Jiva

MIND, MATTER AND GOD : JIVA, JADA AND ISVARA
M.M.NINAN
The previous period was the "Golden Age of Hinduism" limited only in the North
India (ca. 320–650 CE), which flourished during the Gupta Empire (320 to 550 CE) until
the fall of the Harsha Empire (606 to 647 CE). During this period, power was centralized,
along with a growth of far distance trade, standardization of legal procedures, and
general spread of literacy. Mahayana Buddhism flourished, but the orthodox Brahmana
culture began to be rejuvenated by the patronage of the Gupta Dynasty. The position of
the Brahmans was reinforced , and the first Hindu temples emerged during the late
Gupta age. The Kalabhras continued to rule South India especially in Kerala until the
8 th century. Sankara’s codification of Hinduism is thus seen as the re-establishment of
Brahminic Hinduism all over India. Kalabhras were defeated and all of a sudden
Temples and Vigrahas began to appear in South India. Thus Sankara initiated the
religion known today as Hinduism destroying the hold of Thomas Christianity, Buddhism
and Jainism which in early Christian Era almost wiped out Vedism.
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