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philosophy

10th-Century 'Veda-Siddhanta' Birch Bark Scroll Discovered in a Remote Gurez Valley Shrine Reshapes Early Mimamsa Epistemology

📅 April 3, 2026 📰 Himalayan Antiquity Journal
10th-Century 'Veda-Siddhanta' Birch Bark Scroll Discovered in a Remote Gurez Valley Shrine Reshapes Early Mimamsa Epistemology

A well-preserved birch bark scroll from the 10th century has been recovered from a remote shrine in the Gurez Valley. Titled 'Veda-Siddhanta', the manuscript offers a rigorous defense of Mimamsa epistemology, focusing on the inherent reliability of the spoken word. It introduces a novel theory of 'semantic eternity,' suggesting that the relationship between sound and meaning is a fundamental property of the universe rather than a human convention.

The text challenges contemporary schools of skepticism by arguing that direct perception is limited and must be augmented by the 'authoritative resonance' of traditional wisdom. This discovery provides crucial evidence for the persistence of diverse philosophical debates in the high Himalayas, serving as a crossroads for Vedantic and local Himalayan thought systems.

Original source: Himalayan Antiquity Journal