Thiruvaheendhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimakryam: Part 156 ( Desika Prabhandham-- 47: Paasurams 175-176

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs and AbhimAnis :

 

Today , we will study the two Paasurams dealing with

Swamy Desikan's criticism of Adhvaitham .At the outset ,

let me request all who to read this posting to treat it as

a historical summary with no intention to hurt anybody's feelings .

This particular posting is aimed at the students of Philosophy .

 

Source Literature

*************

There are many outstanding books on Advaitha, Dhvaitha ,

VisishtAdhvaitha VedAnthams by eminent AchAryAs going back to

many centuries . In most recent times , the following books on

the comparitive analysis and defense of Advaitha and VisishtAdhvaitha

Darsanams would be of immense use to the students of such darsanams :

 

1. SrI Madhusoodhana Saraswathi ( 1540-1647 C.E) : Advaitha Siddhi

 

2. Swamy Desikan (1268-1369 C.E) : Satha DhUshaNi & Other SrI Sookthis

such as AdhikaraNa SaarAvaLi , 11th chapter of Para Matha Bhangam

 

3. SrI AnanthakrishNa Saasthri ( 1956) : Satha BhUshaNi

 

4. SrI UtthamUr Swamy ( 1959): ParamArTa BhUshaNam

 

5.SrI S.M.S. Chari 1961) : Advaita and VisishtAdhvaitha

(A study based on Vedanata Desika " s Sata DhUshaNi ).

 

6. SrI S.M.S. Chari ( 1998): The Philosophy of the Vedantha SoothrAs

 

Before studying the two Paasurams of Swamy Desikan on

Advaitham , let us summarize the key aspects of Advaitham

as presented by U.Ve. Dr.V.N.SeshAdhriyAcchAr

Swamy ( Dr.V.N.S Swamy ) and his elder brother ,

U.Ve. V.N.SrIrAma DesikAcchAr Swamy along

the lines of AchArya RaamAnujA in SrI BhAshyam

(laghu and MahA SiddhAntham) and Swamy Desikan in

Satha DhUshaNi, Tatthva Muktha KalAPam ,

SarvArTa Siddhi and Para Matha Bhangam (11th Chapter:

Pracchanna Bhouddha BhangAdhikAram) .

 

Adhi Sankara's contributions

***********************

His contributions are many from PrakaraNa granthams

to moving sthOthrams and subhAshithams like Bhaja Govindham.

Adhi Sankara destroyed the faulty doctrines of Veda-Baahya

mathams like Bhuddhism and Jainism and established the authority of

Vedams and crushed the nihilistic theories of Bhuddhisam . We are

indebted to Adhi Sankara for these unique contributions .

 

Adviatham & Buddhism (Continued)

*****************************

Dr.V.Varadachary's observations on Adhvaitham developed

by Aadhi Sankara are : " Idealism of the Bhuddhists found

room in SankarA's system in which Brahman assumed

the place of Knowledge. Brahman is without attributes and is

the only Reality. The world of animates and inanimates (ChEthanams

and achEthanams ) has only phenomenal existence and while dividing

existence thus in to absolute and phenomenal , SankarA paved the way for

living a virtous life leading finally to absolutism " . In view of

overlaps with Buddhistic doctrines in some key areas ,

some have described adhvaitham as Pracchanna Bhouddham.

 

Some disagreements

****************

VaishNavite Achaaryas have over centuries disagreed

with the basic premises of Advaitham in the follwing areas

as defined by Dr.S.M.S. Chari in his classical monograph

entitled " Advaitha and VisishtAdhvaitha " :

 

(1) The validity of PramANAs for Advaita VedAntham

(2) The nature and content of Perception (3) TheNature of

Consciousness (4) The nature of Jeevan (5) The Nature of Brahman:

SaguNa or NirguNa Brahman (6) The nature of Jagath (Universe)

(7) The doctrine of avidhya and (8) Sadhana and Mukthi .

 

As Dr.S.M.S. Chari points out , there have been criticisms

Advaitham by VisishtAdhvaitham and vice versa over

centuries and continues even today.

 

Darsanams wiht different view points

******************************

Professor P.N. SrInivAsAchAri's wise assessment

has to be borne in mind, while we treat this subject

( the Two schools of VedAnthA ) in this series of

Postings on Para Matha Bhangam .

 

" Every VedAnthic System has a synthetic purpose as it claims be

a criticism of and fulfilment of previous systems. The conflicts between

two schools of thought do not in any way affect their value as a system of

philosophy . On the other hand , they enrich them in so far as they serve as

an impetus to further development of Philosophic thought " .

 

The Core Doctrines of Adhvaitham

***************************

Samkara Advaitha has the core doctrines:

 

" Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya , JivO Brahmaiva na Para: "

 

This core statement of Advaitham affirms (1) the nonduality of Brahman /

the onenness of the individual Jeevan with the absolute Brahaman/

the nondifference between the Jevan and Brahaman

(2) the nonreality of the empirical world around us and

(3) Brahman alone is True.

 

The key concept in Advaitha VedAntha is avidhyA /MaayA ) .

It is used to explain the distinction between the attributeless (nirguNa )

Brahman and the One with attributes (SaguNa Brahman ) and to

explain the distinction between non-dual reality appearing as Jeevans

and as God ( Iswaran) .

 

We will study the two Paasurams dealing with the criticism of Adhvaitham

by Swamy Desikan in the next posting .

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

SrImate SrI Lakshminrusimha PaadhukA sEvaka

SrI Aadhi VaNN SaThakOpa SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra

MahA DesikAya Nama: