[Advaita-l] {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} Advaita vs Visistadvaita summary by Vasudeva Abhyankar Shastri

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

>
> Hari Om Subbu ji.

This is almost like Dvaita; they accept a svarupa deha to the Atman which
>> manifests only in mukti.
>>
>
The advaita of VishishTAdvaita is actually the advaita of
vishishTa-Brahman. That is only one.

With respect to the visheshaNa, there are infinite differences. Two
visheshaNAs are mutually distinct. Also, there is difference between
visheshya and visheshaNa.

For dvaita people, they hold 5 sorts of differences, namely
jIva-jIva-bheda, jIva-Ishwara-bheda, jaDa-Ishwara-bheda, jaDa-jaDa-bheda
and jIva-jaDa-bheda (Vishnu Tattva NirNaya, page 31,
Pancha-bheda-nirUpaNam).

I feel VishishTAdvaita would admit jIva-jIva-bheda, jaDa-jaDa-bheda and
jIva-jaDa-bheda. But they would not admit jIva-Ishwara-bheda or
jaDa-Ishwara-bheda on account of jIva and jaDa being sahrIra of Ishwara and
hence being Ishwara-Atmaka.


In Dvaita too jivas are jnana-ananda svarupa. On such counts as this and
>> chetanatva, they say there are some similarities between jiva and Ishwara
>> too.
>>
>

True. However, the dvaitIs would explicitly admit that jIva and Ishwara
have bheda.

VishishTAdvaita would merely state the existence of jIva-jIva-bheda but
would term this swarUpa-bheda as वाचाम् अगोचरः।


 Is it that because it is not possible to talk about the difference/s
> between two jivas that they don't spell what differentiates one jiva from
> another, in mukti too?
>

Yes. It seems so to me.


Thanks for the clarifications.  I was reminded of the Sarva Darshana
>>> Sangraha (of Madhavacharya) which says under Ramanuja Darshanam that this
>>> is a bhedābheda school and takes the Vedartha sangraha of Ramanuja for
>>> this.  The commentary there by Sri Vasudeva Shastri Abhyankar confirms
>>> that.
>>
>>
The visheshya-Brahman as per them is kUtastha-chaitanya. It is immutable.
The visheshya-Brahman seems quite analogous to nirguNa-Brahman of advaita.
However, a lot of concepts are invoked to make the
kUtastha-visheshya-Brahman as with guNa. And there is no advaita of this
visheshya-Brahman as it is distinct from chit-jIva and achit-prakriti.

A kUtastha-visheshya-Brahman having a second to it cannot be infinite. And
hence cannot be kUtastha either. So, there are a lot of contradictions and
to me, it does not appear worth spending any time.

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.