When Footnotes Pretend to Be History
Hindu philosophical traditions did not develop in a climate of uninterrupted harmony. Advaitins, Viśiṣṭādvaitins, Dvaitins, Buddhists, Jains, Śaivas, and Mīmāṃsakas often engaged in fierce—and sometimes deeply personal—polemics.
But a sectarian insult is not the whole history of a philosopher. A hostile hagiography is not a neutral biography. And a provocative footnote should not be presented as though it were a major chapter in the history of Indian thought.
From Śaṅkara and Rāmānuja to Vedānta Deśika and Madhva, the record reveals both acrimonious conflict and extraordinary intellectual creativity.
The real danger today is not that these old polemics are discussed. It is that social media detaches them from context, magnifies them, and turns historical trivia into historical truth.
When does a footnote become a distortion of history?
Tag Archives: Buddha
“Yathaa raaja thatha praja”: Is Ostentatious Religiosity harmless or toxic?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is so creative as a politician come election time. Last time general elections were held in 2019, he went to Dhyaan Kutia cave in the Himalaya ranges of Kedarnath and sat there in “dhyaana” pose, Buddha-like pictures of which went viral right across the media space , within and outside India.Continue reading ““Yathaa raaja thatha praja”: Is Ostentatious Religiosity harmless or toxic?”
“Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-7 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023
“Gaya Shraadham” (continued) The distance from Kashi to Gaya is about 210 kms and the journey by road in a car took us nearly 5 hours with coffee-layabouts on the way as well as the half-hour we also spent on a quick tour of the famous Buddhist pilgrim-centre of Bodh Gaya along the way …Continue reading ““Snaanam”, “Shraadham”, “Darsanam”, “Alinganam”: PART-7 of 8: Personal reflections on my pilgrimage to Gaya, Kashi, Prayag and Ayodhya – November 11-20, 2023″