XXY Introduction : III Was Goudapada a Buddhisi? Gaudapada had studied Buddhistic philosophy very well, which no one denies. We have shown in the Notes, how Gaudapada uses some of the above terms ( धर्म, संवृति etc.) in a more or less Vedantic sense. Gaudapāda did accept the Buddhistic terminology, in order to be in a better position to contradict the Buddhist tenets successfully. (3) अस्पर्शयोग referred to so respectfully in IV. 2, is a characteristic feature in Buddhistic philosophy. The expression अस्पर्शयोग is not actually found used in Buddhist literature. Gaudapada owes that expression to the Bhagavadgita which refers to मात्रास्पर्श as दुःखयोनि (मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुख- दुःखदाः । ... II, II, V. 21 ) and consequently अस्पर्शयोग is the panacea to end all misery. (4) The simile of the fire-brand ( अलात ) is peculiarly Buddhistic. Gaudapada need not have gone to the Buddhists for the simile. अलात is found used in Ramayana (Kiskindhākānda)", Mahabharata. (Karņaparvan) to and Yogavāsiştha. The idea of whirling the fire-brand could have been easily suggested by the expression भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया in the Gita ( XVIII-61), (5) There is a large number of passages in Gaudapādakārika which seem to be the echoes of the Mulamadhyamakarikás of Nagarjuna, such as भूतं न जायते किश्चिदभूतं नैव जायते । ( IV-4) स्वतो वा परतो वापि न किञ्चिद्वस्तु जायते । ( IV-22). 9 आदर्शतलसंकाशा ततो वै पृथिवी मया । अलातचक्रप्रतिमा दृष्टा गोष्पदवत्कृता || Kiskindhakapda XLVI. 13. 10 अलातचक्रवत्सैन्यं तदा बभ्राम तावकम् । Karpaparv an, 86. 42. 11 यथालातपरिस्पन्दादग्निचक्रं प्रदृश्यते । असदेव सदाभासं चित्तस्पन्दात्तथा जगत् ॥ v. 78. 1. मिथ्यैव मे विवल्गन्ति नीरूपा नयनादयः । अलातचक्रप्रतिमाः सर्परज्जुभ्रमोपमाः ॥ v. 8. 28. the major portion of the Yogavisistha can be assigned to the period later than that of Gaudapada, but there are undoubtedly some strata in that work, which belong to the earlier period,
