Your Question on Brahma SoothrAs: Different Intrepretations (ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Postings series: Part 53)

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" Sadagopan gopan " <sgopan

" Narasimha Raghavan " <raghav14rn,

Sun, 20 Apr 2003 10:05:39 -0300

>

SrI:

 

Dear SrIman Raghavan :

 

The subject is vast to discuss on the open net .

It will be helpful for you to acquire the following

outstanding monographs of Dr.S.M.S. Chari and study

them carefully ; they deal clearly , dispassionately

and with authority of this author , who has spent

a life time on these subjects under proper AchAryAs.

He is also a professor of Philosophy with a gift

for making lucid complex doctrines of VedAnthA :

 

1. The Philosophy of VedAntha SutrAs(1998)

ISBN 81-215-089-6

Brilliant evaluation of the Commentaries on

Brahma SutrAs by the three different Darsana

SthApana AchAryAs like RaamAnujA , Sankara and

Maadhva. Price Rs.300 . Publisher:Munshiram Manoharlal

There are branches of this book store in Chennai and

Bangalore. The main office of this Bok Publisher

is in Delhi and they have a web site to order books.

 

As Background , THERE ARE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF

VEDANTA DEALING WITH (1) NATURE OF BEAHMAN OR SUPREME SOUL

(2)NATURE OF JEEVAN OR INDIVIDUAL SOUL AND ITS RELATION TO

BRAHMAN(3)THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE AND ITS RELATION TO

BRAHMAN (4)THE NATURE OF MEANS TO ATTAIN THAT BRAHMAN

(SAADHANA) AND (5)THE NATURE OF THE SUPREME GOAL (PARAMA

PURUSHAARTHA).

 

Upanishads are the source books for all the AchAryAs

and they intrepret the Brahma SoothrAs of Sage

VyAsa ( aphoristic comments on Upanishad Vaakyams)

to develop their own darsanams.These SoothrAs are

cryptic enough that they permit different intrepretations.

 

RaamAnujA and his folowers (VisishtAdhvathins)

uphold that Brahman is SaguNa or SavisEsha Brahman

endowed with attributes and is the ultimate reality

that is organically related to both the Jeevans and

the non-sentient matter (achEthanams).AchArya RaamAnujA

wrote His SrI BhAshya to establish the soundness of

VisishtAdhvaithic philosophy outlined above.Other

two AchAryAs have written commentaries to provide advocacy

for their points of view . This space is too short to

get into details on the adquacies of the three different

darsanaas based on their intrepretations of the three

AchAryas. The best route would be to sit under the feet of

a qualified VaishNavite AchArya and undergo KaalakshEpam

since the topics are terse and will need great deal of help.

 

2)Advaitha and VisishtAdhvaitha : Dr.S.M.S. Chari

Same Publisher . Deep Study on the differences

between the two darsanams, 1961 (First Published).

This is about the classic work Of Swamy Desikan

revered as Satha DhooshaNi.

 

3)Fundamentals of VisishtAdhvaitha Vedantha

Dr.S.M.S. Chari , 1988. Same publisher.

This is about another classic work of Swamy desikan

revered as Tathva Muktha KalApa.

 

4)Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of the Alvars

Dr.S.M.S. Chari, 1997 . Same publisher (300Rs).

This answers your question on PaancharAthra

pertainingto the journey of the soul and Adhi

SankarA's views on the subject besides a whole

lot pertaining to VisishtAdhvaithic (SavisEsha

Adviathic, Qualified monim) views established

by AzhwArs , which are fully in accord with

Brahma SoothrAs , Sruthis and Upanishads.

 

5) VaishNavam By Dr.S.M.S Chari , 1994

Same Publisher . This is a primer and a Must to

warm up to the complexities addressed by other

books of Dr.S.M.S. Chari.

 

6) The Philosophy of Upanishads , Dr.S.M.S. Chari

Same Publisher , 2002.

 

7) we are waiting for the release of the definitive

study of SrI Bhagavad GitA BhAshyams from the three

Darsana SthApakAs from the pen of Dr.S.M.S. Chari

this year .

 

Hope these comments help. Please start with item #5

and #4 and then move on to the others.

 

Best wishes in your study of the VedAntha Darsanams.

Once again , ideal route would be to approach a SadAchAryan

and seek their help , since there are so many difficult

concepts to clear one's mind. Book study would pave

the early path. The firming up has to come from

the insights and scholarship of AchAryAs .

 

V.Sadagopan

 

 

" Lakshminatha samarambham Nada yamuna madyamam

>>asmadhaachaarya paryantham vande guruparamparam "