Ramanuja on Sankara's Advaita Vedanta

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I will briefly quote Ramanuja's full opinion of Advaita as expressed

in Maha Siddhanta section of Sri Bhasya,

 

First he gives opponents point of view under [i have only listed sub

topic headings]:

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe48/sbe48007.htm

THE GREAT PÛRVAPAKSHA.

 

1)The only reality is Brahman.

 

2) The appearance of plurality is due to avidyâ

 

3) Avidyâ is put an end to by true Knowledge

 

4) Scripture is of greater force than Perception

 

5) The texts which represent Brahman as devoid of qualities have

greater force

 

6) The text Taitt. Up. II, 1 refers to Brahman as devoid of qualities

 

7) Perception reveals to us non-differenced substance only

 

8) Difference--bheda--does not admit of logical definition

 

9) Being and consciousness are one. Consciousness is svayamprakâsa

 

10) Consciousness is eternal and incapable of change

 

11) The apparent difference between Consciousness and the conscious

subject is due to the unreal ahamkâra

 

 

Summing up of the pûrvapaksha view:

 

As the outcome of all this, we sum up our view as follows.--Eternal,

absolutely non-changing consciousness, whose nature is pure non-

differenced intelligence, free from all distinction whatever, owing

to error illusorily manifests itself (vivarttate) as broken up into

manifold distinctions--knowing subjects, objects of knowledge, acts

of knowledge.

 

 

And then the great bhasyakar who started the theistic revolt against

tenets of advaita says:

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe48/sbe48008.htm

 

THE GREAT SIDDHÂNTA.

 

"This entire theory rests on a fictitious foundation of altogether

hollow and vicious arguments, incapable of being stated in definite

logical alternatives, and devised by men who are destitute of those

particular qualities which cause individuals to be chosen by the

Supreme Person revealed in the Upanishads; whose intellects are

darkened by the impression of beginningless evil; and who thus have

no insight into the nature of words and sentences, into the real

purport conveyed by them, and into the procedure of sound

argumentation, with all its methods depending on perception and the

other instruments of right knowledge. The theory therefore must

needs be rejected by all those who, through texts, perception and

the other means of knowledge--assisted by sound reasoning--have an

insight into the true nature of things."

 

For further point by point rebuttal refer to the site.

 

 

 

Your Servant Always,

Sumeet.