THE VEDANTA-KAUSTUBHA-PRABHA OF KESAVAKASMTRIBHAJTA : A CRITICAL STUDY THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF D. LITT. TO ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY. ALIGARH 1987 BY DR. MAOAN MOHAN AGRAWAL M.A., Ph. D. Reader in Sanskrit, University of Delhi T4201 T420 1 THE VEDANTA-KAUSTUBHA-PRAT^HA OF KESAVAKASMIRIBHATTA : * • A CRITICAL STUDY _P _F^_E_F_A_C_E_ IVie Nimbarka school of Vedanta has not so far been fully explored by modern scholars. There are only a couple of significant studies on Nimbarka, published about 50 years ago. The main reason for not ransacking this system seems to be the non­ availability of the basic texts. The followers of this school did not give much importance to the publications and mostly remained absorbed in the sastric analysis of the Ultimate Reality and its realization. One question still remains unanswered as to why there is no reference to Sankarabhasya in Nimbarka's commentary on the Brahma-sutras entitled '"IVie Vedanta-pari jata-saurabha", and why Nimbarka has not refuted the views of his opponents, as the other Vaisnava Acaryas such as R"amanuja, Vallabha, ^rikara, Srikantha and Baladeva Vidyabhusana have done. A comprehensive study of the Nimbarka school of Vedanta is still a longlelt desideratum. Even today the basic texts of this school are not available to scholars and whatsoever are available, they are in corrupt form and the editions are full of mistakes. (ii) On account of the lack of academic interest on the part of the followers of this school, no critical edition of any Sanskrit text has so far been prepared. Therefore, the critical editions of some of the important Sanskrit texts viz. the Vedanta-Kaustubha- prabha of Kesavakasmiribhatta, the Parapaksagirivajra of Madhavamukundacarya are badly needed by modern scholars. The Vedanta-kaustubha-prabha of Kesavakasmiribhatta (14th Century, A.D.) is an elaborate commentary on the Brahma-sutras. It is a commentary of Srinivasa's Vedanta-Kaustubha which itself is a commentary of the Vedanta-parijata-saurabha of Nimbarka. Its main contri­ bution is in the field of epistemology, logic, meta­ physics and ethics. Its chief merit consists, in its elaborate and scholarly criticism of the Advaitavada of Sankara. The work bears ample testimony to the fact that Kesavakasmiribhatta was an erudite logician. No critical study of this difficult work has been done so far. To undertake a critical study of the Vedanta- kaustubha-prabha is, therefore, an utmost need of today. I have endeavoured for the same in the present thesis. About five or six years ago I was directed by my Guru Professor Rasik Vihari Joshi of the University of (iii) Delhi to work on the Vedanta-kavistubha-prabhi of Kesavakasmiribhatta. I started the work facing many obscure problems without any solution. I asked my friends and scholars. Finally, it was Professor Joshi who very kindly and properly solved the problems, explained to me the whole text with philosophical notes, and made easy to understand the exposition of Kesavakasmiribhatta, I do not hesitate to confess that the work is a result of his kind help and encouragement. I take this oppor­ tunity to express my heartiest sense of gratitude to Professor Joshi for his unstinting scholarly advice, assistance and encouragement. I am equally deeply beholden to my Guru Dr. S.P. Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh who also explained to me the difficult portions of this text, properly initiated me into the modern methods of scientific research, gave unstinted advice, assistance and encouragement, very kindly went through the manuscript and gave valuable suggestions for the improvement of the thesis. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Professor Chhote Lai Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali (Rajasthan) for his ever ready help and suggestions. (iv) I should further thank the librarians : the National Library, Asiatic Society, Sanskrit College & Calcutta University, Calcutta; Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh; Delhi University, Delhi; and Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali; and the officers of Sriji Kunja, Vrindavan for their kind help in sending certain rare articles and books to me and permitting me to consult their libraries, specially unpublished manuscripts which helped me much in bringing out this humble work on the Philosophy of Nimbarka. -- MADAN MOHAN AGRAWAL _C_0_N_T_E_N_T_S_ PAGES PREFACE . .. (i) - (iv) CONTENTS .. .. .. (v) - (xii) 1. Kesavaka3miribhatt;a : I.-I0 1.1 Life 1.2 Date 1.3 Works 1.3.1 Commentaries : 1.3.1.1 Vedanta-kaustubha-prabha (An elaborate commentary on the Brahmasutras) 1.3.1.2 Tattvaprakasika (A commentary on the Bhagav ad-git a) 1.3.1.3 Tattvaprakasika-veda- stuti-tika (A commentary on Veda- stuti, a part of the Bhagav ata-purana, tenth skandha) (vi) 1.3.1.4. Tattvaprakasika (A commentary on the Taittiriya- upanisad) 1.3.1.5 Brahmopanisat-tika 1.3.1.6 Visnu-sahasra-nama- tika 1.3.2. Original Workst 1.3.2.1 Sri-govinda-saranagati 1.3.2.2 Yamuna-stotram 1.3.2.3 Krama-dipika 2 . The Vedanta-kaustubha-prabh a of Kes av akasmi ribh at^ t a; 11—15 2.1 Introduction 2.2 parts of Adhlkarana or section : 2.2.1 Visaya (subject) 2.2.2 Sarhsaya (Doubt) 2.2.3 Purvapaksa (Prima-facie view) 2.2.4 Uttarapaksa (Opposite view) 2.2.5 Siddhanta (Conclusion) 2.2.6 Sangati (Consistency): 2.2.6.1 Sastra-sahgati 2.2.6.2 Adhyaya-sahgati 2.2.6.3 Pada-sahgati (vii) 2.2v6.4 Adhikarana-sangatix 2.2.6.4.1 Aksepa-sangati (Objection) 2.2.6.4.2 Drstanta- sangati (Illustration) 2.2.6.4.3 Prati-drstanta- sahgati (Counter Illustration ) 2.2.6.4.4 Prasanga- safigati (Incidental- I llustration) 2.2.6.4.5 Utpatti- sangati (Introduction) 2.2.5.4.6 Apavada- sahgatl (Exeption) 2.3. Anubandha-catu^taya (The indispensable quaternity of factors) t 2.3.1 Adhikarin (The person entitled to the study) 2.3.2 Visaya (Topic) (viii) 2.3.3 Sambandha (Relation) 2.3.4 Prayojana (Purpose) 2.3.5 The cannos for determining the purport i 2.3.5.1 Upakrama (The beginning) 2.3.5.2 Upasariihara (The end) 2.3.5.3 Abhyasa (IVie repetition) 2.3.5.4 Apurvata (The novelty) 2.3.5.5 Phala (The object) 2.3.5.0 Arthavada (The glorification) 2.3.5.7 Upapatti (Argument) 3. Exposition of the doctrines of the Nimbarka- Vedanta in the Vedanta-kaustubha-prabha : X6—133 3.1 Epistemoloqy ; 3.1.1 Pratyaksa (Perception) 3.1.2 Anumana (Inference) 3.1.3 Upamana (Comparison) 3.1.4 Sabda (Valid-testimony) 3.1.5 Anupalabdhi (Non-cognition) 3.2 Concept of Brahman : 3.2.1 Nature of Brahman 3.2.2 Brahman is the cause of the universe (ix) 3.3 Concept of Jlva : 3.3.1 Nature of Jiva 3.3.2 Size of Jiva 3.3.3 Number of Jiva 3.J.4 Kinds of Jiva 3.3.5 States of jIva 3.3.6 Destinies of Jiva 3. 4 Concept of Jaqat : 3.4.1 Aprakrta-Jagat 3.4.2 Prakrta-Jagat 3.4.3 Kala 3.5 Relation between Brahman, Jiva and Jaqat (Svabhavikabhedabhedavada) 3.5.1 Difference between Brahman, Jiva and Jagat 3.5.2 Non-difference between Brahman, Jiva and Jagat 3.5.3 The doctrine of natural difference and non-difference (Svabhavika- bhedabhedavada) 3 . 6 Liberation (Mok^a) 3.7 Ethics (The Sadhanas) : 3.7.1 Karrnan 3.7.2 Vidya 3.7.3 Upas ana 3.7.4 Prapatti (x) 4. A Comparative Study of the doctrine of natural difference and non-difference (Svabhavlka-bhedabhedavada) with some other bhedabheda doctrines j l'54-l94 4.1 S"abhavlka-bhedabhedavada and Aupadhlka-bhedabhedavada 4.2 Svabhavlka-bhedabhedavada and VIs151adv ai t av ada 4.3 Svabhavlka-bhedabhedavada and Saiva-Vlsistadvaltavada 4.4 Svabhavlka-bhedabhedavada and Vira-salva-Vlsl§tadvaltavada 4.5 Svabhavlka-bhedabhedavada and Aclntyabhedabhedavada 5. The Vedanta-kaustubha-prabha : Its Contributions to Indian Philosophy and the way of Life : 197-255 5.1 Eplstemologleal contribution : 5.1.1 Nature of knowledge 5.1.2 Relation between knowledge and the object of knowledge 5.1.3 The Epistemlc value of dreams 5.1.4 The Anlrvacaniya-khyati, reason and common-sense (xi) 5.1.5 l^.e Atma-khyati of Buddhist Idealist and the external obj ects. 5.1.6 The Asat-khyatl of Buddhist Nihilist and the worldly facts 5.1.7 Ihie Foundation of Satkhyati 5.1.8 Self-validity of knowledge 5 . 2 Corrtribution to Logic ;, 5.2.1 Kinds of Ferceplicn » External (bahya) and Internal (antara) 5.2.2 I'he significance of Perception 5.2.3 Kinds of Inference : Secular (laukika) and Scriptural ( sastramulaka) 5.2.4 Kinds of Valid-tt-stimony : Scriptural (Srauta) and Verbal Csabda) 5.2.5 The supreme significance of Scriptural Testimony 5. 3 Contribution to Metaphysrcs J 5.3.1 The trinity of Reiils 5.3.2 Nisrvisesa-Brahrnan and Savisesa- Brahman 5.3.3 Pratibimbita-Jiva, Aupadhika-Jiva and Nirupadhika-Jiva (xii) 5.3.4 Akartrtva-vada and Kartrtva-vada 5.3.5 Vivartavada ani Parinamavida 5.3.6 Reality of the Jagat 5.3.7 Jivan-mukti and Videha-mukti 5.4 Contribution to Ethics t Conclusion 1.60 - 2.6,1 Bibllography 14^- XfeS CHAPTER - KESAVAKASMIRIBHATT/. CHAPTER - . KESAVAKASMIRIBHAT'.'A f_' 1. 1-2 Life and Date: Kesavakasmiribhatta is the well-known scholar and commentator of the Nimbarka-school of Vedinta. He was the twenty ninth teacher after Nimbarka. - • 2 He was the immediate disciple of Gangalabhatta. 1. (a) ' Sri-qujTu-nati-vai jayanti ', as given in Stotra-ratnavali, pp.127-136, compiled by Kalyanadasa, Mathu]-a, 1925.