[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Re: [advaitin] Understanding Srimad Bhagavad Gita from the perspectives of Visishtadvaita and Advaita - an exposition

[V Subrahmanian]

One point that can't be reconciled at all is:  The Ramanuja system holds
going to Vaikuntha to be the sine qua non for moksha.  The member of that
system has the sole goal of being in the company of the Lord, serving him,
singing his praise, fanning him, etc. of his life.  This idea is severely
criticised by Shankara in his Mundaka bhashyam:

वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः संन्यासयोगाद्यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः ।
ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे ॥ ६ ॥    3.2.6

  न देशान्तरं गन्तव्यमपेक्षन्ते । ‘शकुनीनामिवाकाशे जले वारिचरस्य वा । पदं
यथा न दृश्येत तथा ज्ञानवतां गतिः’ (मो. ध. १८१ । ९) ‘अनध्वगा अध्वसु
पारयिष्णवः’ ( ? ) इति श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्याम् ; देशपरिच्छिन्ना हि गतिः
संसारविषयैव, परिच्छिन्नसाधनसाध्यत्वात् । ब्रह्म तु समस्तत्वान्न
देशपरिच्छेदेन गन्तव्यम् । यदि हि देशपरिच्छिन्नं ब्रह्म स्यात् ,
मूर्तद्रव्यवदाद्यन्तवदन्याश्रितं सावयवमनित्यं कृतकं च स्यात् । न त्वेवंविधं
ब्रह्म भवितुमर्हति । अतस्तत्प्राप्तिश्च नैव देशपरिच्छिन्ना भवितुं युक्ता ॥

The above means:

The liberated do not travel to any other place/loka, for any such travel
will imply that the jiva is still in samsara. Since Brahman is infinite,
the jnani who has realized his identity with Brahman, also being the
Infinite Brahman alone, does not go anywhere upon death.  For, Brahman is
not a finite place to be reached/attained.  If Brahman were located in a
place then Brahman, being no different from any formed object, will have to
have a beginning and end, and be dependent on something else, be made of
parts, and ephemeral, and a produced one.  Brahman can never be of this
nature.  Thus, the ‘attainment’ of Brahman cannot be involving any locating
in some other place.

The position of the VA on this matter cannot be compromised. Hence on this
crucial issue there can't be a reconciliation between the two systems.

warm regards
subbu


On Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 11:24 AM Krishna Kashyap via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> pranams Bhaskar Ji,
>
> Reconciliation can never occur at the mass level. They are not driven by
> the same principles open-minded and deep thinkers are driven by.
>
> No one can help this situation with the masses unless strong leaders can
> make this happen over years or centuries.
>
> *Best Regards,*
>
> *Krishna Kashyap*
>
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