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Re: Your Question on Brahma SoothrAs: Different Intrepretations (ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Postings series: Part 53)

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Sadagopan • April 20, 2003 


From: "Sadagopan gopan" 
To: "Narasimha Raghavan" ,
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2003 10:05:39 -0300
>
SrI:

Dear SrIman Raghavan :

The subject is vast to discuss on the open net . 
It will be helpful for you to acquire the following
outstanding monographs of Dr.S.M.S. Chari and study
them carefully ; they deal clearly , dispassionately 
and with authority of this author , who has  spent  
a life time on these subjects under proper AchAryAs.
He is also a professor of Philosophy with a gift
for making lucid complex doctrines of VedAnthA :

1. The Philosophy of VedAntha SutrAs(1998)
   ISBN 81-215-089-6
Brilliant  evaluation of the Commentaries on
Brahma SutrAs by the three different Darsana
SthApana AchAryAs like RaamAnujA , Sankara and
Maadhva. Price Rs.300 . Publisher:Munshiram Manoharlal
There are branches of this book store in Chennai and
Bangalore. The main office of this Bok Publisher 
is in Delhi and they have a web site to order books.

As Background , THERE ARE FIVE  FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF 
VEDANTA DEALING WITH (1) NATURE OF BEAHMAN OR SUPREME SOUL
(2)NATURE OF JEEVAN OR INDIVIDUAL SOUL AND ITS RELATION TO
BRAHMAN(3)THE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE AND ITS RELATION TO
BRAHMAN (4)THE NATURE OF MEANS TO ATTAIN THAT BRAHMAN
(SAADHANA) AND (5)THE NATURE OF THE SUPREME GOAL (PARAMA
PURUSHAARTHA).

Upanishads are the source books for all the AchAryAs 
and they intrepret the Brahma SoothrAs of Sage 
VyAsa ( aphoristic comments on Upanishad Vaakyams)
to develop their own darsanams.These SoothrAs are 
cryptic enough that they permit different intrepretations.

RaamAnujA and his folowers (VisishtAdhvathins)
uphold that Brahman is SaguNa or SavisEsha Brahman 
endowed with attributes and is the ultimate reality 
that is organically related to both the Jeevans and
the non-sentient matter (achEthanams).AchArya RaamAnujA
wrote His SrI BhAshya to establish the soundness of
VisishtAdhvaithic philosophy outlined above.Other
two AchAryAs have written commentaries to provide advocacy 
for their points of view . This space is too short to
get into details on the adquacies of the three different
darsanaas based on their intrepretations of the three 
AchAryas. The best  route would be to sit under the feet of 
a qualified VaishNavite AchArya and undergo KaalakshEpam 
since the topics are terse and will need great deal of help. 

2)Advaitha and VisishtAdhvaitha : Dr.S.M.S. Chari
Same  Publisher . Deep Study on the differences 
between the two darsanams, 1961 (First Published).
This is about the classic work Of Swamy  Desikan
revered as Satha DhooshaNi.

3)Fundamentals of VisishtAdhvaitha Vedantha
Dr.S.M.S. Chari , 1988. Same  publisher.
This is about another classic work of Swamy  desikan
revered as Tathva Muktha KalApa. 

4)Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of the Alvars
Dr.S.M.S. Chari, 1997 . Same publisher (300Rs).
This answers your question on PaancharAthra 
pertainingto the journey of the soul and Adhi 
SankarA's views on the subject besides a whole
lot pertaining to VisishtAdhvaithic (SavisEsha
Adviathic, Qualified monim) views established
by AzhwArs , which are fully in accord with
Brahma SoothrAs , Sruthis and Upanishads.

5) VaishNavam By Dr.S.M.S Chari , 1994 
Same Publisher . This is a primer and a Must to 
warm up to the complexities addressed by other
books of Dr.S.M.S. Chari. 

6) The Philosophy of Upanishads , Dr.S.M.S. Chari
Same Publisher , 2002.

7) we are waiting for the release of the definitive
study of SrI Bhagavad GitA BhAshyams from the three
Darsana SthApakAs from the pen of Dr.S.M.S. Chari
this year .  

Hope these comments help. Please start with item #5 
and #4 and then move on to the others. 

Best wishes in your study of the VedAntha Darsanams.
Once again , ideal route would be to approach a SadAchAryan 
and seek their help , since there are so many difficult
concepts to clear one's mind. Book study would pave
the early path. The firming up has to come from
the insights and scholarship of AchAryAs .

V.Sadagopan  

  
"Lakshminatha samarambham Nada yamuna madyamam
>>asmadhaachaarya paryantham vande guruparamparam"



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