Sankara SampradhAyam - 11

[Dr. S.R.Marur]

Later, srI MadhwAchAryA, srI VallabhAchAryA and srI Krishna
ChaithanyA propagated their siddhAnthAs which differed
philosophically [*from each other*].

srI MadhwAchAryA didn't even accept the concept of ParamAthma
remaining in the jIva as antharyAmi and established that both are
quite different. That is dvaitham.

It will be quite difficult to explain in a nutshell the philosophies
of srI VallabhAchAryA and srI ChaithanyA. That discussion is not
required now. What I wanted to convey is that, all these three
[*AchAryAs*], while establishing a philosophical thought,
theologically, established a particular deity as 'the only Godhead'.

Even in the Madhwa thought, only Vishnu is the paramAthmA. Krishna
alone is Bhraman or paramAthmA, even for the other two [* VallabhA
and ChaithanyA*]. Hence, these paths too are  based on Vishnu
upAsanA. People have migrated even to these sampradhAyams, only from
smArthAs. Among those converts, in addition to those who opted for
the new path purely based on the philosophy, would there not have
been smArtha-vaishnavites, who chose the new path exclusively
because, a highest place had been accorded to their favourite
[*deity*] Vishnu ?

Summing up, only from the smArtha sect, people had moved later to
all the Vaishnava schools such as RamAnuja siddhAntham, Madhwa
siddhAntham, Vallabha siddhAntham, Chaithanya sampradhAyam, and
(There was one NimbArkar - He was also a Krishna devotee) His
siddhAntham.

Therefore, among those who stayed back as smArthAs, the proportion
of vishnu devotees would have gradually reduced and wouldn't that of
bhakthAs of Ishvara (Siva) have increased [*in due course*]?
That is why the popular notion that advaitins are saivaites had
gained currency!


                                 .... to be continued

Regards,

Sudhakar

----------------------------------------------------------------
Translated from,
HH Sri Chandhra sEkharEndhra Saraswathi Swamiji, 'Sankara
SampradhAyam'. Deivathin Kural (in Tamil), Vol. II, Second
Edition, ed. rA. Ganapathi, Vanathi padhippagam, Chennai,
pp: 119-157 (1980).
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--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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