Sabara, who is believed to have lived during 1st century BC,
was a famous commentator on Mimamsa Sutra of Sage Jaimini. His Bhashya on
Mimamsa Sutra is the most important work in this genre and all later Mimamsa
literary works are based on it. Hence, Sabara is also referred as father of
Mimamsa literature in Hinduism.
Sabara, a great scholar of the Vedas, states that Dharma
connects men with ultimate bliss.
Sabara accepted six pramanas – pratyaksha, anumana, sabda,
upamana, arthapatti, and anupalabdhi. He has explained them in his bhashya.
It would have been very difficult to understand the Mimamsa
Sutra of Jaimini without the commentary of Sabara.
It is widely accepted that Sabara was the one who systematized
and coordinated sutras in adhikaranas.
Period of Sabara
Scholars have no one opinion regarding the period of Sabara.
1st century BCE is the period given by M.Winternitz.
The period around 57 BCE is suggested by Ganganath Jha. This
is based on the evidence of a traditional shloka, which asserts that King
Vikramaditya was the son of Sabara by a Kshatriya wife. Thus if the shloka is
taken into account then Sabara was the father of Varahamihira, King Bhartrhari,
Vaidya Harishchandra, Sanku and Amara.
Some scholars are of the view that Sabara lived during 400
CE.