A Focous on Vedanta Philosophy

The Vedas  are the most valuable scriptures of the mankind. They present the most exalted form of superhuman knowledge and wisdom. The Vedas are eternal. They are timeless since they might have taken ages to acquire the written form.

The four Vedas are: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. Each of the Vedas is divided into four parts : The Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the concluding parts of the Vedas. They expound the supreme philosophical knowledge. The word ‘Vedanta’ usually refers to the Upanishads. The word is a compound of ‘Veda’ and ‘Anta’.  It means the ending portion of the Vedas. However, the word ‘Vedanta’, in a broad sense, covers not only the Upanishads but all the commentaries and interpretations associated with the Upanishads. All these works constitute the Vedanta philosophy.

The great scholar Badarayana(?500-200 B.C) initiated the efforts to simplify the Upanishadic philosophy. Badarayana is also known as Ved Vyasa. He was the first scholar to take up the challenging task of systemizing the immensely vast philosophical doctrines of the Upanishads. The result of his efforts was one of the most illustrious works on Vedanta. Badarayana’s work is known as Brahma-Sutra or Vedanta-Sutra. It is also referred to as Uttar-Mimamsa-Sutra. The Brahma-Sutra has 555 sutras. Most of them are aphoristic and almost unintelligible at first sight. Hence, a number of commentaries were written to interpret them. Among these the commentaries of Shamkaracharya, Ramnujacharya  and Madhavacharya  are regarded authentic and are held in very high view. They are regarded as the greatest scholars of Indian philosophy. They are not only the principal commentators of  Brahma-Sutra (Vedanta-Sutra) but are also its leading  interpreters. Thus, we have three major schools of Vedanta based on the philosophy of the distinguished trio: Advaita(non-dualism) of Shamkaracharya, Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) of Ramnujacharya and Dvaita(dualism) of Madhvacharya.

Indian Philosophy (or, in Sankrit, Darshanas), refers to any of several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent, including Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and Jain philosophy (see below for brief introductions to these schools). It is considered by Indian thinkers to be a practical discipline, and its goal should always be to improve human life.

Dvaita Philosophy: According to Madhvacharya, the Dualist, the Universe and the living souls are separate from God. Madhvacharya speaks of living beings as the servants of God and advocates the reality of five-fold differences between: 1) Individual Soul and God, 2) Soul and Soul, 3) Soul and Matter, 4) God and Matter, and 5) Matter and Matter. This is the basis on which we mentioned that Dvaita philosophy is based on body level perspective as seen and felt by the senses of the relationship between God, Soul (Man) and Matter. In this philosophy the Supreme Being is Vishnu or Narayana. HE is the personal first cause. HE is the Intelligent Governor of the world. He lives in Vaikuntha along with Lakshmi, His consort. Chaitanya Mahprabhu and others also follow this kind of approach. Under Dvaita philosophy, the Soul (Jeeva) upon liberation does not lose its distinct identity, which is different from Vishnu, nor does it become equal to Him in any respect. It is most appealing to the common man irrespective of caste or creed since it is based on intense devotion, Bhakti, that ultimately leads to Jnana and Salvation.

Vishishtadvaita Philosophy: Visistadvaita, or Qualified Non-dualism, according to Ramanuja, accepts the ultimate Reality to be Brahman; but the individual souls and the universe (Matter) are also real, being parts of Brahman or modes of His manifestation. Brahman, with the universe and the individual souls, constitutes the whole of Reality. The metaphor of the pomegranate fruit is chosen to illustrate the philosophy of this school. The seeds are the living souls and the rind is the universe and one cannot think of the fruit without the seeds and the rind. A Visishtadvaitin wants to become like Lord Narayana and enjoy the divine bliss. He does not wish to merge himself or become identical with the Lord. He wishes to remain as a spark or a ray of HIS Consciousness. Bhakti and Prapatti (total surrender) are the means of achieving salvation.

Advaita Philosophy: According to the Non-dualist, Brahman or Pure Consciousness is the only Reality; the universe of names and forms is unreal, and man, in his true essence, is one with Brahman. Sankaracharya proclaimed this as as “Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya Jeevo Brahmaiva na parah”. An Advaita Jnani merges himself and becomes one with Brahman just like all the rivers lose their identity once they merge into the big Ocean. His goal is to become identical with Brahman. It is based on the definition of God as ‘Ekam Eva Advitiyam Brahma’ (one and only one Reality without a second) given in Vedas and supported by the four Maha Vakyas of ‘Brahma Sutras’, namely, ‘Prgnanam Brahma’, Aham Brahma Asmi’, ‘Tat Tvam Asi’, and ‘Ayam Atma Brahma’. For our purpose we can say that they all mean the same that is: The Atma meaning Consciousness is all pervading and the same Consciousness is also in me with no difference.

Bhakti, the main emphasis in Dvaita and Vishishtdvaita is a form of Savikalpa (with form and shape) mode of modification of the mind in the form of God after it attains moksha, whereas Brahmagnana is the form of Nirvikalpa (formless, shapeless) mode of modification of the mind in the form of Brahman the only one without second is the emphasis of Advaita philosophy. While the goal of Bhakti of the Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita philosophies is developing unsurpassable love towards God, Brhamagnana of Advaita dispels the Ignorance which is held as the root cause of all sufferings and leads to Moksha by the Vedic pronunciation ‘Brahma Vid Brahmaiva Bhavati’ (the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman). The Advaitic school has extolled the qualities and pleasures of Bhakti so eloquently that for the ordinary man there should be no doubt about the fundamental role of Bhakti in Advaita. Adi Sankara has established the tradition of ritually worshipping together all the five divinities – Surya - the Sun-God; Sakti - the Mother; Vishnu, Ganesha and Siva in a sophisticated ritual called the PanchAyatana Puja, wherein the said divinities are worshipped not in their human-like forms but in certain symbols in the form of stones. It is as though the devotee trains himself to take the mind from the forms to the formless while at the same time allowing full scope for one’s emotional feelings of devotion and surrender. The first step in understanding the non-dual philosophy of Sankara is this non-difference of Siva and Vishnu. The next step is to realize that this one God is not only transcendent but also immanent in every one of the living beings

In conclusion, all schools of philosophy specify the rituals, pujas, havans, bhajans etc., to cleanse the mind of impurities (Chitta Suddhi) as the first step. The next step is really to develop practice of intense Bhakti to steady the mind on saguna Brahman (Ishta Devata or God). The last step of complete surrender to or merge in the nirguna Brahman is where the differences appear in the three philosophies.

 By Debashis