A New Book Release by MahA VidvAn Dr.S.M.S Chari Swamy : The Philosophy of the Upanishads ( English text)

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear VedAbhimAnis and students of Upanishadic Philosophy :

 

It is my delight and privelege to review the most recent book

in English released by the great Scholar , Dr.S.M.Srinivasa Chari

of Bangalore: " The Philosophy of the Upanishads".

 

The publishers , Munshiram Manoharlal Ltd., sent me

an advance copy and requested me to review this

monograph .

 

Dr.S.M.S Chari is a distinguished VedAnta Scholar ,

who has performed traditional KaalkshEpam for many years

under great AchAryAs like SrI Goshtipuram SoumyanArAyaNAcchAr

Swamy and the most revered 42nd pontiff of Ahobila Matam ,

HH InjimEttu Azhagiya Singar. Dr. Chari has taught

for many decades Philosophy at different universities.

 

Dr.S.M.S. Chari has many scholarly works in English

to his credit that deal with complex philosophical topics .

He handles them with ease , comfort and dispassion .

His other published works for the benefit of those ,

who may not be familiar with them are:

 

1)AdvaithA and VisishtAdhvaithA - A critical study

based on Vedanta DesikA's SatadhUshaNi, a Vaadha

grantham ; this monograph serves as a valuable

introduction to AchArya RaamAnujA's SrI BhAshyam.

 

2)Fundamentals of VisishtAdvaitha VedAntha-- a scholarly

treatise based on VedAnta DesikA's Tattva Muktha KalApa ,

the magnum opus on philosophy by Vedanta Desika .

 

3)VaishNavism--Its philosophy , theology and religious

discipline: A comprehensive summary of the relevance , sweep

and ethical values embedded in this system of philosophy

expounded by AchArya RaamAnujA .

 

4)The Philosophy of the VedAnta SutrAs of BadarAyaNa:

a comprehensive and systematic study of selected SutrAs

of BadarAyaNA as expounded by Sankara , RaamAnujA and

MadhvA.An objective evaluation is given of the philosophies

developed by the three AchAryAs is given based on

the Brahma SutrAs .

 

5) Philosophy and the Theistic Mysticism of the AlvArs:

The dhivya prabhandhams ( the four thousand devotional

hymns of the twelve God-intoxicated VaishNava Saints ) house

the philosophical and theological teachings of VaishNavam .

Their sacred Tamil hymns echo the ancient Vedic/Upanishadic

doctrines and emphasize the philosophy of SaraNAgathi

(total surrender to SrIman NaarAyaNa for Moksham).

In this monograph, Dr.S.M.S. Chari discusses the VedAntic

underpinings of the Dhivya prabhandham.

 

6) The Philosophy of the Upanishads ( a Study based on

the evaluation of the comments of Samkara, RaamAnujA and Madhva):

This latest monograph has a foreword by the distinguished

Madhva Scholar , Professor K.T. Pandurangi .This monograph is

an objective study of the key passages from Fourteen major

Upanishads used extensively by the three VedAntha AchAryAs

to develop their own versions of VedAntic philosophies.

 

7) A Comparative study of commentaries on SrImad Bhagavath GitA

by Samkara , RaamAnujA and Madhva has been completed by

Dr.S.M.S. Chari and has just gone to print. We look forward to

the release of yet another scholarly monograph from this great

VedAnta VidvAn trained under eminent traditional teachers

over many years.

 

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE UPANISHADS:Dr.S.M.SRINIVASA CHARI

********************************************************

Sage BadarAyaNa codified the Upanishadic teachings

in His VedAnta SutrAs. All the three AchAryAs developed

in the post-upanishadic period their own Vedanta systems

based mostly on the key passages from ten major upanishads.

Samkra and Madhva have also written their own commentaries

on these major upanishads, whereas Ramanuja elected not to ;

however Ramanuja used copiously the passages from major

upanishads to develop his own system of philosophy .

 

Vedantins have debated for a long time about which of

the three Acharya's intrepretations fit closely with

the Upanishadic philosophy in general and the purport of

Sage BadarAyaNA's VedAnta SutrAs in particular. The debate

continues even today about which of the three systems of

philosophy --Advaita VedAntA of Samkara ( Idealistic Monism) ,

VisihtAdvaita VedAnta of Ramanuja ( Theistic Monism ) ,

Dvaita VedAnta of Madhva ( Theistic dualism)-- is consistent

with the Upanishadic philosohpy . Each of the three systems

of philosophy has been developed by an eminent AchArya

"giftd with spiritual insight on the basis of the authority of

selected scriptural texts, tradition and logical arguments "

and hence has its own intrinsic value.

 

Dr. Chari has refrained from a detailed evaluation of

the relative merits of the three different Schools of

Vedanta and instead has set the goals of his study " to determine

the nature of the philosophy adumbrated in the Upanishads

and also to the extent to which the major doctrines developed

in the post-upanishadic period by the exponents of the three

principal schools of Vedanta are reflected in the Upanishads".

 

Dr. Chari has taken a fresh and dispassionate look

at the three schools of Vedanta as they attempt to

fit the five major doctrines of Vedanta in to their

systems of philosophy . These five fundamental

doctrines tackled by the Upanishads are:

(1) The doctrine of Brahman (2) The doctrine of JeevAthman

(3) The doctrine of Jagath (4) The doctrine of Saadhana

and (5) The doctrine of Parama PurushArtha.

 

After a rigorous and unbiased examination , Dr. Chari

has arirved at the conclusion that neither the Idealistic

Monism (advaita Vedanta or nirvisEsha BrahmAdvaita) of Samkara

nor the Theistic dualism ( Dvaita Vedanta) of Madhva fit

with the philosophy of the Upanishads . He concludes convincingly

that the SavisEsha BrahmAdvaita (Theistic Monism) of Acharya

Ramanuja fits ideally with the five major doctrines of

Vedanta and the teachings of the principal upanishads.

 

Dr. Chari, who is the author of many scholarly monographs

on Vedanta has studied in depth the fourteen principal

upanishads by analysing the comments of the three AchAryAs

in their BhAshyams on Vedanta Sutras as well as the views of

Sage BadarAyaNa himself as " enshrined " in his Vedanta Sutras .

 

This outstanding and clearly written monograph with copious

references and original Upanishadic passages is divided into

two sections:

 

(1)An analytical and thorough study of all of the key

philosophical passages of the principal Upanishads as

intrepreted by the three different Acharyas .

 

(2) An integration of the variety of thoughts spread all over

the Upanishads and a coherent presentation of these thoughts

under the five major headings :

 

a) Brahman and its nature and characterestrics

 

(b)JivAthman (the individual self ),its nature and

essential charactrestrics and its metaphysical

status in relation to Brahman

 

© The Universe (jagat),its origin and evolution , its

metaphysical status in relation to Brahman

 

(d) Sadhana ,the ways and means of attaining Brahman

 

(e) Parama PurushArTa , the nature of the Supreme Goal:

the status of Jiva in Mukti.

 

In the first section , a brilliant comparative analysis

of the intrepretations of key passages of the 14 Upanishads

by the three AchAryAs is covered .The 14 Upanishads included

in such an analysis are: BrhadAraNyaka , ChAndOgya , TaittirIya ,

Mundaka , kaThOpanishad, SvetAsvatara , IsAvAsyOpanishad,

KenOpanishad,PrasnOpanishad, AitarEya Upanishad, MaaNDUkya,

kaushitAki , SubAla and MahA NaarAyaNa Upanishad.

 

The first section alone is a brilliant , pioneering

and self-contained analysis that is most valuable.

For the benefit of the readers, who may not have

adequate Sanskrit background , Dr.Chari provides free

translations of the referred passages from the Upanishads.

I can not praise the content of this first section

since the assembly of such material in one place

has not been attempted sofar.

 

The second section on the five fundametnal doctrines

covered by Upanishads is another outstanding assembly of

material from the different Upanishads on each of these

five doctrines . The value of Dr.Chari's contributions

here are inestimable in so far as they cover the widely

scattered philosophical teachings of fourteen Upanishads

dealing with a wide range of subjects. Dr. Chari takes

into consideration the correct import of Upanishadic texts

as determined on the basis of the authoritative views of

Sage BadarAyaNa . While doing this , Dr.Chari has stayed away

as far as possible form imposing the views of the three

commentators on Vedanta SutrAs. This is not some thing

easy to do and Dr.Chari has be applauded for his objective

approach.

 

In the final section of this monograph , Dr.Chari evaluates

the three principal schools of Vedanta advocating Advaita

VedAnta (with its core principle of NirvisEsha Brahman , mayA/

illusory Cosmic principle , Jeevan Mukthi et al ), VisishtAdvaitha

VedAnta ( with its core principle of SavisEsha Brahman,

the real existence of the JivAs and the Universe , which are

organically or inseperably related to Brahman as Para Tatthvam),

Dvaita VedAnta ( with its core principles of absolute difference

between Brahman and the Jeevan and also between Brahman and Jagat ,

VishNu as the Ultimate and sole independent reality/Svatantra

Tatthva in contrast to JivAs and the Jagat as dependent realities/

asvatantra TattvAs and Aananda Taaratamyam in the state of Mukthi

for the Jeevans et al).

 

Dr. Chari concludes at the end of his scholarly study

that " the teachings of the principal upanishads on

the five major doctrines of VedAnta , the philosophy

of the Upanishads can not be regarded as Idealistic

Monism or NirvisEsha BrahmAdvaitam(advaitam);It is

SavisEsha BrahmAdvaitham or Theistic Monism (VisishtAdvaitam).

The VedAnta SutrAs developed from the Upanishads also conform

to the same type of philosophical System--This conclusion ,

which is based on an objective study of the Upanishads is

not a decisive reflection on either Advaita VedAnta or

Dvaita VedAnta as a system of philosophy... The main objective

of this study is to determine the nature of the philosophy

adumbrated in the Upanishads and also the extent to which

the major doctrines developed in the post-upanishadic period

by the exponents of the three principal schools of VedAnta

are reflected in the Upanishads. It is hoped that this book

would throw new light on the philosophy of the Upanishads".

 

To this reviewer, this thought provoking and original

study on the principal Upanishads is a Treasure House

of information evaluated in a very objective manner.

Our profound thanks are to Dr.Chari for his continued services

to the community of aasthikAs interested in our ancient

philosophy based on Upanishads.

 

NamO NaarAyaNAya,

V.SadagOpan

New York , USA