When did Saraha live?

Saraha was born in c. 750 and died in c. 820.

Where was Saraha from?

Saraha was an Indian philosopher of the Medieval era.

What philosophical movements is Saraha associated with?

Saraha was associated with Buddhism and Indian Philosophy.

How many quotes are attributed to Saraha?

There are 12 attributed quotations from Saraha in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.

Saraha c. 750 – c. 820

Saraha (c. 750 – c. 820) was an Indian philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Buddhism and Indian Philosophy.

Saraha was an early-medieval Indian Buddhist tantric master and poet, traditionally regarded as the founder of the Mahamudra tradition of song and the first of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas of late Indian Buddhism. Born a brahmin and trained in the orthodox Vedic learning, he renounced his caste status to live as a low-caste arrow-maker with a tantric consort, in whose company, according to tradition, he attained awakening. His Royal Song, the People's Song, and the Queen's Song, sometimes collectively called the Three Cycles of Doha, articulate a radical Mahamudra philosophy of nondual awareness, expressed in colloquial Apabhramsa rather than Sanskrit, and addressed to laypeople rather than monks.

Key facts

Nationality: Indian
Era: Medieval
Movements: Buddhism, Indian Philosophy

Selected quotes

Attributed to Saraha:

“The mind is the great seal; what is sealed by the mind cannot be unsealed by argument.”
Attributed to Saraha:

“He who fastens his eyes on the moon does not need to study the finger pointing at it.”
Attributed to Saraha:

“Renunciation is not the leaving of the world; it is the unbinding of the world from the heart.”
Attributed to Saraha:

“Caste is a doctrine that has not yet learned to look at itself.”
Attributed to Saraha:

“Sing the Dharma to the marketplace, and the marketplace will receive it; sing it to the monks, and they will dispute it.”

Read all Saraha quotes

Frequently asked about Saraha

When did Saraha live?: Saraha was born in c. 750 and died in c. 820.
Where was Saraha from?: Saraha was an Indian philosopher of the Medieval era.
What philosophical movements is Saraha associated with?: Saraha was associated with Buddhism and Indian Philosophy.
What was Saraha known for?: Saraha was an early-medieval Indian Buddhist tantric master and poet, traditionally regarded as the founder of the Mahamudra tradition of song and the first of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas of late Indian Buddhism.
How many quotes are attributed to Saraha?: There are 12 attributed quotations from Saraha in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.