Schools Of Vedanta

Answer : Shankar’s philosophy is called Advaita Vedanta because Shankara holds that no positive qualities can be attributed to Brahman. One can only describe Brahman as not this, not this (neti, neti). Brahman of Shankar is abhedabheda that is unity without differences. Brahman is having neither Swajatiya nor vijatiya nor swagat bheda. Whereas Ramanuja’s philosophy is known as Visistadvaita.

He says Brahman is unity in differences and therefore contains within itself ultimate and indissoluble distinctions. The individual and ....

Answer : When it comes to Vedanta, many commentaries on it revolve around the topic of the Brahman. The Brahman generally means the all-pervading, self-existent power. The concept of the Brahman was, for the most part, first developed in the Upanishads. There we begin to find descriptions from which our understanding of it grows. It is invisible, ungraspable, eternal, without qualities, and the imperishable source of all things.

Sri Sankara, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhava are the most ....

Answer : Sankara was not the ‘author’ of a new ‘philosophy’ but a metaphysician and spiritual teacher. His purpose was to demonstrate the unity and consistency of the Upanishadic teachings on Brahman, and to explain certain apparent contradictions “by a correlation of different formulations with the point of view implied in them”.

Like his gurus Gaudapada and Govinda, Sankara was engaged in an exposition of Vedanta and the development of a framework, both doctrinal and practical, for the ....

Answer : Ramanuja, like Shankara, is a “non-dualist.” He too believes that Brahman alone is ultimately and independently real. However, Ramanuja is a non-dualist with a difference: He holds that, within the one Brahman, there exist many individual material entities as well as many individual conscious selves, and he regards these individual things and selves as ontologically real. It is not that material things and conscious selves exist independently of Brahman, as certain dualistic or pluralistic metaphysicians ....

Answer : Shankara teaches that spiritual release (moksha) is attained by means of knowledge of the individual Self. The individual soul is held in bondage to the body by ignorance of the individual Self, but is released from the body by knowledge of the individual Self. Moksha is release from samsara (i.e. the endless cycle of migratory existence). The released soul dwells in perfect unity with the eternal and unchanging Self. Shankara also teaches that moksha is ....

Answer : The definition of an object that helps temporarily to identify the object, but which is discarded later for a better definition is called incidental qualification or Tatastha laksana ; e.g. John’s house is the one where a crow is sitting right now. Brahman defined as ‘creator of the universe’ is an incidental qualification. If we examine our analysis, we introduced Brahman only when we tried to find out a cause for the Universe that we ....

Answer : Ishvara is the sum total of individuals, yet He is an Individual, as the human body is a unit, of which each cell is an individual. Samashti or collected equals God; Vyashti or analysed equals the Jiva. The existence of Ishvara, therefore, depends on that of Jiva, as the body on the cell, and vice versa. Thus, Jiva and Ishvara are coexistent beings; when one exists, the other must. Also, because, except on our earth, ....

Answer : Madhva, who considered himself an avatara of the wind-god Vayu, argued that a body of canonical texts called the “Vedanta” or “end of the Veda” taught the fundamental difference between the individual self or atman and the ultimate reality, brahman. According to Madhva there are two orders of reality:

1. svatantra, independent reality, which consists of Brahman alone and 2. paratantra, dependent reality, which consists of jivas (souls) and jada (lifeless objects). Although dependent reality would ....

Answer : The notion of ego or ahamkara has been described by various Indian philosophical schools. The notion of ego has been accepted clearly by the Buddhist school, Vedanta school and Samakhya school.

Ego or ahamkara, commonly means the emphasis on self or more emphasis on self by the negation of others. When the being is under the influence of ego he falls in bondage. Basically the nature of being is regarded as free and full of consciousness. ....

Answer : Shankara’s philosophy is known as Advaita Vedanta. In Advaita Vedanta, ‘Maya’ and Avidya (ignorance) are held as same. Shankara accepts ‘concealment’ as Maya and ‘imposition’ as ignorance (avidya), and declares that both are the two aspects of the same thing.

In reality, Maya and Avidya are the two aspects of the same thing. The power of the magician from the viewpoint of the magician is one of power, but for the people who got influenced by ....

Answer : In Shankara’s philosophy, causal theory is known as Vivartavada. According to it, effect before its production is inherent in its material cause. This theory is known as theory of Satkaryavada. Samakhya also supports the theory of Satkaryavada. But there are some basic differences in Samakhya philosophy and Shankara’s philosophy. Samakhya believes that the material cause really get transformed into the effect. Cause and effect both are true. Therefore it is known as Satkaryavada. Whereas Shankara ....

Answer : Like Shankara, Ramanuja also believes that Brahma is the ultimate reality. But contrary to Shankara, Ramanuja believes that not only Brahma is real, Jiva (Chit) and Jagat (World) are also real.

He holds that God, who is omnipotent, creates the manifold world out of himself by a gracious act of will. Within the all-inclusive God (Brahma) there are both unconscious matter (Achita) and the finite spirits (Chita). The main difference from advaita is that in Vishistadvaita, ....

Answer : The philosophy of Shankar is called advaita vedanta where as the Ramanuja called his philosophy visistdvaita. Adi Shankara had argued that all qualities or manifestations that can be perceived are unreal and temporary. Ramanuja believed them to be real and permanent and under the control of the Brahman. God can be one despite the existence of attributes, because they cannot exist alone; they are not independent entities. They are Prakaras or the modes, Sesha or ....

Answer : Adhyasa is something with the help of which Shankar has tried to make a balance between his philosophies of Advait. It is something logical necessity of the Vedanta philosophy of Shankar. According to shankar Brahman is the only reality. It is absolutely indeterminate and non dual. It is beyond speech and mind. It is indescribable because no description of it can be complete. The best description of it is through the negative formula called neti-neti ....

Answer : Shankar repeatedly asserts that the Absolute ca be realized through knowledge and knowledge alone, karma and upasana are subsidiary. They may help us in urging us to know reality and they may prepare us for that knowledge by purifying our mind but ultimately it is knowledge alone which by destroying ignorance, the rot cause of this world, can enable us to be one with the Absolute. The opposition of knowledge and action stands firm like ....

Answer : Adhyasa refers to throwing over or casting upon; misconception or erroneous attribution, the significance being that the mind casts upon facts, which are misunderstood, certain mistaken notions; hence false or erroneous attribution equivalent to Adhyaropa. Simply put Adhyasa means superimposition or false attribution of properties of one thing on another thing. According to Advaita Vedanta error arises on account of the superimposition of one reality on another. Adi Shankara defines Adhyasa as “the apparent presentation, ....

Answer : Advaita (“non-dualism”) is often called a monistic system of thought. The word “Advaita” essentially refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman). The key source texts for all schools of Vedânta are the Prasthanatrayi, the canonical texts consisting of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras. Adi Shankara was the first in its tradition to consolidate the siddhânta (“doctrine”) of Advaita Vedanta. He wrote commentaries on the Prasthana Trayi. ....

Answer : Brahman is the only reality. It is absolutely indeterminate and non dual. It is beyond speech and mind. It is indescribable because no description of it can be complete. The best description of it is through the negative formula of ‘neti-neti’ or ‘not this not this’, yet Brahman is not an abyss of non entity because it is the supreme Self and stands self revealed as the background of all affirmations and denials. The moments ....

Answer : The words Maya, Avidya, Adhyasa are recklessly used in Vedanta are very nearly synonymous. There are two schools among later Advaitins divided on the question whether Maya and Avidya are identical or different. The general terms of the Advaitins including Shankara himself have been to treat these two terms as synonymous and to distinguish between the two aspects of Maya or Avidya which are called Aavarana and Viksepa, the former being the negative aspect of ....

Answer : In Shankar’s Vedanta the world is a creation of Maya. The words Maya, Avidya, Adhyas are synonymous in Shankar’s Vedanta. According to Shankaracharya Maya, like Prakrti of Samkhya is material and unconscious. It is inherent power and potency of Brahman, beginning less (anadi), positive, indescribable, phenomenal and adhyasa. It is self evident, says shankara that the subject and the object are absolutely opposed to each other like light and darkness. The subject is pure consciousness; ....

Answer : According to the metaphysical view of Ramanuja three things are quite clear and are opposed to the Advaitic position of Shankara. First, all knowledge involves distinctions and there is no undifferentiated pure consciousness. Pure identity and pure difference are alike unreal. Ramanuja here agrees with legal. Identity is always qualified by difference. Unity is always in and through and because of diversity. Pure being is pure nothing.

Shankara is wrong in saying that Brahman is pure ....

Answer : Madhva is the champion of unqualified dualism (dvaita) and accuses Shankara of teaching the false doctrines of shunyavadu Buddhism under the cloak of Vedanta. His hatred of Advaita is so great that he calls Advaities deceitfuldemons who play in the darkness of Ignorance and who must run away now that omniscient Lord (the sun of dualism) is coming to destroy their darkness of arguments and false interpretations of the scriptures. Madhva advocates the reality of ....

Answer : The word Adhyasa, Avidya or Maya are very nearly synonymous in Advaita Vedanta. They are very often used as interchangeable terms. Shankaracharya says that Brahman is the only reality; the world is ultimately false; and the individual soul is non different from Brahman. The world is the creation of Maya or the Superimposition of Maya over Brahman. It is self evident says Shankar that the nature of May is superimposition or Adhyasa. It is an ....

Answer : Ramanuja’s view is that absolute is an organic unity, an identity which is qualified by diversity. It is a concrete whole (Vishista) which consists of the inter related and interdependent subordinate elements which are called ‘vishesanas’ and the immanent and controlling spirit which is called ‘Vishesya’. Unity means realization of being a vital member of this organic whole. God or the absolute is this whole. He is the immanent inter controller, the supreme real who ....

Answer : Madhva is the champion of unqualified dualism (dvaita) and accuses Shankara of teaching the false doctrine of Shunyavada Buddhism under the cloak of Vedanta. Madhva like Ramanuja believes in God and souls and matter as the entities which are eternal and absolutely real though souls and matter are absolutely dependent on God. God alone is independent. He possesses infinitely good qualities. Even the liberation or Moksha is the work of God. Existence knowledge and bliss ....

Answer : Ramanuja strongly attacks the Shankarite doctrine of Maya or Avidya. By the term Maya he understands the real power of God by which he creates this wonderful world. By Avidya he means the ignorance of the Jiva by which he identifies himself wrongly with the material objects like the body, he senses, the mind etc. which are evolutes of Prakrti. He too, like Shankara, admits that ignorance is the cause of bondage and that the ....

Answer : There is a famous saying of Advaita Vedanta ‘Brahman is the only reality; the world is ultimately false: and the individual soul is non difference from Brahman.’ The Jiva or the individual soul on account of their inherent Avidya imagine themselves as different from Brahman and mistake Brahman as this world of plurality, even as we mistake a rope as a snake. Avidya vanishes at the dawn of knowledge the supra relational direct and intuitive ....

Answer : In Shankar’s account phenomenally there is a difference between Jiva and Ishavara. The former is the agent and the enjoyer, acquires merit and demerit experience pleasure and pain, while the later is not at all touched by all this. But ultimately there is no difference at all between Jiva and Brahman. Only so long as the Jiva does not discard Nescience leading to duality and does not realize its own true nature, he remains the ....

Answer : Madhva’s philosophy is known as unqualified dualism (dvaits). He accuses shankara of teaching the false doctrines of Shunyavada Buddhism under the cloak of Vedanta. His hatred of Advaita is so great that he calls Advaitins deceitful demons that play in the darkness of Ignorance. Opposed o Shankar’s Advait Madhva advocates the reality of five fold differences between soul and god, between soul and soul, between soul and matter, between god and matter and between mater ....

Answer : In Shankar’s Vedanta Ataman is same as Brahman. It is pure consciousness. It is the individual self which is self luminous and which transcends the subject object duality and the trinity of knower, known and knowledge and all the categories of the intellect. It is the unqualified absolute. Qualified Brahman is Ishvara. Phenomenally there is a difference between Jiva and Ishvara. The former is the agent and the enjoyer, acquires merit and demerit experience pleasure ....

Answer : Many passages in the Upanisads which emphatically assert the unity of the Absolute and strongly condemn multiplicity in unambiguous terms are simply explained away by Ramanuja by pointing out that these passages deny only the independent existence of the world of plurality outside Brahman and not its reality. Ramanuja strongly attacks the Shankarite docrine of Maya or Avidya. By the term Maya, he understands the real power of God by which he creates this wonderful ....

Answer : Shankar’s conception of moksa is different from that of other schools of thought in Indian philosophy. In Shankar’s Vedanta Atman is the same as the Brahman. Thus the realization of self is called liberation or moksha in Shankar’s account. Atman is pure consciousness. It is the self which is self luminous and which transcends the subject object duality and the trinity of knower known and knowledge, and all the categories of the intellect. It is ....

Answer : Ramanuja’s view is called vishistdvaita. It is non-dualism qualified by difference. The absolute is an organic unity an identity which is qualified by diversity. It is a concrete whole (Vishista) which consists of the inter-related and inter-dependent subordinate elements which are called vishesans and the immanent and controlling spirit which is called vishesya. Unity means realization of being a vital member of this organic whole. God or the Absolute is this whole. He is the ....

Answer : In Shankar Vedanta qualified Brahman is Ishavara. Phenomenally there is a difference between Jiva and Ishvara. The former is the agent and the enjoyer, acquires merit and demerit, experiences pleasure and pain, while the later is not at all touched by all this. The Mundaka Upanisheds declares that one bird eats the sweet fruit while the other merely looks on. Jiva enjoys, while Ishvara makes him enjoy. One is the employer, the other is the ....

Answer : Mahavakyas of Upanishads such as Ayatman Brahman, Aham Brahmsmi are meant to show that Atman and Brahman are one and the same. Shankaracharya has successfully and beautifully explained the true meanings of these Mahavakyas. Accordingly Atman is the same as Brahman. It is pure consciousness. It is the self which is self luminous and which transcends the subject object duality and the trinity of knower, known and knowledge, and all the categories of the intellect. ....

Answer : Ramanuja’s view is Visistadvaita or non dualism qualified by difference. The absolute (Brahman) is an organic unity, an identity which is qualified by diversity. It is a concrete whole (vishista) which consists of the inter-related and inter dependent subordinate elements which are called Vishesanas and the immanent and controlling spirit which is called Vishesya. Unity means realizations of being a vital member of this organic whole. Brahman or God, the Absolute is this whole.

In Ramanuja’s ....

Answer : The words Maya, Avidya, Adhyasa are recklessly used in Vedanta are very nearly synonymous. There are two schools among later Advaitins divided on the question whether Maya and Avidya are identical or different. The general terms of the Advaitins including Shankara himself have been to treat these two terms as synonymous and to distinguish between the two aspects of Maya or Avidya which are called Aavarana and Viksepa, the former being the negative aspect of ....

Answer : Swarupa Jnana and Vritti Jnana are related to Shankar vedarta. According to Shankaracharya Brahman is the only reality and the knowledge of Brahman is the Swarup Jnana. It is absolutely indeterminate and non-dual. It is beyond speech and mind. It is indescribable because no description of it can be complete. The best-description of it is through the negative formula of neti neti or ‘not this, not this’. Yet Brahman is not an abyss of non-entity ....

Answer : The exposition of Shunyavada does make it clear that it is very much similar to Vedanta. In Shunyavada shunya does not mean a mere negation nor does Shunyavada mean nihilism. Shunya is used in a double sense. It means Maya as well as Brahman. Empirically it means that all Dharmas or world- experiences, subjective as well as objective, are svabhva shunya or devoid of ultimate reality. They are Pratiyasamutpara or merely relative.

They are ultimately unreal ....