Chandra Gomin

Chandra Gomin (चन्द्रगोमिन) or Chandragomin was a renowned 5-6th century CE Indian Buddhist Sanskrit grammarian.

He was lay master and scholar who dressed in the white robes of the Yogic tradition and mastered the morality of the five precepts. He was born into a Kshatriya family in the northern Varendra region which is now a part of Bangladesh.

He was most famous for his debate of Chandrakīrti (600–c. 650), (चन्द्रकीर्ति) the Arya Tripitaka Master Shramana who was the Khenpo at Nalanda Mahāvihāra Monastery.

Author of Chandra Vyakarana

He wrote his work on Sanskrit grammar which is famous as chandra Vyakarana (चन्द्रव्याकरण). He lived at a time when Buddhist scholars preferred to write on serious subjects of grammar and philosophy through the medium of Sanskrit to compete with the Brahmanical writers.

Fragments of a twelfth century C.E. commentary Chandralakara, discovered at different points of times and lodged in the Cambridge University library for more than a century are receiving the attention of Professor Dragomir of Germany. The manuscripts are written in the arrow head Bhaikshuki script.

Jat History

Chandra has given the expression- ajayajjarto Hunan(अजयज्जर्तो हूणान् = अजयत् + जर्तः+ हूणान् ) as an illustration of an usage of लङ् लकार indicating an event of immediate past excluding the same day (अनद्यतने लङ्). Yashodharman's known date from his Mandsaur stone inscription is 589 C.E.

Note by Dr Rana

It is not understood how a fifth century C.E. grammarian could have used the above expression, as claimed here, for the sixth century C.E. ruler, namely Yashodharman? Drssrana2003

Answer by Ch. Reyansh Singh

I am very happy to see such a raising question, and would like to please answer it, through the history columns, we don't know the exact dates of Chandra Gomini, but from Nalanda University history, we know that he was a teacher, teaching in there in 5th century CE; also we know that, his debate with Chandrakirti (another Buddhist Madhyamaka scholar) is very famous till today, Chandrakirti was born in 600 CE in south India, and died in 650 CE. So, if we assume that Chandrakirti was an adult to honour a debate with such a great grammarian, this debate should be taken place at least in after 615 CE? Of course? So, if 620s is the date of the debate? It means that Chandragomin lived till this date at least? It means he must have witnessed the event of defeat of Hunas by both Yashodharman & Gupta ruler Skandagupta (r. 455-467 CE), I prefer it a reference to Skandagupta when he says Jats defeated Hunas, this is because the stronghold of Nalanda University teacher, is significant in the fifth century; The same period when Skandagupta, (a Jat of Dharan clan) reigned and repulsed a Hunnic wave from north-western India. The "debate of the debate with a 7th century scholar of a 5-6th century grammarian" should be terminated as a person can't live for 200-250 years (5th century to 620 CE at least.) That debater should be a different person or we have to abolish this theory. -Ch. Reyansh Singh^{Talk}

References

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