[Advaita-l] Please answer to this

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 8:34 AM, Sundaram Venkatraman via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Sri Chandramouliji,
>
> Thank you very much for you 2 mails on the subject. The article of Sri
> Dravid (on www. Ambaa.org) looks very promising. Browsing through it
> however it seems that the differences between Bhamati and Vivarana are not
> just Prakriya differences but quite doctrinal.
>

Dear Sri Sundaram,

Actually what one thinks is 'doctrinal' is only a prakriyā for Advaitins.
The entire Vedanta shāstra is a means, a prakriyā, to realize the Absolute
Truth, Brahman. One might say that the creation delineated in the
Veda/Upanishad is a doctrinal aspect.  But according to Gaudapadacharya
these creation shrutis are only 'upāya', means, to know the
Creator-consciousness.  Whatever is told about the jiva, avidya, karma,
shravana, vairagya, etc. is a means. My Acharya used to say: a prakriyā is
a pratikalpanā.  Since we have a svābhāvika kalpanā about what we are, what
the world is, etc., the shāstra comes to remove that kalpana through a
counter-kalpana.  That is called a prakriyā.  When the original kalpana
goes, with it goes the pratikalpanā too.  That is the meaning of
adhyāropa-apavāda nyāya.

If various Acharyas offer various 'views', sometimes appearing to be
contradicting, still those views are only pratikalpanas.  For, even in the
case of the Bhamati-Vivarana duo, the ultimate reality is not anything but
the Advaitic Brahman and the jiva is not any different from Brahman and the
world is not anything but, mithyā; in truth Brahman.

In fact there are those who hold that the three schools of Advaita, Dvaita,
etc. are also only prakriyas addressed to remove the various kinds of
kalpanas.

warm regards
subrahmanian.v

>
> Can you please let me know where Siddhanta Lesa Sangraha is available?
>
> Many thanks & pranams,
> Venkat
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On 18-Oct-2015, at 2:44 PM, H S Chandramouli <hschandramouli at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Sri Venkat Ji,
> >
> > Sidhanta Lesa Sangraha by Sri Appayya Dikshita ( translation by Sri
> Suryanarayana Shastri is available ) is perhaps one good source for getting
> to know the different approaches and views of various advaitic schools of
> thought. ( I am open to correction on this ). This work was written in the
> sixteenth century. Perhaps there was not much of change in position till
> the twentieth century. But during the 20th century , practically all these
> schools of thought were challenged by Sri Sachidanandendra Saeaswati
> Swamiji ( Sri SSS ) of Holenarsipur in Karnataka as contrary to the Shrutis
> and Bhashyam of Sri Bhagavatpada . He propounded his own interpretation of
> the Shrutis along with the Bhashyam and contended that this was the only
> interpretation which was consistent with them. His work in sanskrit Vedanta
> Prakriya Pratyabhijna ( translated into english The Method of the Vedanta
> by Sri AJ Alston ) sets forth his arguments in a very detailed manner .
> >
> > As Sri Subrahmanian Ji mentions , while these books could be referred to
> for knowing the status of different schools of thought on advaita , it is
> necessary for the student of vedanta to come to his own conclusion as to
> the particular thought process which suits his own understanding. Sri
> Sureswaracharya is credited with the view that any particular school of
> thought could be followed for understanding as long as the Goal is the same.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Chandramouli
> >
> >> On Fri, Oct 16, 2015 at 4:27 PM, Sundaram Venkatraman via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >> Dear Subramanianji,
> >>
> >> Thank you very much for your wonderful clarifications. I don't know
> >> Kannada. But from the title of the first Kannada book 'Akshobya Vijaya
> >> Vibhrama' referred to by you, I get a feeling the story about the
> victory
> >> of Akshobhya Theertha over Swami Vidyaranya in a debate is an illusion.
> Can
> >> you confirm this please?
> >>
> >> One more request from my side. I am generally aware of the tenets of
> >> advaita vedanta. But when it comes to discussions on Shankara and
> >> post-shankara advaita and the differences between the two, I am lost.
> More
> >> specifically my questions are
> >>
> >> 1. In what ways are Bhamati and Vivarana schools different from original
> >> Shankara Vedanta and from each other?
> >> 2. Did the differences arise after the period of the 4 direct disciples
> of
> >> Shankara or the direct disciples themselves deviated from Shankara in
> >> important ways?
> >>
> >> You may also refer me if possible to good books, if any, on the subject.
> >>
> >> My pranams to you,
> >> Venkat
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> >
> >> > >
> >> > >    2) And also,he said vidhyaranya got defeated by akshobhya
> theertha in
> >> > > vakhyartha of "tat tvam asi"...
> >> > >
> >> > > In respect of that, vidhyaranya installed a vijaya sthamba in
> mulibagilu
> >> > > for respecting akshobhya theertha...
> >> > >
> >> > > Weather it is true that  vidhyaranaya got defeated by akshobhya
> theertha
> >> > > for  vakhyartha of tat tvam asi?
> >> > >
> >> > > Or it is just dvaithi's crooked up story for down grading other
> >> > philosophy
> >> > > acharyas?
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> > To get a good idea about the above please read the three Kannada
> books of
> >> > Sri G.R.Patil of Dharwad:
> >> >
> >> > 1. Akshobhya vijaya vibhrama
> >> >
> >> > 2. Vidyaranya vishayaka ākṣepa nirāsa
> >> >
> >> > 3. Sri Vidyaranya Vijaya Dundubhi
> >> >
> >> > The first two books are out of stock/print.  You may request the
> author
> >> > personally. The last one is available in Bangalore at Vidya Bharati
> Press,
> >> > Shankara Maṭha Road.
> >> >
> >> > regards
> >> > vs
> >> >
> >> >
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