HISTORY
According to Nakamura, there must have been an enormous number of other writings turned out in this period,
but unfortunately all of them have been scattered or lost
and have not come down to us today.[7] In his commentaries, Shankara mentions 99 dierent predecessors
of his Sampradaya.[22] In the beginning of his commentary on the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad Shankara salutes
the teachers of the Brahmavidya Sampradaya.[web 1] PreShankara doctrines and sayings can be traced in the works
Deutsch and Dalvi point out that in the Indian context of the later schools, which does give insight into the detexts are only part of a tradition which is preserved in its velopment of early Vedanta philosophy.[7]
purest form in the oral transmission as it has been going
The names of various important early Vedanta thinkers
on.[14] The Upanishads form the basic texts, of which
have been listed in the Siddhitraya by Yamuncrya
Vedanta gives an interpretation.[15]
(c. 1050), the Vedrthasamgraha by Rmnuja (c.
10501157), and the Yatndramatadpik by rnivsa[7]
[7]
3.2 Bhedabheda
and
Bdaryanas dsa. Combined together, at least fourteen thinkers
are known to have existed between the composition of
Brahma Sutras
the Brahman Sutras and Shankaras lifetime.[7][note 6]
Main article: Brahma Sutras
The Brahma Sutras of Bdaryana, also called the
Vedanta Sutra,[11][note 3] are traditionally ascribed to
Bdaryana,[note 4] and 200 CE.[17] but are best understood as a group of sutras composed by multiple authors over the course of hundreds of years.[18] They were
most likely compiled in its present form around 400450
CE,[19][18] but the great part of the Sutra must have been
in existence much earlier than that.[19]
4.2
3.5
Common features
Bhakti
Vedanta philosophy
4.1
Basic questions
Common features
Even though there are many sub-schools of vedantic philosophy, all these schools share some common features,
that can be called the vedantic core:[39]
Brahman is the supreme cause of the entire universe and is all pervading and eternal, as found in
the PrasthanatrayiThe Upanishads, the Brahma
Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.
Actions are subordinate to knowledge or devotion.
Actions are useful only for preparing the mind for
knowledge or devotion; and once this is achieved,
selsh actions and their rewards must be renounced.
Bondage is subjection to Sasra, the cycle of death
and rebirth.
Liberation is deliverance from this cycle.
Traditional Vednta considers scriptural evidence, or
shabda pramna, as the most authentic means of knowledge, while perception, or pratyaksa, and logical inference, or anumana, are considered to be subordinate (but
valid).[40][41]
Vedanta rejects ritual in favor of renunciation, which
makes Vedanta irreconcileable with Mimamsa.[42]
5 SCHOOLS OF VEDANTA
Schools of Vedanta
by
5.1
Bhedabheda
Bhedabheda (bheda-abheda), which means dierence and non-dierence,[48] existed as early as the
7th century CE,[48] but Bdaryaas Brahma Stra
(c. 4th century CE) may also have been written
from a Bhedbheda Vedntic viewpoint.[48] According to the Bhedbheda Vednta schools the individual self (jvtman) is both dierent and not dierent from Brahman.[48] Bhakti found a place in later
proponents of this school.[48] Major names of this
school are Bhskara (8th-9th century),[48] Rmnujas
teacher Ydavapraka,[48] Nimbrka (13th century) who
founded the Dvaitadvaita school,[48] Vallabha (1479
1531)[48] who founded Shuddhadvaita,[30] Caitanya
(14861534) who founded the Achintya Bheda Abheda
school,[48][49] and Vijnabhiku (16th century).[48]
5.1.1
Dvaitdvaita
Dvaitdvaita was propounded by Nimbrka (13th century), based upon Bhedbheda, which was taught by
Bhskara. According to this school, the jvtman is at
once the same and yet dierent from Brahman. The jiva
Vallabhacharya
5.1.3 Achintya-Bheda-Abheda
Founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu[49] (14861534).
Achintya-Bheda-Abheda represents the philosophy of inconceivable one-ness and dierence,[51] in relation to
the power creation and creator, (Krishna), svayam bhagavan.[52] and also between God and his energies[53]
within the Gaudiya Vaishnava religious tradition. In
Sanskrit achintya means 'inconceivable',[51] bheda translates as 'dierence', and abheda translates as 'one-ness.
It can be best understood as integration of strict dualist (Dvaita) view of Madhvacharya and qualied monism
Vishishtadvaita of Ramanujacharya while rejecting absolute monism Advaita of Adi Sankara.
5.4
5.2
Dvaita
Advaita Vednta
5
is asserted to have attributes (Saguna brahman), including
the individual conscious souls and matter. Brahman, matter and the individual souls are distinct but mutually inseparable entities. This school propounds Bhakti or devotion to God visualized as Vishnu to be the path to liberation. My is seen as the creative power of God.[50][note 13]
5.4 Dvaita
Dvaita was propounded by Madhwchrya (11991278
CE). It is also referred to as tatvavd - The Philosophy
of Reality. It identies God with Brahman completely,
and in turn with Vishnu or his various incarnations like
Krishna, Narasimha, Srinivsa etc. In that sense it is also
known as sat-vaishnava philosophy to dierentiate from
the Vishishtadvaita school known by sri-vaishnavism. It
regards Brahman, all individual souls (jvtmans) and
matter as eternal and mutually separate entities. This
school also advocates Bhakti as the route to sattvic liberation whereas hatred (Dvesha)-literally 'twoness) and indierence towards the Lord will lead to eternal hell and
eternal bondage respectively. Liberation is the state of
attaining maximum joy or sorrow, which is awarded to
individual souls (at the end of their sdhana), based on
the souls inherent and natural disposition towards good
or evil. The achintya-adbhuta shakti (the immeasurable
Shankaracharya
power) of Lord Vishnu is seen as the ecient cause of
the universe and the primordial matter or prakrti is the
Advaita Vedanta (IAST Advaita Vednta; Sanskrit: material cause. Dvaita also propounds that all action is
[d ait ed nt]) was propounded by performed by the Lord energizing every soul from within,
Adi Shankara (early 8th century CE) and his grand-guru awarding the results to the soul but Himself not aected
[50]
Gaudapada, who described Ajativada. It is the[54][55][56] in the least by the results.
sub-school of the Vednta (literally, end or the goal of the
Vedas, Sanskrit) school of Hindu philosophy.[57] In the
school of Vednta, Brahman is the only reality, and the
6 Neo-Vedanta
world, as it appears, is illusory. As Brahman is the sole
reality, it cannot be said to possess any attributes whatsoever. An illusory power of Brahman called My causes Main articles: Neo-Vedanta, Hindu nationalism and
the world to arise. Ignorance of this reality is the cause Hindu reform movements
of all suering in the world and only upon true knowledge of Brahman can liberation be attained. When a per- Neo-Vedanta is a modern interpretation of Vedanta, with
son tries to know Brahman through his mind, due to the a liberal attitude toward the Vedas.[59] It reconciles duinuence of My, Brahman appears as God (Ishvara), alism and non-dualism,[60] and rejects the universal
separate from the world and from the individual. In re- illusionism[61] of Shankara, despite its reference for clasality, there is no dierence between the individual soul sical Advaita Vedanta:
jvtman (see Atman) and Brahman. Liberation lies in
knowing the reality of this non-dierence (i.e. a-dvaita,
non-duality). Thus, the path to liberation is nally only
Ramakrsna, Svami Vivekananda, and Authrough knowledge (jna).[50]
robindo (I also include M.K. Gandhi) have
been labeled neo-Vedantists, a philosophy
that rejects the Advaitins claim that the world
5.3 Vishishtadvaita
is illusory. Aurobindo, in his The Life Divine,
declares that he has moved from Sankaras
Vishishtadvaita was propounded by Rmnuja (1017
universal illusionism to his own universal
1137 CE) and says that the jvtman is a part of Brahman,
realism (2005: 432), dened as metaphysical
and hence is similar, but not identical. The main dierrealism in the European philosophical sense of
ence from Advaita is that in Visishtadvaita, the Brahman
the term.[61]
phies
Similarities between Vedanta and Western philosophical traditions have been discussed by many authorities.
Due to the colonisation of Asia by the western world,
7
did his biography not satisfy us that he was
wholly unacquainted with their doctrines [...]
comparing the fundamental ideas of both we
should have no diculty in proving that, had
Spinoza been a Hindu, his system would in all
probability mark a last phase of the Vedanta
philosophy.[92][93]
See also
Monistic idealism
List of teachers of Vedanta
Self-consciousness (Vedanta)
Notes
10 References
[1] Raju 1992, p. 176-177.
[2] Raju 1992, p. 177.
[3] Sivananda 1993, p. 217.
[4] Vepa, Kosla. The Dhaarmik Traditions. Indic Studies
Foundation.
[5] Pasricha, Ashu (2008).
Encyclopaedia of Eminent
Thinkers: The Political Thought of C. Rajagopalachari,
Volume 15. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company.
p. 95. ISBN 9788180694950.
[6] The seven great untenables: Sapta-vidh anupapatti. By
John A Grimes. Introduction, p.7. Motilal Banarsidass
1990
[7] Nakamura 2004, p. 3.
[8] Nakamura 2004, p. 426.
[9] Balasubramanian 2000, p. xxix.
[10] Balasubramanian 2000, p. xxixxxx.
[11] Balasubramanian 2000, p. xxxii.
10
REFERENCES
Bhedbheda
[43] Sheridan, Daniel (1986). The Advaitic Theism of the Bhgavata Pura. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 139. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
11.1
Published sources
9
Deutsch, Eliot; Dalvi, Rohit (2004), The Essential
Vedanta: A New Source Book of Advaita Vedanta,
World Wisdom, Inc.
F. Max
11
11.1
Sources
Published sources
Balasubramanian, R. (2000), Introduction. In: Chattopadhyana (gen.ed.), History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization. Volume II
Part 2: Advaita Vedanta, Delhi: Centre for Studies in Civilizations
Burch, George Bosworth (1964), Seven-Valued
Logic in Jain Philosophy, International Philosophical Quarterly (Bronx, NY) IV (1): 6893, ISSN
0019-0365
Burley, Mikel (2007), Classical Samkhya and Yoga:
An Indian Metaphysics of Experience, Taylor &
Francis
Dense, Christian D. Von (1999), Philosophers and
Religious Leaders, Greenwood Publishing Group
Lorenzen, David N. (2006), Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History, Yoda Press
Muesse, Mark W. (2011), The Hindu Traditions: A
Concise Introduction, Fortress Press
Mukerji, Mdhava Bithika (1983), Neo-Vedanta
and Modernity, Ashutosh Prakashan Sansthan
Nakamura, Hajime (1990), A History of Early
Vedanta Philosophy. Part One, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited
Nakamura, Hajime (2004), A History of Early
Vedanta Philosophy. Part Two, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited
Nicholson, Andrew J. (2010), Unifying Hinduism:
Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History, Columbia University Press
10
12 FURTHER READING
Forgotten Truth:
Huston Smith
Sooklal, Anil (1993), The Neo-Vedanta Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda (PDF), Nidan, 5, 1993
11.2
Web-sources
12
Bhedbheda
Further reading
Vedanta Treatise:
Parthasarathy
11
13
13.1
13.2
Images
13.3
Content license