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Indira Gandhi National Open University MPY – 001 School of Interdisciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Studies Indian Philosophy

Block 4

ORTHODOX SYSTEMS -2

UNIT 1 Advaita Vedanta

UNIT 2 Visistadvaita Vedanta

UNIT 3 Dvaita Vedanta

UNIT 4 Saivism and Vaishnavism

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Expert Committee Principal, Prof. Gracious Thomas Dr. Bhuvaneswari College of Fine Arts, Director, School of Lavanya Flats Manasagangotri Social Work Gangai Amman Koil Mysore – 570 006 IGNOU St.

Thiruvanmiyur Dr. Keith D’Souza Prof. Renu Bharadwaj Chennai – 600 041 St. Pius College Director, School of Mumbai Humanities Dr. Alok Nagims

IGNOU Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul

Varanasi

Prof. George

Panthanmackel, Senior Consultant, IGNOU Dr. Jose Kuruvachira Salesian College & IGNOU Study Centre Dr. M. R. Nandan Dimapur, Nagaland Govt. College for Women Mandya - Mysore

Dr. Kuruvila Pandikatt Jnana-deepa Dr. Sathya Sundar Vidyapeeth Sethty Ramwadi, STRIDE Pune IGNOU

Dr. Joseph Martis St. Joseph’s College Jeppu, Mangalore – 2 Dr Babu Joseph

CBCI Centre Dr. Jaswinder Kaur New Delhi Dhillon

147, Kabir park Prof. Tasadduq Husain Opp. GND University Aligarh Muslim Amristar – 143 002 University

Aligarh Prof. Y.S. Gowramma

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Block Preparation Team

Unit 1 G.K. Parimala Anjaneyanagar, Bangalore.

Unit 2 Dr. James Ponniah Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Ramwadi, Pune.

Unit 3 Dr. V. John Peter IGNOU, New Delhi.

Unit 4 Prof. R. Gopalakrishnan Head (former), Dept. of Philosophy University of Madras, Chennai.

Content Editor Dr. V. John Peter IGNOU, New Delhi

Format Editor Prof. Gracious Thomas IGNOU, New Delhi.

Programme Coordinator Prof. Gracious Thomas IGNOU, New Delhi.

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BLOCK INTRODUCTION

The query on ultimate reality that began from the Upanisadic seers received a classical touch in the hands of the commentators of Brahmasutra, Upanisads and Bhagavat Gita. Various interpretations on the great pronouncements of the Upanishads, mahavakyas, regarding the relationship between the individual and supreme self became a point of divergence in Vedantic traditions and had led to establishment of many Vedantic schools. Prajanam brahma, consciousness is Brahman (Aitareya Upanishad), Aham bramasmi, I am Brahman (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Ayamatma brahma, this Atman is Brahman (Mandukya Upanishad) – are few of these mahavakyas. Three major schools, Advaita, Visistadvaita and Dvaita are treated in this block. The non-dualism accepted and promoted by Advaita Vedanta, the qualified monism of Visistadvaita school and the dualistic school of Dvaita vedanta have come out in defence of their thesis with one’s own constructed epistemology and metaphysics. Latest in the addition of Indian schools of philosophy is Saiva Siddhanta from Saivism. It is a pluralistic realist school that upholds triple realities of God, Soul and world.

Unit 1 has a discussion on Advaita Vedanta will deal with the core philosophical issues of the system starting from Gaudapada through Sankara to post Sankara advaitins. Brahman is the only reality according to this school. How it is established and how the world and the human beings are accounted for, are all explained in this unit. In Advaita, Liberation is not a product, but a realisation.

Unit 2 on Visistadvaita which means qualified oneness or non-duality developed by Vaishnavites speaks of oneness of reality qualified by body which is made up of the souls and the universe. Primary difference of this school from that of Advaita is its realistic interpretation of Maya, as power of Brahman. The unit highlights the important tenets of the qualified monism.

Unit 3 on Madhva’s philosophy which is a dualistic school of Vedanta tradition brings out the views propounded by Madhva on the nature of Saksi, Visesa, Bheda, substance and attributes, the universal, space and time are very much ahead of his times and remarkably suggestive.

Unit 4 portrays the unique contribution of Bhakti movements in the medieval period by philosophizing the aspect of surrender, love and relationship between the Divine and the human beings. Saiva Siddhanta from Tamil Saivism and Visistadvaita from Vaishnavism have a unique blend of religion and philosophy.