Prabhakara
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Prabhakara was a prominent figure in Indian philosophy, known for his contributions to the Purva Mimamsa school. He was a contemporary and sometimes rival of Kumarila, another key exponent of this philosophical system.123
Prabhakara's school of thought, along with Kumarila's, aimed to refute Buddhist idealism and nihilism. While both schools were realists, they differed on metaphysical and epistemological points. Prabhakara's ontology recognized eight types of entities, differing from the Bhatta school's list by rejecting negation and adding power, resemblance, inherence-relation, and number. In epistemology, Prabhakara's school accepted five ways of knowing, rejecting nonperception as a distinct method. He also differed from Kumarila on the interpretation of Vedic texts, assigning Mimamsa the broader task of inquiring into their meaning, rather than solely focusing on ritual obligations.12
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Indian philosophyThe logical periodMimamshakas Kumarila (7th century), Prabhakara (7th–8th centuries), Mandana Mishra (8th century), Shalikanatha (9th century), and Parthasarathi Mishra (10th century) belong to this age. The greatest Indian philosopher of the period, however, was Shankara. All these men defended Brahmanism against the “unorthodox” schools, especially against the criticisms of Buddhism. The…
Read MoreMimamshakas Kumarila (7th century), Prabhakara (7th–8th centuries), Mandana Mishra (8th century), Shalikanatha (9th century), and Parthasarathi Mishra (10th century) belong to this age. The greatest Indian philosopher of the period, however, was Shankara. All these men defended Brahmanism against the “unorthodox” schools, especially against the criticisms of Buddhism. The…
Read More- Indian philosophyPurva-Mimamsa: the Bhatta and Prabhakara schools
Kumarila commented on Jaimini’s sutras as well as on Shabara’s bhashya. The Varttika (critical gloss) that he wrote was commented upon by Sucharita Mishra in his Kashika (“The Shining”), by
Read MoreKumarila commented on Jaimini’s sutras as well as on Shabara’s bhashya. The Varttika (critical gloss) that he wrote was commented upon by Sucharita Mishra in his Kashika (“The Shining”), by
Read More