Search

Renowned as the “Omniscient One of the Degenerate Age” ( kalikālasarvajña; Sankrtyayana, 1935, 35n4) and as guardian of Vikramaśīla’s eastern gate during its golden age (Chimpa & Chattopadhyaya, 1970, 295; Roerich, 1949, 206; “southern gate” in Dowman, 1985, 99), Ratnākaraśānti – also known as Ratnākara, Śāntipā, Śāntipa, Śānti, Rin chen ’byung gnas zhi ba , and Dkon mchog ’byung gnas (c. 970–1045 CE) – was considered the preeminent scholar and one of the foremost tantric adepts ( siddha) of his time (D 4085, in the colophon by Śāntibhadra; see below). His reputation as …