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Source: The Hindu

(http://www.hinduonnet.com/br/2002/04/02/stories/2002040200100200.htm)

 

 

Contemporary classic in Vedanta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HISTORY OF SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE IN INDIAN CIVILIZATION Advaita

Vedanta Volume II Part 2: D. P. Chattopadhyaya General Editor, R.

Balasubramanian Editor; Pub. by the Centre for Studies in Civilizations,

36, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi-110062. Distributed by Motilal

Banarsidass, 41, U.A. Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi-110007. Rs. 1200.

 

THE CLAIM in the blurb of this publication, that "The Volumes of the Project on

The History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization" aim at

discovering the main aspects of India's heritage and present them in an

inter-related way... The Project is marked by what may be called `methodological

pluralism' " is amply borne out by the contents of the volume under review,

devoted entirely to Advaita Vedanta and appropriately dedicated to the memory of

K. C. Bhattacharyya, T.M.P. Mahadevan and Varahur Kalyanasundara Sastri "who

renewed and represented the of the Vedanta tradition of Yajnavalkya, Gaudapada

and Sankara." This volume is of inestimable value as illuminating surveys by

distinguished scholars of the contemporary intellectual scene highlight in it

the strength of the best spiritual wisdom of India that is surviving to this day

(and will forever survive) in serene majesty.

 

The Vice-President of India, Krishan Kant, is a patron of the Centre for Studies

in Civilizations and the volume was first published by the Centre's

Member-Secretary, Prof. Bhuvan Chandel. The general introduction to the project

by its general editor, Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyaya, who served as Union Minister

of Commerce in Indira Gandhi's Cabinet, bears the stamp of his undoubted

scholarship and indisputable competence for the great task undertaken by him.

 

The volume consists of three sections Classical Advaita, Advaita and

Contemporary Indian philosophy and Advaita in vernaculars (read, India's

regional languages including Hindi). The titles and their contributors given

below speak for themselves: Section I: "Pre-Sankara Advaita'' S. L.

Pandey, "Advaita in the epics'' and "Advaita in the Puranas'' N.

Gangadharan, "Sankara'' and "Mandana and Sureshwara two contemporary

poles'' R. Balasubramanian, "Sankara vis-à-vis other systems-I''

G. C. Nayak, "Sankara vis-à-vis other systems-II'' N. S. Dravid,

"Post-Sankara Advaita the Vivarana tradition'' N. Veezhinathan,

"Post-Sankara Advaita The Bhamati tradition'' S. Sankaranarayanan

and "The illusoriness of the world'' S. Revathy.

 

The next section consists of an article on Advaita and contemporary Indian

philosophy from the beginning of the 19th century by Ramakant Sinari. The last

comprises articles by S. N. Kandaswamy, P. Sriramachandrudu, A. S. Narayana

Pillai, S. Omana, K. Padmaja and V. S. Sarma, T. B. Siddalingaiah and V. S.

Seshagiri Rao, S. R. Palghatti, H. M. Joshi and C. V. Raval, Surendrakumar

Shrivatsava, Nirbhai Singh, Minati Kar and G. Mishra.

 

Before proceeding further, it has to be stated that while the Sage of Kanchi put

the year of Sankara's birth at 509 B.C. (proved by the long and unbroken lineage

of the pontiffs of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam from its first Sankaracharya, Adi

Sankara, to its illustrious 69th and 70th pontiffs of our own day), some

contributors to this volume accept the later dates assigned to Sankara by the

British historians and foreign indologists. That stated, all the contributions

in this volume are remarkably free from doctrinarism that generally goes with

topics of Vedanta (be it Dwaita, Visishtadvaita or Advaita) and give due value

to everything in history that has stimulated thinking on the subject.

 

Significant passages quoted in these essays are redolent of the great originals.

They constitute very useful discussions of vital subjects, based upon

extraordinary and intimate acquaintance with the original text, combining

philosophic knowledge with profound insight. For example, "Sankara" by R.

Balasubramanian, editor of this volume, is a beautiful exposition of Sankara's

life and teaching. It explains the unique concept of liberation in life

(Jivan-mukthi), which Advaita propounds. Likewise "Mandana and Sureshwara" by

the same scholar makes interesting and instructive reading.

 

"The illusoriness of the world" by S. Revathy, Reader in Sanskrit, University of

Madras, discloses a keen and sensitive mind with a gift for a lucid and

agreeable prose style that communicates easily her loving understanding of the

theory of Maya or Avidya, central to Advaita Vedanta.

 

As a highly respected critic has said of it elsewhere, this dissertation is

undoubtedly a class apart, tracing the evolution of thought in regard to the

concept of "mithya" from the "Mantras" and "Brahmanas" down to the post-Sankara

works. Indian and foreign scholars of Dwaita philosophy are sure to find it

challenging. The "Bhamati tradition" by S. Sankaranarayanan is thematic, yet

gripping. N. Veezhinathan's "Vivarana tradition" is educative in the best sense,

though in form and plan, it is modest and unassuming in tone.

 

Ramakant Sinari, in section two, explains how Sankara's philosophy is

re-interpreted and applied in modern life by Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayananda,

Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Annie Besant, Tagore, Ramana, Sri Aurobindo, Mahatma

Gandhi and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He is all for "the consciousness-lifting

Advaita language, Advaita literature, Advaita mode of education" to withdraw the

psyche of our younger generation from the tempting materialistic forces that

surround them.

 

In section III, discussions on the Advaita philosophy as found in India's

leading spoken languages are supremely educative. "Advaita in Tamil'' by S. N.

Kandaswamy is full of information, especially on the Saiva Siddhanta tradition

which is distinct from Sankara's Advaita without differing from it so markedly

as Dwaita, it is an essay that should inspire Tamil speaking populace to be

justly proud of their language, literature and heritage which actually unite

them with the rest of India and not separate them (as attempted now and then in

certain quarters).

 

"Advaita in Hindi" by Surendrakumar Shrivastava naturally refers to the three

great Hindi treatises of the 19th century by Saint Nischaladas the , the

and the how they have been translated in Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali,

Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit.

 

He notes Swami Vivekananda and Ramana Maharishi appreciated Nischaladas's

contribution to Advaita. In the bibliography, mention is made of the translated

in Sanskrit by Sri Vasudeva Brahmendra Sarasvathi Swamigal (published from

Mayavaram). This reviewer happens to know first hand that the 68th pontiff of

Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal, also

valued Nischaladas greatly and the said Mayavaram publication brought out by

late A. Venkatarama Iyer of Ramapuram in 1964 was wholly inspired by the Acharya

who held both Nischaladas and (his Sanskrit translator) Vasudeva Brahmendra

Sarasvathi Swamigal in highest esteem. The Sage of Kanchi saw to it that a

second edition of this Sanskrit translation was published in December 1986

(financed this time by the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams).

 

"Advaita in Kannada" says that Kannada poetry overflows with the Advaitic ideas

and refers to modern literary giants like D. V. Gundappa, D. R. Bendre, V.

Seetharamaiah and S. V. Parameshwara Bhatta who have employed some of the

Advaitic concepts either as similes and metaphors or to explain the cultural and

religious thoughts. It reveals how Swami Sachidananda Sarasvathi and S. Vittal

Sastri ask the readers to re-examine the issues raised by both the Vivarana and

Bhamathi schools and hold the view that the problem of locus of is not an issue

at all as far as Adi Sankara is concerned. These essays on Advaita in India's

regional languages need at least a couple of hours each to read for their proper

assimilation.

 

The introduction by the editor is full of learning and assiduity a

delight to read. If it is the function of an editor to create interest in the

subject, R. Balasubramanian has succeeded exceedingly well in this volume.

Adherents and eager students of Advaita Vedanta will be heartened by the support

of their faith afforded by this weighty publication. It is certainly a

contemporary classic in Advaita Vedanta, something to be "read, marked and

inwardly digested."

 

 

 

 

 

K. VEDAMURTHY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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