A book by Dr. Melkote Embar Rangachar

[Guest guest]

Dear members of the net

 

One of my relatives in India, had asked me to introduce a book which he has

found to be very useful for knowing more about our siddhanta.

 

Name of the Book: The philosophy of Visishtadvaita as expounded by Sri

Vedanta Desika in the Nyaya-Siddhanjana

 

Author: Nyaya-vedanta vidwan, Vidyaratna, Vedantavaridhi,

Desikadarsanaratna, Dr. MELKOTE EMBAR RANGACHAR

 

I am reproducing the introduction to the text given by Sri. N.S.

Ramanujatatacharya below. If interested, please contact

SriNityananda Printers, 46, 4th Cross, AshokNagar, BSK Ist Stage,

Bangalore-560050 (PH: 6526027)

 

Copies are also available at

16C/2, Ratnammal St, Rangarajapuram, Kodambakkam, Chennai-600024

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan

Lakshminarasimhan S.

---

Introduction

By

Mahamahoupadhyaya

N. S. Ramanujatatacharyah

Former Vice-Chancellor

Rashtriya Samskrta-Vidhyapitha

Tirupathi

 

Vatsyayana, the great commentator Of Nyaya-Dharsana founded by sage

Gautama, in the beginning said that the entire substances of the universe

can be included in the four categories i.e. pramanam(valid source of

knowledge ) prameyam ( objects of knowledge) , pramata (the agent), pramiti

( valid knowledge). In the absence of any one of them knowledge becomes

impossible. Pramata is one who acts being instigated by desire or abandoning

the desire. An object that is known is prameyam. The knowledge of an object

is pramiti. The means of knowing is pramanam. He told that these things are

very useful in the day today transactions. The great sages and Acharyas who

wrote Sutras, Bhasyas, and Varticas, wrote them on the basis of these four

concepts.

Among these four, the pramana, and the prameya are very important concepts.

Nyaya and Vaisesika took birth to give us the correct knowledge about them.

Without pramana, there can't be prameya or vice versa. Therefore, if one is

interpreted, the other too needs interpretation.

 

In this regard the philosophy of Nyaya founded by Gautama deals mainly with

pramanas whereas Vaisesika school founded by Kanada deals with prameyas.

Apart from these two schools of philosophy, other schools like Sankhya,Yoga,

Mimamasa and Vedantha also were born. They are orthodox systems. All these

systems discuss pramanas and prameyas. The system of Carvaka, Buddha and

Jaina are heterodox systems. All these systems discuss pramanas and

prameyas.

 

Number of the means of knowledge and their definition and their purpose,

like that, the number of prameyas, their definition and the purpose of their

knowledge are delineated in their respective philosophies. But in every

aspect, we can not expect agreement. On the other hand, we see difference of

opinion. To establish their respective philosophies, it becomes their duty

to refute other systems.

 

In this juncture it becomes necessary to decide with discretion, the

position of Vishistadvaita regarding pramanas and prameyas. Having this in

his mind, Sri Nigamantha Desika composed two great works i.e. Nyaya

Parisuddhi and Nyaya Suddhanjana which are pearls among great works. In

Nyaya Parisuddhi, the pramanas are discussed in detail and prameyas are

introduced in concised form. Desika wrote Nyaya-Siddhanjana separately to

explain prameyas in detail. It was stated by Acarya Desika himself in the

beginning of the work.

 

yannyayaparisudhaynthe sangrahena pradarsitam

punastadvistarenatra prameyamabhidadhmahe

 

and in the end of Buddhipariccheda also he said

 

vaisesika sailimanusrtya yathavasthitapadartha

svarupam hyatra visodhyate

 

Patala is a type of eye disease. Under its influence one cannot perceive

things properly. If an ointment is applied , a person who is caught by

" patala " can also see things clearly. In the same way, if a person of

erroneous knowledge applies the collyrium prepared in this work, will see

the truths of vedas in their proper perspective. It is stated in the

invocatory stanza itself.

 

In this way this work is radiant with attractive 'Yuktis'. A person who

masters this work with the meaning and without omitting a single letter,

becomes capable of understanding prameyas without doubt or erroneous

knowledge. This is the experience of erudite scholars.

 

This is an excellent work pregnant with magnanimous, bold, deep and

sagacious ideas. Here the celebrated author has appropriated his title

sarvatantra swatantratva and has exhibited his great logical acumen

,extraordinary wisdom, resorting to vedic passages and his mastery of all

great works of his ancestors. We can say confidently that this work is

filled with scholarly, deep ideas stated in limited words which are pregnant

with yukthis and pramanas. Here the position of the opponent schools are

discussed in detail. Finally the decision is arrived at the prameyas of the

Vishistadvaita. Nowhere in philosophical literature we come across this type

of discussion. Hence this work occupies a unique place among the works of

philosophy.

 

The readers also come to realize in every step, his discretionary capacity

over the old works of the great acharyas of the systems. Thus we understand

the greatness of the Acharya Desika. In Nyaya-siddhanajana there are six

chapters. Each chapter contains very rare subject matter ( please refer to

the original or the contents of the present works.)

 

Thus this work is a wonderful creation I am very glad to know that Dr.

Melkote Embar Rangacharya has studied this work in depth. He has expounded

this work in English in a very easy and clear style. He has discussed all

aspects of the work in detail. Upto this date, the kind of work is not

produced by anybody else.

 

Each topic of the original work is discussed with proper division, under

appropriate captions. Every topic discussed by him is very good. He has not

transgressed the limits of the original work. This work is not a translation

but it is an independent treatise. In my discretion, Dr. Rangachar has

written this work after deep study of Nyaya-Siddhanjana and hence the work

is easy to understand. In my view , this work is worth possession.

 

Melkore Embar Rangachar is expert in both the philosophies of the East and

the West. Having written this great work , he has become the recipient of

the acclamation of all great people. Let him write many other great works

like this for the benefit of the scholars and thus live a long life. Thus I

pray God Sriman Narayana.

-------------------------

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--------------------------

Dr. Melkote Embar Rangachar, is a reputed scholar both in Sanskrit

Literature and Philosophy.

He hails from Melkote Karnataka which is sanctified by the long stay of

Sri Bhagavath Ramanujacharya and Sri Vedantha Desikar, the two stalwarts of

Indian philosophy, particularly of Visishtadvaitha siddhantha (Qualified

monism). Dr. Rangachar imbibed his scholarship and initial learning directly

from his learned father, learning at his feet, Veda-Vedantha, Nyaya

Vaiseshika. Later he studied philosophy in depth both Western and Eastern as

a Student of Mysore University and Obtained M.A. degree with distinction. He

obtained Post graduate degree in Sanskrit also. He secured Vidwat degree in

Nyaya and vedantha from Maharaja Sanskrit college , Mysore. As a further

distinction, he secured Ph.D. from Bombay university for his brilliant

thesis titled " The philosophy Of visishadvaitha " under the guidance of

Dr. S.G.Mudgal. He has put in twenty eight years of fruitful service as a

Head of the department of Sanskrit in Desiya Vidhyasala Senior college,

Shimoga and also served as Guest Lecturer in Post graduate classes of

Kuvempu University.

He has about seven titles to his credit such as Ramayana Vicara Lahari,

MaharsiVedavyasa , Ramana Gita in Kanada , Ramakrsnopanisat in Sanskrit,

Some concepts in Nyaya vaisesika System in English . He is an orator of

eminence ,engaged in philosophic discourses in Ramakrishna Mutt, Bangalore,

Shankara Krupa , Indian Institute of World culture etc. He has addressed

several universities in USA. He is honored by great sages and religious

pontiffs Of Shringeri Sharada Peetham, Parakala Mutt And H.H.

VishveshaTirtha Swamiji of Pejavara mutt, Udipi, and Swami Chinmayanandji

 

By

 

Dr. A. S. Venugopla Rao

 

_______________________

Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

 

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at

http://profiles.msn.com.

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaH

SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaN SaThakOpa -

SrI nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESikAya namaH

 

namO nArAyaNa!

 

Dear SrI Lakshminarasimhan,

 

Thanks for kindly informing about this book.

 

> One of my relatives in India, had asked me to introduce a book which he has

> found to be very useful for knowing more about our siddhanta.

>

> Name of the Book: The philosophy of Visishtadvaita as expounded by Sri

> Vedanta Desika in the Nyaya-Siddhanjana

>

> Author: Nyaya-vedanta vidwan, Vidyaratna, Vedantavaridhi,

> Desikadarsanaratna, Dr. MELKOTE EMBAR RANGACHAR

 

 

This is a good book giving us the conclusive siddhAnta of

our sampradAyam on each padArtha by closely following

NyAya-SiddhAnjana. The language is very simple and complicated

arguments are not presented, though many of the actual arguments

and conclusions of swAmi dESikan are well stated. It is to be

noted that, this is by no means a comprehensive study of

NyAya-SiddhAnjanam. The actual text has in-depth meanings as

clearly explained by " MahAmahoupAdyAya " SrI NAvalpAkkam S

RAmAnuja TAtAchArya SwAmi (agreed by the vidvAns to be the

topmost scholar of our sampradAyam) in his Foreword. The study

of vyAkyAnams by " Upanishad BhAshyakAra " SrI RangarAmAnuja Muni

<pregnant with deep thoughts and arguments>, SrI Thirupputkuzhi

SwAmi's <Outstanding commentary in Navya-NyAya style to give the

parishkAraras> and SrI UttamUr SwAmi's excellent and lucid

short notes to understand the difficult issues in these

above said vyAkyANams + his own insights + Detailed Introduction

in sanskrit will actually yield one the actual depth of this

outstanding grantha NyAya-SiddhAnjanam.

 

 

In aDiyEn's humble opinion, there are very few <minor ?>

mis-represented siddhAnta atleast on the face value of the

texts. In Pg 160-161 of the book, there are few instances,

which aDiyEn happened to notice during a quick browsing of the

book. In overall, the presentation is very good and will certainly

be a valuable addition for those who want to have knowledge on

NyAya-SiddhAnjana through English.

 

In aDiyEn's opinion, Fundamentals of ViSishtAdvaita by

SrI SMS Chari, who has performed traditional kAlakshEpam,

is an excellent presentation of our siddhAnta on various

padArthas closely following the texts of SwAmi DESikan.

But, many issues in NyAya-SiddhAnjana are not brought out

in this book, while the book by SrI Embar Rangachar addresses

them. It would be better to give a reading of SrI SMS Chari's

presentation on a particular topic before reading that particular

section from this book <wherever applicable>.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

anantapadmanAbhan.