after Abhinavagupta's Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśini (completed 1014/15).

4. Conversion from Buddhism to Saivism (and vice-versa):

• This is a central theme. While Tibetan tradition generally suggests Sankaranandana converted to Buddhism, Gnoli proposed he converted from Buddhism to Saivism.
• Krasser challenges Gnoli's interpretation of pratilabdhonmeśa as proof of conversion to Saivism, suggesting it's better understood as "he obtained illumination."
• Krasser argues that Sankaranandana's works, even those known to Abhinavagupta, show strong Buddhist influences.
  • The Prajñālankāra, highly praised by Abhinavagupta, is seen by Krasser as containing ideas contrary to common Buddhist orthodoxy, but he also points out that Abhinavagupta himself interprets a stanza from it as Buddhist doctrine. This makes it difficult to classify the Prajñālankāra as purely Saivite and opposed to Buddhist doctrine.
  • Sankaranandana's introductory stanzas of reverence in works like Anyāpohasiddhi and Pratibandhasiddhi are dedicated to the "all-knowing" and the "Sugata" (Buddha), not Shiva.
  • His critique of the existence of God in works like Īśvarāpākaraṇakārikā and its commentary is fundamentally incompatible with Saivism.
• Krasser concludes that Sankaranandana originated from a Kashmiri Brahmin family, grew up in the Saivite tradition, and was initially attracted to both Saivism and Buddhism.
• Crucially, after Abhinavagupta's Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśini (completed around 1014/15), he entirely abandoned Saivism and wrote several works from a Buddhist perspective, including those denying the existence of God.
• This shift is further supported by the fact that his pupil, referred to by various names, was the teacher of Sakyaśrībhadra, who was Sa skya Pandita's teacher. Sa skya Pandita, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist figure, would not have adopted doctrines from someone who fundamentally rejected them.
• The bitterness expressed in the final stanza of his Isvarāpākaraṇasaṅkṣepa is also seen as an indication of a definitive break with Saivism.

In essence, the paper meticulously reconstructs the intellectual biography of Sankaranandana, establishing his scholarly output and proposing a refined chronology for his life, while also arguing convincingly for an initial adherence to Saivism followed by a decisive conversion to Buddhism.