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This article describes certain aspects of Dwaita philosophy as postulated by

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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Universe is the splendid creation of the Lord

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 1. One among the several schools of philosophic

thoughts, which prevailed in India, identifies man with his body,

limiting its horizon to the sensate world. It denies the

existence of an immortal soul, God and Virtue, which had been

wrought into the texture of the universe and whose laws are

inviolable and grind inevitably. Another school counselled men to

make merry and not be concerned about the morrow, as death lays

all of us flat alike. Such an attitude to life naturally resulted

in a society where the mighty walked with what they can, treading

on the weak. Such philosophies culminated in atrocious

activities. Therefore, the need arose for the right view of the

goal of life, the destiny of man and a valid theory of Reality.

Such a system was prescribed by a great seer who postulated on

the authority of time-tested scriptures, the existence of souls,

their eternity, their plurality, their attributes and the

existence of the universe. Sri Madhvacharya, who spelt out this

philosophy - Dwaita - and whose Jayanthi fell on Vijayadasami,

regretted the senselessness of such men who do not know the

purpose of life and merely chose to exist, enjoy and die,

throwing away their precious heritage. He pleaded that men should

realise the potentialities of the soul, and get rid of the

bondage, through the grace of the Lord, by the practice of

intense, unremitting, exclusive, pure devotion.

 

Sri Madhvacharya declared that man is not absolutely independent.

If he were so, he should be able to achieve whatever he likes and

avoid things which he dislikes and create a world that is nearest

to his heart. The disparity and inequality which mark human

existence and the lot of the lives of men, are not the result of

the Lord's partiality or His cruelty. They are in accordance with

the individual's past deeds. The universe is His splendid

creation under His absolute control, said Sri S. R.

Raghothamachar in a discourse. The Lord holds that we are all

under the care of the just and wise providence. Sri Madhva has

given us a master-plan to secure individual well-being as well as

human welfare by practising devotion to God. Service to humanity

is an indispensable part of devotion and can be compared to the

tax we have to pay to God for the benefactions He has given us.

Duty and devotion have to be combined. Sri Madhvacharya (1238

A.D.) has quoted the Skanda Puranam that all the Vedas have three

meanings, the whole of Mahabharata, ten, but each word of the

Vishnu Sahasranama therein a hundred meanings. He has described

God as the embodiment of countless virtues, that He is devoid of

any defect and gives us knowledge, devotion and eternal Bliss.

 

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