Abstract

This work presents new translations of two Sanskrit texts in debate with each other. The texts are Kumarila Bhatta' s "Niralambanavada" chapter in his seventh-century Slokavartikam and Vasubandhu's third-century Vimsatika. The first chapter outlines the issues at stake including the centrality of action, common sense, epistemology, scriptural authority and schemes of salvation. Chapter two introduces the Mimamsa tradition of Kumarila Bhatta and presents a textual and philosophical analysis of the "Niralambanavada". Chapter three examines Vasubandhu's Yogacara tradition and analyzes the Vimsatika in terms of its thematization of consciousness and critique of epistemology and ontology. The fourth chapter looks between the texts and finds no common ground on which to reconcile the totally different perspectives of the householder and the monk, sacrifice and meditation. The fifth chapter discusses difficulties in translation peculiar to the Sanskrit shastra genre with particular reference to "Niralambanavada" and the Vimsatika. Chapter six is my translation of "Niralambanavada" and explanatory end-notes. The seventh chapter is my translation of the Vimsatika