[Advaita-l] Discussion on evolution of Vedanta from Shankara

[srikanta at nie.ac.in]

This is with reference to the Email of Bhaskerji on the observation of
Jaladhar Vyasji on the evolution of the Vedanta from Shankara's
times.Well,given the credit that Swami Vivekananda went westwards to
familarise and popularise Vedanta to the western audiences,it is a fact
that he was not a scholar or a Siddhantin in the cast of Shankara.He often
differs from Shankara in his exposition of Vedanta,and it is quite
surprising also coming from the one who has studied the  Adwaita
Vedanta.He was too emotional in his speeches.His Guru,the Ramakrishna was
a staunch Adwaitin compared to his disciple.
Bhaskerji also writes that vedanta has undergone changes in
interpretations from Gaudapada to Madhva.I strongly differ from him on
this.The epithet,Vedanta is another name for Adwaita(vedanta means which
is at the end of the vedas as conclusion)and in the earlier days the term
Vedanta was referred to Adwaita only.Other schools which came later are
also called by the term Vedanta is due to the mistake of the modern day
scholars who have failed to understand Vedanta(Adwaita) in its true
"sampradayic"fashion.
                                                       N.Srikanta.