Re: Austrian research on Visishtadvaita (Pancharatra)

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 31, 2002


I do agree that Pancharatra is not the same as Vedanta. In the 
Sampradaya however, the validity of Pancharatra is accepted almost at 
par with that of sruti and in this regard, the Sribhashya on the last 
adhikarana of the second pada of the second adhyaya of Brahmasutras 
is very instructive.
Sri Ramanujacharya follows the Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata 
to emphasize that the Pancharatra itself is also from the Lord 
Narayana.

In fact, while Sri Ramanuja does not really quote these texts as an 
authority, a comparison of his views with Pancharatra views on 
Brahman are very illuminating. A lot of his interpretations of the 
sutras have much to do with the Pancharatra samhitas (wherever they 
treat the nature of God). It is of course another point that they are 
also consistent with the import of the sutras themselves, but the 
emphasis on certain features is clearly drawn from the Pancharatra 
viewpoint.

Sincerely,

Vishal Agarwal

--- In bhakti-list@y..., "ks_venkat"  wrote:
> Dear Vishal
> 
> I would like to point out that Visistadhvaitha is Vedantha Matham 
and
> Panchratraa is an Aaagama...by many Vaishnavaas and Sri Vaishnavaas.
> 
> Though In Visitatdhavitha Vedantha System Pancratara Aaagama is held
> in high esteem.and that the Scholars have defended 
Pancrathraa,prooved
> its validity (against refutatation from NirVisesha Advaitha 
school..)
> 
> We also have Vaikanasaa Aagama the other popular Vaishnava Aaagama
> that is in vogue.
> 
> I humbly feel the way you mentioned viz "Vistathdvaitha(Panchratra)"
> is slightly misleading which some may think that Visitadhvaitha and
> Pancrathra are synonyms and that they are different names for an 
aagama...
> 
> 
> regards
> Venkat




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