[Advaita-l] Re: SSS and Madhva

[Ravishankar Venkatraman]

>From: Abhilash Shastry <abhilash.shastry at yahoo.co.in>
>
>It is *Anandgiri* who is saying that gaudapada won the
>*grace* of narayana. How is it comparable with the
>other episode?
>
>
>There are several perfectly legitimate reasons to
>start a new tradition, as buddha had. However neither
>delusion nor deception is a good one.
>

The three schools - advaita, visishtAdvaita and dvaita are accepted 
traditions the realm of vedAnta. DvaitA philosophy may be opposed to advaitA 
per say, but it is also considered to be an AstikA tradition by the 
SankarAchAryas. Raja vEda pAtashAla in Kumbakonam, established sometime in 
1700s by MahAn Govinda Dikshitar, teaches vEdAs to all the three traditions. 
They keep the pictures of all the three AcharyAs (SankarA, RAmAnujA and 
MadhvA)

As far as considering someone as an avatAr, it is more of a faith than 
anything else. Apart from the avatArAs (10 principal) and the others  
(totalling to 22 if I remember right) of Vishnu mentioned in Srimad 
bhAgavatam, it is very difficult to know who or what an avatAr is.

In the Sankara tradition, Sri. Sankara, Sri.VidyAranya and Sri. Appayya 
Dikshitar are considered to be amsAs (incarnations) of Siva. Devotees in 
sankarA tradition like us not only consider respective AchAryAs of various 
mutts in very high esteem, but have reasons to believe that they are 
avatArAs also.

Even Sri. prabupAdA of ISKCON considers Sri. Sankara to be an avatArA of 
SivA, but sent to the earth by Sri. MahAVishnu to preach mayA theory to 
confuse people (if that makes sense)!!!

In the viShistAdvaitA tradition, Sri.Nammazhvar and Sri.RamAnujAcharya were 
considered to be amsAs of AdiseshA. ISKCON literature says Sri. Chaitanya to 
be an incarnation of Krishna.

In the dvaitA tradition, madhvAcharyA is considered to be an amsA of vAyu, 
and sri.rAghavEndra swAmi (mantrAlayam) is considered to be an incarnation 
of prahlAdA.

Devotion and bhakti to saguna brahman is the common thread linking all these 
schools.

Thanks,
Ravi

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