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

[Vikram Jagannathan]

Namaskaram Subbu ji, Sudhanshu ji,

One more fundamental difference, a direct corollary of VA’s “distinct but not separate” doctrine -

In Advaita we hold Brahman to be devoid of all three bheda (sajatiya, vijatiya, svagata). However in VA, Brahman is devoid of sajatiya and vijatiya bheda. But there is svagata bheda in Brahman. 

This then brings up deeper discussions on internal distinctions, parts, mutability etc.

prostrations,
Vikram


> On Dec 13, 2025, at 4:36 AM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> 
> On Sat, Dec 13, 2025 at 12:30 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> Namaste Subbu ji.
>> 
>> 
>>> 
>>> Not very sure about the meaning of the word "atyanta-bhinna". If
>> exclusive existence is also connoted by "atyanta-bhinna", then true,
>> jIva-jagat are not atyanta-bhinna. I am not sure that Dvaita accepts
>> prithak-existence of jIva and jagat.
>> 
> 
> Dvaita holds that everything other than Vishnu (Brahman) has only dependent
> existence, paratantra satyatvam while the former alone has swatantra
> satyatvam. Their one observation is: All other systems are in some or the
> other way 'advaitic'.(bhedābheda, vishishtādvaita, shuddhādvaita, achintya
> bhedābheda, dvaitādvaita, ...) and hence heretic.  So, they prefer the name
> 'Tattvavāda'.  However, some from their own clan have suggested the name
> 'Swatantra advitiya Brahma vāda'.
> 
> regards
> subbu
> 
> The distinction between visheshya and visheshaNa is very real in
>> VishishTAdvaita. However, to explain the Shrutis, they sometimes bring
>> visheshya-Brahman which is kUTastha, immutable and sometimes
>> vishishTa-Brahman, who is mutable through visheshaNa.
>> 
>> The relationship between visheshya and visheshaNa is sharIra-Atma-bhAva.
>> 
>> Their whole model is based on following ghaTaka-Shruti -- "यस्य पृथिवी
>> शरीरम्" and "यस्य आत्मा शरीरम्". Through this, the bheda-Shruti and
>> abheda-Shruti are reconciled by them.
>> 
>> Regards.
>> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
>> 
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