Conclusion Vidyaranya’s Contribution

Literature is a part of human life. When we read a particular book, the two maxims i.e. time and space should be taken into consideration. It means that the socio-political environment of that particular time should be taken into account. Becau§e"sometimes it affects the views, and the philosophy of the autjjef^Too, Vidyaranya’s time Is 14th Cen. A.D. I.e. round about 7 0 0 years after Adya Sankaracarya. Tradition beliyesihat, in the history of Advaita philosophy, the name of Vidyaranya occupies the second position, i.e. after Adya Sankaracarya.

Vidyaranya’s era was the era of foreign onslaught of the Khilji rule. There was no social and political stability. Thus Vidyaranya’s prime duty was to establish political and social harmony. And then he reestablished the theory of Advaita, which was originated from and then established by Adya Sankaracarya.

According to Dr. Sulochana Nachane “As has already been seen the development of Advaita in various ways reached its pinnacle in the last period and there was nothing special to be added. As a matter of fact Gaudapada and Sankaracarya established the goal of Advaita and the gen­ eral outline and only minor problems like the precise relation between the so-called Jiva and and Avidya or Maya were dealt with by the immediate followers. After this the inactive period started - inactive in the sense that no further activity in the line of classification was available and^ the only activity was to defend Advaita from the opponents like Advaltrns and Naiyayikas.”^ It seems, that the words ‘only to defend’ would be unjust to Vidyaranya.

Adya Sankaracarya had to face logicians and Buddhists and Jainas., whereas Vidyaranya had to face the doctarins of Bhaskara, and also, who were staunch antagonists to Advaita.

Vidyaranya rejuvenated the doctrine of Advaita. According to M. R. Bodas

W rTOT ^ ^ 0 ^ ^FT

Tradition believes that Vidyaranya belongs to but ac­ cording to T.H.P. Mahadevan “He advocates in pancadasi. At the same time he criticizes Avacchedavada in pancadasi. There seem to be a gradual transition in the works of Bharatitirtha (Vidyaranya) from the pratibimbavada to avacchedavada.”^

314 Being the pontiff of /m geri mutt, Vidyaranya might have thought that it is his responsibility to spread the doctrine of Advaita. So though many com­ mentaries were available on Upanisadas, still he had created a separate book viz Anubhutiprakasa. He deplatfs^in the 1 st verse; 1”^

defines bala as ‘3Ttftri^^rT^T^r^To^r^tTr:

3FTtficjRTNW% 1^ defines as ^ 5 I®

It seems at the very outset Vidyaranya has mentioned the concept of adhikari. The aim of Vidyaranya was to nurture the doctrine of Advaita and that too, to spread it up to a lay man. So he has selected the topics releated to Atma / Vidya which will clearly state the doctrine of Advaita. The style of Anubhutiprakasa is very simple and the metre he has chosen is Anustubl^.

He ha(d quoted some verses from Bhag>^^tSiti. e.g.

B.G. 15-16, 19 and AP - 5-64,65 ..

B.G. 15-14 - AP - 10-83 B.G. 15-7 - AP - 10-95

.. B.G. 7 -1 4 - AP -1 3 -1 0 1 B.G.

3-37 - AP - 13-289 .. B.G. 2-47 - AP - 17-172 rffefe ypNlci'1.. B.G. 4 -3 4 - AP - 19-2 The reason might be that, being familier with these verses, a common man can understand the subject easily.

Though he had commented upon Chandogya in 3rd, 4th chapters, he had given ample references from Chandogya in other chapters also. e.g. chapter 10, 13 to 18. The reason might be the principle of the Atman is discussed in various ways in Chandogya which will become easier to understand the subject matter. And in Bfhadaranyaka chapter 13-18. He has proved on the basis of Chandogya .. T that an effect has no independent existence apart from the cause and hgfice it is illusory. Thus he refuted the theory of causation accepted by^isesika school, according to which an effect is totally different from cause.

For the beginners of , Vidyaranya has mentioned the concept of According to Vidyaranya, being impossible to aj^dfiden the actual deed it is better to give up the desire for the fruit / result of the deed i. e. WTT.

315 Explanation and use of the term maya is also a conribution of Vidyaranya. e.g. He introduced the word maya in the 1st chapter.

i.e. I

Actually there is no reference to the maya in Aitareya Upanisad. Even Sankaracarya didn’t utter a single word about maya in his Bhasya on Aitareya Upanisad. Vidyaranya. had given the positive existence to maya. The SvetasvalaKJpanisad speaks maya is the primal cause of the world, and the creative power. Vidyaranya says:

3 T I ^ ^ TTNt 19

e.g. The sage absorbed in meditation discovered the creative power which is present in Brahman and which consists of three gunas - Sattva, Rajas, . For that he had quoted B. G. J 'W ft W ^

It can be noted that maya of the Upanisadas exactly similar to the prakrti of the^rtikhyas which too is admitted be the primal cause of the world and which consists of three gunas. But there is a major difference be­ tween the concept of maya and prakrti. maya is totally dependent upon B irm a n while according to satikhya system prakrti is fully independent of /J^usa. Sankaracarya had emphasized this distinction in Brahmasutrabhasya (1.4.3) Vidyaranya specifically mentions that purusa, that is Brhaman is the substratum of maya.

^ ^ I r ^

While commenting upon Chandogya

Vidyaranya says that. ‘The pure being in order to create everything, willed “I myself will become many” for that purpose I shall multiply myself through maya.

^ r n w II 13

316 In the 54th verse of the third chapter also VIdyaranya says that M K :

^TTW I Vidyaranya d ^ s n ’t find and 3Tf^T as the synonym. Vidyarannya did not usp«r1he word tulavidya He said in A.P. in regard to the manifestation of Avidya is well known as the object of the experience in the form ‘I am ignorant.’

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This experience is known as The experience ‘I am ignorant’ points out the positive nature of avidya. Avidya can be removed by knowledge only. Vidyarannya gives the ex­ ample of alum powder. When it is mixed with the water, if settles the mud and the water gets purified. The knowledge of Brahman is the death of Avidya. As the alum removes all impurifies and then gets itself dissolved in the water, in the same way knowledge of Brahman removes avidya and di|§0hred in Brahman. World is suj>p6se to be an effect. According to ^ k y a , an effect exists in its cause prior to its origination and there is identity between the cause and effect. According to Naiyayika, there cannot be any identity between the c^use and the effect. Because one and the same entity can not be v i^ ^ as cause and effect at one and the same time. The theory of.,sawkya is known as (Theory of evolution). The theory is known as (Theory of creation) and the theory of^y^antists is known as

R«iJ«l|c^ i.e. (theory of lllusion).vedantists have the evidence from Chandogya i.e. ^ This sentence is reflected in Anubhutiprakasa every now and then e.g. AP. 3.13.ff, Then the question arises that if the world is illusery then how can the objects of the world be adapted to practical needs of life? Vidyaranya answers that the fear which is empirically real arises from the mistaken notion of a stump for a real thief. (AP 12.28) The world is not real. It is an appearence of Brahman through Avidya, Although illusory, the objects of the world can be adopted to practical needs of life. Vidyaranya says that, "All the major texts of the Upanisads convey the nature of Brahman. (AP. 5.61). As Anubhutiprakasa is for the common man, according to him the grace of God, resulting from is essential in order to attain the direct knowledge of Brahman.

The visible impediments can be overcome by vedantic study. Invisible are to be overcame by the grace of God only (AP. 6.85, 86, 11.39, 12.73, 74, 13.252ff 19.77).

317 Vidyaranya had tried to solve the contradiction In the Upanisads eg. In the 3rd chapter of Anubhutiprakasa he says that. “Sage Tittiri has said that the ether and air ar^ created first. Sage has said that fire is created first, with a view to s'^ forth only a part of creation. cTFTW 2.1 says that ether ancK^ir precede the creation of Tejas. Thus there is no contradiction between the statement of Tittiri and Aruni.

Vidyaranya places next to the knowledge as a means to emancipation. He advocates ‘Yoga’ in many ways in Anubhutiprakasa. e.g. 7.14, 11.22, 2 0 .5 4 etc. Similarly he has used many concepts from different streams ^e.g. Urdhvaretas (AP. 7.20) from or mala (AP 1 3 .3 1) from $aiv^arsana. This indicates Upani$ads liberal attitude towards the method of exposition. It shows that Vidyaranya wants to include the people from all the stratas.

There is no doubt that Vidyaranya was a staunch follower of Adya Sankaracarya but in Anubhutiprakasa he interpretes a few terms frorr^ a view point of a comman man. e.g. while commenting upon Chando^ya. Sankaracarya interpretes the word ‘’ as memory, Vidy^anya interpretes the same word as recollection of god. According to Sarfraracarya the word Asa means hope. Vidyaranya takes it in the sense of desire of God to create the world (Anubhutiprakasa 4.14). It seerns that Vidyaranya has explained the concepts in details desired by S^Hlraracarya.

Vidyaranya was philosopher as well as a prolific writer. He used many words which are c^af1y found in classical ligature, e.g. the words like Nidrana (3.76), Krijiva (3.21) Pratiswika (9.42), dhriya (15.80), Nihisoka (18.153) etc.

Vidyaranya gives many examples from daily life i.e. Katakaraj alum pow­ der which purifies the water, the example of Barber etc. sometimes he quotes the examples from Upanisads also. Sai^karacarya simply indicates the examples in his bhasya, Vidyaranya explained them in detail, e.g. 38 to 4 5 verses from 15th chapter. The example of Dun^ubtii^Sapkha etc are explained in detail.

He gives nice similies to elaborate the subject eg . He says that just as from suger-cane juice boiled continuously, there arises Jaggary and other factors, in the same way from the five elements there arises objects like body of Virat etc. (AP.17.195) or the example of Arani.

(AP. 4.49). He says that, no one knows the salt dissolved in water through the sense of touch but one knows through the sense of taste only. In the same way, the pure being is known through an appropriate means only. (AP. 3.127). Or just as a person makes the wooden puppets strung with a thread perform their respective functions, in the same way the Antaryami controls the world strung together by sutratma. (AP. 17.204).

318 Texts in general and Sanskrit texts in particular point out the social, political, economical view points prevalent in that time while preparing the text, related toi particular subject eg. concept like samitpani refers to a social customs in . Therefore such texts should not be read in isolation.

Tradition beliVes that Anubhutiprakasa reflects Pratibimbavada but it seems that all the vadas i.e. Abhasavada, Avacchedavada even D.risti-s.ristivada can also be traced clearly in Anubhutiprakasa. It was social and ethical duty of Vidyaranya to establish Advita philosophy. So vadas may not be of so much importance to him. As the Ganges, which orginating in Himalaya, gets variegated on reaching different lands. Manifold are the ways dis­ closed by post 6ankaracarya Advaltins. But all of them are intent on estab­ lishing the unity of the self. Vidyaranya had never to§e sight of the central doctrine taught by Adya Sankaracarya, that the Brahman is real and the world is illusory and the Siva is not different from the Absolute.

Indian traditions of philosophy will be indebted to Vidyaranya who re­ vived the doctrine of Advaita.

Fo o t Notes

1) Dr. Nachane Sulochana, a survey of Post Shankara , Ed. by Dr. Rabindrakuma Panda, Parammitra Prakashan, Dehli, 2000, Pg. 257. 2) Bodas Mahadev Rajaram, va tyanche , Jagathitecchu Press, Poona, 1923, Pg. 56. 3) Mahadevan T.M.P., The Philosophy of Advaita with special reference to Bhartitirtha Vidyaranya, Ganesh & Co. Madras, 1957, Pg. 216. 4) AP. 1.1. 5) Dr. Chaphekar Nalini Tarkasangraha, M. G. Chaphekar, Thane, 1994, Pg. 20. 6) Ibid. 7) Chandogya 6.1.1. 8) AP. 1.3. 9) AP. 12.64. 10) BG. 7.14., AP. 13.101. 11) AP. 11.50. 12) Chandogya 6.2.2. 13) AP. 3.38. 14) AP. 13.98. 15) Chandogya 6.1.4.

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