Abstract
In a doxography of views called the Ṣaṭtantrīsāra, a seventeenth century commentator and Advaitin, Nīlakaṇṭha Caturdhara, describes the doctrines of a group he calls the Miśras. Nīlakaṇṭha represents the doctrines of the Miśras as in most ways distinct from those of the canonical positions that usually appear in such doxographies, both āstika and nāstika. And indeed, some of the doctrines he describes resemble those of the Abrahamic faiths, concerning the creator, a permanent afterlife in heaven or hell, and the unique births of souls. Other doctriness are difficult to associate with any known South Asian religion, for example the emphasis placed on astrological determinism in the moral economy of the creation. As the Ṣaṭtantrīsāra is unpublished to date, a preliminary edition of those portions that concern the Miśras is presented here, together with a translation, notes, and some further discussion. Though the identification is not certain, it seems most likely that the views Nīlakaṇṭha describes in this text belonged to Vanamālī Miśra, a North Indian Mādhva who had lived in the Ganges-Yamuna doab in the mid to late seventeenth century. Even if that identification turns out to be correct, many questions remain.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- Adyar D:
-
K. Madhava Sarma et al., Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Adyar Library
- BORI:
-
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
- BrSū:
-
Brahmasūtra
- EIP:
-
Karl Potter, Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies
- Hall:
-
Fitzedward Hall, A Contribution towards an Index to the Bibliography of the Indian Philosophical Systems
- H:
-
Harvard = Harvard Manuscript 1571 of Ṣaṭtantrīsāra (Poleman 3509)
- Harvard:
-
H
- Kielhorn CP:
-
Franz Kielhorn, Report on the Search for Sanskrit Mss. in the Bombay Presidency, during the Year 1880-81
- J:
-
RORI Jodhpur Manuscript 32424
- N:
-
Nepal Manuscript of Ṣaṭtantrīsāra, Vīra-Pustakālaya. Nepālarājakīya-Vīrapustakālayastha-hastalikhita-pustakānām Bṛhatsūcīpatram 4-153
- NAK:
-
National Archives Kathmandu, Rāṣṭrīyābhilekhālaya. See Vīra-Pustakālaya
- NCC:
-
V. Raghavan et al., New Catalogus Catalogorum
- Poleman:
-
H.I. Poleman, A Census of Indic Manuscripts in the United States and Canada
- RORI Jodhpur:
-
Muni Jinavijaya, A Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit Manuscripts in the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute
- ŚSD:
-
Śrutisiddhāntadīpikā of Vanamālimiśra, eds. Khuperkar and Nipanikar
- ŚŚP:
-
Śrutisiddhāntaprakāśa of Vanamālimiśra, eds. Khuperkar and Nipanikar
- SB:
-
Sarasvati Bhavan - Subhadra Jha, Descriptive catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts … in the Government Sanskrit College Library
- SB MS:
-
Sarasvati Bhavan Manuscript
- Trav. Uni.:
-
S. Kunjan Pillai, Alphabetical Index of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the University Manuscripts Library, Trivandrum
- Triv. Cur.:
-
T. Gaṇapatiśāstrī, A Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts collected by the Curator
- TCD:
-
Sāmbaśivaśāstri et al., A Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Curator’s Office Library, Trivandrum
- VK:
-
Vedāntakataka of Nīlakaṇṭha Caturdhara, comprising the Samanvayaparicheda (SB MS 27519) and the Paribhāṣāparicheda (SB MS 27520)
- Vrindavan RI:
-
VRI = M.L. Gupta et al., Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Vrindaban Research Institute
- VRI:
-
Vrindavan RI
- VSS:
-
Vedāntasiddhāntasaṃgraha of Vanamālimiśra ed. Devīprasādaśarma Kavi
- VTN:
-
Vedāntatātparyanivedana of Govinda Caturdhara, SB MS 27459
References
Agrawal, M. M., & Potter, K. H. (2013). Bhedābheda and Dvaitādvaita systems. In Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies (Vol. 15). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
Bhandarkar, R. G. (1897). Report on the search for Sanskrit manuscripts in the Bombay Presidency during the years 1887-88,1888-89, 1889-90, 1890-91. Bombay: Government Central.
Dasgupta, S. (1922–1955). A history of indian philosophy. Cambridge: University Press.
Deshpande, M. (2011). Will the winner please stand up: Conflicting narratives of a 17th century philosophical debate from Karnataka. In C. Talbot (Ed.), Knowing India: Colonial and modern constructions of the past. Essays in honor of Thomas R. Trautmann (pp. 366–380). New Delhi: Yoda Press.
Duquette, J. (forthcoming). On the reception of Rāmānuja’s School in Śivādvaita Vedānta. In E. Freschi & M. Schmücker (Ed.), One God, One Śāstra. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press.
Gaṇapatiśāstrī, T. (1912–1918). A catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts collected by the Curator. Trivandrum: Travancore Govt.
Gansten, M. (2012). Some early authorities cited by Tājika authors. Indo-Iranian Journal, 55(4), 307–319.
Gode, P. K. (1946). Mārutamaṇḍana of Vanamālin and its date—between A.D. 1575 and 1600. Indian Historical Quarterly, 22(3), 163–168.
Gode, P. K. (1947). Vanamāli Miśra, a pupil of Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita (1600-1660). Adyar Library Bulletin, 10(4), 231–235.
Gode, P. K. (1950). The so-called ms. of the Advaitasiddhikhaṇḍana mentioned by Aufrecht and its identification with the Nyāyāmṛtasaugandhya of Vanamālin—between A.D. 1575 and 1650. Maharaval Silver Jubilee Commemoration Volume. Dungarpur, pp. 288–293.
Grierson, G. A. (1916). Mādhvas, Madhvāchārīs. In J. Hastings (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of religion and ethics (Vol. 8., pp. 232–235). Edinburgh.
Gupta, M. L, & Gupta, R. D. (1976–2010). A catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts in the Vrindaban Research Institute. Vrindaban: Vrindaban Research Institute.
Halbfass, W. (1988). The sanskrit Doxographies and the structure of Hindu Traditionalism. In India and Europe (pp. 349–368). Albany: SUNY Press.
Hall, F. (1859). A contribution towards an index to the bibliography of the Indian philosophical systems. Calcutta: Baptist Mission.
Jha, S., Upadhyaya, T. P., & The Staff of the Sarasvati Bhavan Library. (1953). Descriptive catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts acquired for and deposited in the Government Sanskrit College Library (Vols. 1–13). Benares: Sarasvati Bhavana.
Jinavijaya, M. (1963). A catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit manuscripts in the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute. Jodhpur: Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute.
Kielhorn, F. (1881). Report on the Search for Sanskrit Mss. in the Bombay Presidency, during the Year 1880-81. Bombay: Government Central Book Depôt.
Kirfel, W. (1920). Die Kosmographie Der Inder: Nach Den Quellen Dargestellt. Bonn Und Leipzig: K. Schroeder.
Krishnamacharya, V. (1952). Descriptive catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts in the Adyar Library (Vol. 9). Madras: Adyar Library.
Mejor, M. (2007). Sarvamatasaṃgraha: An anonymous compendium of all systems. In K. Preisendanz (Ed.), Expanding and merging horizons: Contributions to South Asian and cross-cultural studies in commemoration of Wilhelm Halbfass (pp. 259–273). Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Mesquita, R. (2000). Madhva, Viṣṇutattvanirṇaya: Annotierte Übersetzung Mit Studie. Wien: Institut Für Indologie Der Universität Wien.
Minkowski, C. (2002). Nīlakaṇṭha Caturdhara’s Mantrakāśīkhaṇḍa. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 122(2), 329–344.
Minkowski, C. (2004). The Vedastuti and Vedic Studies: Nīlakaṇṭha on Bhāgavata Purāṇa X.87. In A. Griffiths, & J. E. M. Houben (Ed.), The Vedas: Texts, languages & ritual. Proceedings of the third international vedic studies workshop (pp. 125–142). Groningen: Egbert Forsten.
Minkowski, C. (2010). I’ll wash out your mouth with my boot: A guide to philological argument in early modern Banaras. In S. Pollock (Ed.), Epic and argument in Sanskrit s: Essays in honor of Robert P. Goldman (pp. 117–141). Delhi: Manohar.
Minkowski, C. (2016). Appayya’s Vedānta and Nīlakaṇṭha’s Vedāntakataka. Journal of Indian Philosophy, 44(1), 95–114.
Minkowski, C. (2016). Maryādām ullaṅghya: the boundaries of interpretation in early modern India. In A. Grafton & G. Most (Ed.), Canonical texts and scholarly practices: A global comparative approach (pp. 90–109). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Minkowski, C. (2017). Nīlakaṇṭha Caturdhara’s Advaita Vedānta. In J. Ganeri (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of Indian philosophy (pp. 643–656). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Narahari, H. G. (1948). The Mārutamaṇḍana of Vanamālīmiśra. Indian Historical Quarterly, 24, 323–324.
Narain, K. (1962). An outline of Madhva philosophy. Allahabad: Udayana Publications.
O’Hanlon, R. (2010). Letters home: Banaras pandits and the Maratha regions in early modern India. Modern Asian Studies, 44(2), 201–240.
Pillai, S. K. (1957–2000). Alphabetical index of the Sanskrit manuscripts in the University Manuscripts Library, Trivandrum. Trivandrum: Alliance Print Works.
Pingree, D. E. (1968). The Thousands of Abū Ma‘shar. London: Warburg Institute.
Pingree, D. E. (1997) Tājika: Persian astrology in Sanskrit. In From astral omens to astrology: From Babylon to Bikaner (pp. 79–90). Roma: Istituto Italiano per L’Africa e L’Oriente.
Poleman, H. I. (1938). A census of Indic manuscripts in the United States and Canada. New Haven: American Oriental Society.
Potter, K. H. (1983). Encyclopedia of Indian philosophies (2nd Rev ed., Vol. 1)., Bibliography Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
Raghavan, V., Raja, K. K., Dash, S., Aufrecht, T. (1949–2015). New catalogus catalogorum: An alphabetical register of Sanskrit and allied works and authors. Madras: Madras University.
Raja, K. K. (1958). The contribution of Kerala to Sanskrit literature. Madras: Madras University.
Sarma, D. (2003). An introduction to Mādhva Vedānta. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Sharma, B. N. K. (1986). Philosophy of Śrī Madhvācārya (Rev ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
Tagore, G. V. (1970). Vanamālī Miśra’s Śrutisiddhāntaprakāśa. ABORI, 51, 231–239
Vīra-Pustakālaya. (1960). Nepālarājakīya-Vīrapustakālayasthahastalikhitapustakānām Bṛhatsūcīpatram. Kāṭhamāḍauṃ: Vīrapustakālaya.
Sanskrit sources
Advaitasiddhi of Madhusūdanasarasvatī: With the Commentaries Gauḍabrahmānandī with Vitthaleśopādhyāyī, Siddhivyākhyā of Balabhadra and Nyāyāmṛta-advaitaśuddhi-taraṅginī-laghuchandrikā, ed. N.S. Anantakrishna Sastri. Bombay: Nirnaya-sagar Press, 1915.
The Brahmasûtra-Shânkarbhâshyam : With the Commentaries Ratnaprabhâ, Bhâmatî and Nyâyanirṇaya of Shrîgovindânanda, Vâchaspati and Ânandagiri, ed. Mahādevaśarmā Bākre. 2nd ed. Bombay: Nirnaya-Sâgar Press, 1909.
Brahmasūtrasiddhāntamuktāvaliḥ of Vanamālimiśra, ed. Bālācārya Mādhavācārya Khuperakara. Pune: Ānandāśrama, 1942.
Carakasaṃhitā, ed. Yādavaśarma Trivikrama. Bombay: Nirṇayasāgara Press, 1941.
Madhvamukhālaṅkāraḥ of Vanamālimiśra, ed. Narasiṃhācārya Varakheḍakar. Benares City: Princess of Wales Sarasvati Bhavana Texts, 1936.
Mahābhāratam with the Commentary of Nīlakaṇṭha, ed. Ramachandrashastri Kiṃjavaḍekara. Poona: Citrashala Press, 1929-36.
The Nyâyavârttikatâtparyaṭîkâ of Vâchaspati Miśra, ed. Gangadhara Sastri Tailanga. Benares: E.J. Lazarus, 1898.
Paṇḍita Durveka Miśra’s Dharmottarapradīpa, a sub-commentary on Dharmottara’s Nyāyabinduṭīkā, ed. Dalsukh Bhai Malvania. Patna: Kashiprasad Jayaswal Research Institute, 1955.
Prasthānabhedaḥ of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī. Śrīraṅgam: Vāṇīvilāsa Press 1912.
The Śāntiparvan, Part III : Mokṣadharma, B, ed. S.K. Belvalkar Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1954.
The Sarvadarśanakaumudī of Mādhavasarasvatī, ed. K. Sāmbaśivaśāstri. Trivandrum, 1938.
The Sarvamatasangraha, ed. T. Gaṇapatiśāstrī. Trivandrum: Printed by the Govt., 1918.
Sarvamatasaṃgraha of M. Nārāyaṇabhaṭṭa (1560-1656), ed. M. Madhavan Unni. Trivandrum, 1977.
Śivapurāṇa. Bombay: Śrīveṅkateśvara Steam Press, 1884.
Śrutisiddhāntadīpikā Śrutisiddhāntaprakāśaś ca: Śrīvanamālimiśraviracita-granthadvayam, eds. Bālācārya Khuperkar and Raghavendra Nipanikar. Kolhapur: Śivājī Vidyāpīṭha, 1968.
Vācaspatimiśras Tattvakaumudī: Ein Beitrag Zur Textkritik Bei Kontaminierter Überlieferung, ed. Srinivasa Ayya Srinivasan. Hamburg: De Gruyter, 1967.
The Early Upanisads: Annotated Text and Translation, ed. Patrick Olivelle. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.
Vedāntasiddhāntasaṅgrahaḥ with a commentary by Srī Banamali Misra, ed. Devīprasādaśarma Kavi. Benares: Chowkhambā Sanskṛit Book-Depot, 1912.
Pātañjalayogadarśanam: Vācaspatimiśraviracita-Tattvavaiśāradī-Vijñānabhikṣukṛta-Yogavārttikavibhūṣita-Vyāsabhāṣyasametam, ed. Śrīnārāyaṇa Miśra. Delhi: Bhāratīya Vidyā Prakāśana, 1971.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Diwakar Acharya, Jason Birch, Jack Hawley, Fabrizio Speziale, Anand Venkatkrishnan, and Dominik Wujastyk for help in the preparation of this article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
About this article
Cite this article
Minkowski, C. An Early Modern Account of the Views of the Miśras. J Indian Philos 46, 889–933 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-018-9368-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-018-9368-0