vedartha sangraha of Ramanuja-12.Criticism of advaita

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12. Criticism of Advaita

 

 

thathra praThame pakshe SruthyarTha

paryaalochanaparaan dhushparihaaraan dhoshaan udhaaharanthi, thaThaa hi prakrthaparaamarSi

`thath' Sabdha avagathasya brahmaNaH svasankalpakrtha jagadhudhaya vibhava

layaadhayaH `thadhaikshatha bahu syaam prajaayeya' ithi aarabhya `sanmoolaaH

soumya imaaH prajaaH sadhaayathanaah sathprathishTaaH `ithyaadhibhiH vedhaiH

prathipaadhithaaH

 

The

advaita view is first criticized based on the testimony of the Vedas.

 

thathra praThame pakshe SruthyarTha

paryaalochanaparaan dhushparihaaraan dhoshaan udhaaharanthi

 

 

In

the first view, meaning advaita, those who have examined the import of the

Vedas illustrate undisputable defects. Ramanuja here refers to Yamunacharya the

great exponent of visishtadvaita, who

was referred to in the second sloka at the outset.

 

thaThaa hi prakrthaparaamarSi thath

Sabdha avagathasya brahmaNaH

 

Thus

the subject matter of the context ( of the texts denoting unity) being Brahman

which is known by the term `thath,'

 

svasankalpakrtha jagadhudhaya vibhava

layaadhayaH

 

the

creation, sustenance and annihilation of the universe by the will of Brahman,

 

vedhaiH prathipaadhithaaH- is affirmed

by the scriptures

 

`thadhaikshatha bahu syaam prajaayeya' ithi

aarabhya

 

beginning

from the text , `it willed to become many,' (Chan.6.2.3) till the text till the

text

 

 

sanmoolaah soumya imaaH prajaaH

sadhaayathanaah sathprathishTaaH

 

`Hence all these are rooted in the sath, which is

the first cause, abide in sath and are supported by sath,' (Chan.6.8.6)

 

In the above passage in Chandhogya it has been

explained that all beings arise from Brahman, sustained by Brahman and hence, says Ramanuja , they are real.

 

ithyaadhibhiH

 

and

such. Here reference is made to other texts such as the one

 

Yatho vaa imaani bhoothaani jaayanthe

yena jathaani jeevanthi yasmin abhisamvisanthi thathvijinjaasava thath (taitt.3.1.1)

 

` know that to be Brahman from which all beings arise, by which

everything is sustained and into which everything merges again.'

 

These

texts quoted above denote that the world is created , sustained and annihilated

by the will of Brahman which shows that the whole universe of sentient and

insentient beings are in Brahman and therefore real.

 

thathsambanDhithayaa prakaraNaantha

nirdhishtaaH

sarvajnathaa-sarvaSakthithva-sarvesvarathva-sarvaprakaarathva-samaabhyaDhikanivrtthi-sathyakaamathva-sathyasankalpathva-sarvaavabhaaskathvaadhi

anavaDhika athiSaya asankhyeya kalyaaNa guNaaH

apahathapaapmaa ithyaadhi anekavaakyaavagatha nirastha nikhila

dhoshathaa cha sarve thasmin pakshe vihanyanthe.

 

Here

Ramanuja quotes other texts connected with the above by which the advaita

concept of Brahman as nirviseshachinmathra, the pure consciousness without

attributes , is negated.

 

thathsambanDhithayaa prakaraNaantha

nirdhishtaaH-

 

There

are other texts in relation to those quoted above

 

sarve thasmin pakshe vihanyanthe

 

all

of which will be negated in accepting the advaita view of nirviSesha Brahman.

 

They

are those which describe Brahman as

 

Sarvajnathaa- omniscience

 

sarvaSakthithva- omnipotence

 

sarvesvarathva- overlord of all

 

sarvaprakaarathva- of whom all beings sentient and insentient are modes

samaabhyaDhikanivrtthi- absence of anything surpassing or equal to it

 

sathyakaamathva- truth of desire

 

sathya sankalpathva – truthful resolve

 

sarvaavabhaasakathva- by whose effulgence everything else is illumined

as the Upanishad says, thameva bhaantham anubhaathi sarvam thasya

bhaasa sarvam idham vibhaathi (Taitt.2.8)

 

Whose

luminance everything else depends on and by whose light all this is illumined.

 

anavaDhika athiSaya asankhyeya

kalyaaNa guNaaH

 

these

and other unlimited wonderful and innumerable auspicious qualities

 

apahathapaapmaa ithyaadhi

anekavaakyaavagatha nirastha nikhila dhoshathaa

 

many

other passages (such as the one found in Chandhogya Upanishad) which speak of

Brahman as being free from all blemishes. This refers to the text in Chandhogya

, ya aathmaa apahathapaapmaa vijaro

vimrthyuH viSoko vijighathso apipaasaH sathyakaamaH sathya sankalpaH.' This Self

which has no sin, no old age, no death, no sorrow, no hunger, no thirst , with

true desire and true will.