[Advaita-l] Fwd: What is Dvaita?

[V Subrahmanian]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 6, 2022 at 1:40 PM
Subject: What is Dvaita?
To: Advaitin <advaitin at googlegroups.com>


The meaning of the term 'Dvaita vaada'

About 150 years ago a Madhva scholar Sri Bhimacharya composed a mighty book
'Nyaya Kosha', a compendium of hundreds of terms used in the various
disciplines such as Vyakarana, Nyaya, Mimamsa, etc.

https://archive.org/details/nyayakoshabhimacharyajhalakikarbssbori1928_303_G

 In this book under the term 'Dvaita vaada' the author first gives the
etymology for the word 'Dvaita' and says 'the system that teaches the
difference between the jiva and Ishwara and other aspects'.  He cites the
Brahma sutras, the Mundaka passage 'dvaa suparnaa', the Sankhya Sutras and
Karikas, etc.

He lists the Dvaita doctrines as Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Tarka (vaisheshika),
Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa.  He says the Madhva system is what is
meant by Uttara Mimamsa and hastens to list Shankara Advaita, Ramanuja
Vishishtadvaita and Vallabha Dvaitadvaita outside Uttara mimamsa.

The doctrinal aspects of the above Dvaita systems are: World is real,
difference between Jiva and Ishwara, etc. (pancha bheda), that Paramatma is
Supreme (sarvottama) and Independent, Svatantra, multiplicity of jivas,
saayujya, etc. mukti-s.

He also names the proponents of the Shad Darshanas listed above. What is
significant is that the author, a Madhva, has listed the Madhva system
along with the Sankhya, etc. schools and the doctrinal aspects as common to
all these systems.

One can see the images in the Advaitin google groups post.

One recalls the observation in the 'History of Indian Philosophy', Vol.2,
of Das Gupta on p.192 that the realist schools such as that of Madhva have
been influenced by the Vaisheshika doctrine.

Given below are a few passages from the Bhashyas of Shankaracharya where
the terms Dvaita and Dvaitin are used in the context of Sankhya, Yoga,
Nyaya, Bauddha and Jaina.


द्वैतिनो हि ते सांख्या योगाश्च नात्मैकत्वदर्शिनः ।
(ब्रह्मसूत्रभाष्यम्द्वितीयोऽध्यायःप्रथमः पादः सूत्रम् ३ - भाष्यम्)
कपिलकणादबुद्धार्हतादिदृष्ट्यनुसारिणो द्वैतिनो
.....शास्त्रोपपत्तिभ्यामवधारितत्वादद्वयात्मदर्शनं सम्यग्दर्शनम् ,
तद्बाह्यत्वान्मिथ्यादर्शनमन्यत् । इतश्च मिथ्यादर्शनं द्वैतिनां
रागद्वेषादिदोषास्पदत्वात् । (माण्डूक्योपनिषद्भाष्यम्कारिका - भाष्यम्)
तस्यैतस्यागमार्थस्य अद्वैतदर्शनस्य प्रतिपक्षभूता द्वैतिनो वैनाशिकाश्च
(ಬೌದ್ಧರು) । (माण्डूक्योपनिषद्भाष्यम्कारिका - भाष्यम्)
यथा द्वैतिनां सर्वेषां बन्धावस्थायामेव शास्त्राद्यर्थवत्त्वम् , न
मुक्तावस्थायाम् , एवम् ॥ .....ननु आत्मनः बन्धमुक्तावस्थे परमार्थत एव
वस्तुभूते द्वैतिनां सर्वेषाम् ।
(श्रीमद्भगवद्गीताभाष्यम्त्रयोदशोऽध्यायःश्लोक २ - भाष्यम्)

In the Nyaya Kosha the author mentions Advaita along with the etymology
given by Sureshwaracharya in the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya Vartika and a
passage from Madhusudana Saraswati's Siddhanta Bindu.


Om Tat Sat