[Advaita-l] Interesting article.

[Varadaraja Sharma]

Radhe Krishna

When the  evidence of sudanva’s thamra sAsana was mentioned in the list, I raised questions as 
to whether such thamra sAsana was subject to carbon dating.  That time, if I remember well, 
Shri vidyasankar explained that a thamra sAsana per se can not be subjected directly to carbon 
dating.  However it so happens that these artefacts are tied together by a cloth or a rope. 
And that because of this carbon dating could be possible.  If I understand properly, it 
presupposes the presence of some matter like a cloth or rope which had contact with a living 
matter say human being or animal for conduct of carbon dating.  I may be corrected, if I am 
wrong.

Regarding the carbon dating of sand near river purna, I have following questions

1.	 Is it that pujya kanchi periava has actually told this instance or is it ascribed to 
him that so and so claims that pujya kanchi periava has narrated this instance.

2.	From my limited understanding, I doubt that carbon dating could be conducted on sand 
particles to determine the fact as to how old the sand deposits are there at a particular 
place.  Those having knowledge on this aspect in our list may clarify. Perhaps it could have 
been done by some other scientific method, if there are any.

3.	By whatever scientific method such conclusion have been arrived at, are the papers 
regarding the conduct of such an experiment available as on date for the scrutiny of people 
who have expertise on these experiments?

4.	Assuming that the result of such a scientific experiment establishes date of sand 
deposits at different places at different times, one can still take that this part of the 
theory as scientific.  But could connecting such a fact with an incident of Acharya Shankara’s 
hagiography be still scientific?


Radhe Krishna