Indian Philosophy v2.c24.s2.37

v2.c24.s2.37

² Tāranātha’s History of Buddhism says that Dignāga was the son of a Brāhmin of Conjeevaram, who soon became proficient in the teachings of the Hīnayāna, though he later acquired from Vasubandhu Mahāyāna teachings. According to the evidence of Yuan Chwang, Vasubandhu, before he became a Buddhist, was well versed not only in the eighteen schools of Buddhism, but also in the six systems of the Hindus. Vasubandhu is now assigned to the first half of the fourth century A.D., and Dignāga may have flourished some time before A.D. 400. Kālidāsa’s suggested reference to Dignāga in his Meghadūta confirms this view, since Kālidāsa belongs to the same period (see Keith: Classical Sanskrit Literature, pp. 31–32, and I.P., p. 624 n.).