Sankara SampradhAyam - 4

[Dr. S.R.Marur]

Even now, starting from the school text books to every
conceivable context, there is reference and elaboration only
about BhuddhA, while it has been ensured that even the names
of Kumarila BhattA and UdayanAchAryAr are not known to anyone.
During the British rule, (they) did this deliberately. Their
desire was to somehow belittle the vEdic religion and convert
everyone to Christianity.

The objective was,"It is all right, even if it is not
possible to attract [*Hindus*] to Christianity. At any cost,
vEdic religion has to be belittled. It has to be ensured that
the Hindus, ruled by us, don't remain proud of their religion
and culture." The fact - that the 'subjugated' Hindus had
reached the pinnacle of civilization and cultural glory even
in the remote past during which they themselves were yet to
evolve into a civilised society - continued to remain as a thorn
in their flesh. That is why they thought thus.

They took efforts, systematically, right from the elementary
school level, to ensure that Hindus don't become aware of the
greatness of their vEdic religion and also of the great
personalities who hailed from that religion. Hence, they
popularised amongst the children, in a big way, only the
establishment of a 'vEda vruddha' (heterodox) religion by BhuddhA,
right from their school days through their curriculum. But, left
out, all the references about the 'mahAns' of vEdic religion.

Kumarila BhattA emphasised the nature of vEdAs as PramAnA
(vEda pramAnyam) and the importance of vEdic karmAs and
criticised Bhuddhism for having differed on these two counts.
Udayanar criticised the Bhuddhist's argument of 'nirIshvara
vAdham' and established the existence of IshvarA.

Out of the triad of karma-bhakti-gyAna, only after the
Bhuddhist principles regarding karma and bhakti were
demolished (nirAkaranam) by these two, our BhagavadpAda, who
re-established the gyAna mArga in accordance with vEdic
principles, took the avatAram [*on this earth*].

                                    .... to continue

Regards,

Sudhakar

----------------------------------------------------------------
Translated from,
HH Sri Chandhra sEkharEndhra Saraswathi Swamiji, 'Sankara
SampradhAyam'. Deivathin Kural (in Tamil), Vol. II, Second
Edition, ed. rA. Ganapathi, Vanathi padhippagam, Chennai,
pp: 119-157 (1980).
-----------------------------------------------------------------