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71-509: Jagadguru Swami Ramananda ( IAST : Rāmānanda) or Ramanandacharya was an Indian 14th-century Hindu Vaishnava devotional poet saint , who lived in the Gangetic basin of northern India. The Hindu tradition recognizes him as the founder of the Ramanandi Sampradaya , the largest monastic Hindu renunciant community in modern times. Born in a Kanyakubja Brahmin family, Ramananda for

142-456: A bhedabheda -based synthesis of the teachings found in the diverse Upanishads , and while there may have been other similar syntheses in the past, only the Brahma Sūtras have survived to the present day. The Bhagavadgītā , with its syncretism of Samkhya , Yoga , and Upanishadic thought, has also been a significant influence on Vedantic thought. All Vedāntins agree that scripture (śruti)

213-478: A Bhedābheda Vedāntic viewpoint." Badarayana summarized the teachings of the classical Upanishads and refuted the rival philosophical schools in ancient India like the sāṃkhya system. The Brahma Sutras laid the basis for the development of Vedanta philosophy. Though attributed to Badarayana, the Brahma Sutras were likely composed by multiple authors over the course of hundreds of years. The estimates on when

284-514: A divine potency that is inconceivable. He is all-pervading and thus in all parts of the universe (non-difference), yet he is inconceivably more (difference). This school is at the foundation of the Gaudiya Vaishnava religious tradition. The ISKCON or the Hare Krishnas also affiliate to this school of Vedanta Philosophy. The history of Vedanta can be divided into two periods: one prior to

355-449: A few centuries after Ramananda's death. Ramananda was an influential social reformer of Northern India. He championed the pursuit of knowledge and direct devotional spirituality, and did not discriminate based on birth family, gender or religion. One poem of Ramananda, originally written in Hindi, is a response to an invitation to go to a temple, and the answer states there is no need to visit

426-500: A lower Brahman endowed with qualities as the creator of the universe: Ramanuja, in formulating Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, rejects Nirguṇa – that the undifferentiated Absolute is inconceivable – and adopts a theistic interpretation of the Upanishads , accepting Brahman as Īśvara , the personal God who is the seat of all auspicious attributes, as the One reality. The God of Vishishtadvaita

497-604: A school of Vedanta. The schools of this tradition emphasize that the individual self ( Jīvatman ) is both different and not different from Brahman . Notable figures in this tradition are Nimbārka (7th century) who founded the Dvaitadvaita school, Bhāskara (8th–9th century), Ramanuja's teacher Yādavaprakāśa , Chaitanya (1486–1534) who founded the Achintya Bheda Abheda school, and Vijñānabhikṣu (16th century). Influenced by Buddhism, Advaita vedanta departs from

568-478: A temple because God is within a person, all pervasive in everything and everyone. Where should I go? I am happy at home. My heart will not go with me, My mind has become crippled. One day, a desire welled up in my mind, I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils. I went to the temple, to worship Him there, Then my Guru showed me Brahman [Ultimate Reality, God], within my heart. Wherever I go, I find only water and stones, But Brahman

639-439: A time when Ganges river plains of north India was under Islamic rule, helped revive and refocus Hindus to a personalized, direct devotional form of Rama worship, his liberalism and focus on the devotee's commitment rather than birth or gender set a precedent that attracted people to spirituality from various walks of life, and his use of vernacular language instead of Sanskrit for spiritual ideas made sharing and reflection easier for

710-521: Is bhakti . Vallabha opposed renunciation of monistic sannyasa as ineffective and advocates the path of devotion ( bhakti ) rather than knowledge ( jnana ). The goal of bhakti is to turn away from ego, self-centered-ness and deception, and to turn towards the eternal Krishna in everything continually offering freedom from samsara . Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486 – 1533) was the prime exponent of Achintya-Bheda-Abheda . In Sanskrit achintya means 'inconceivable'. Achintya-Bheda-Abheda represents

781-565: Is accessible to the devotee, yet remains the Absolute, with differentiated attributes. Madhva, in expounding Dvaita philosophy, maintains that Vishnu is the supreme God, thus identifying the Brahman , or absolute reality, of the Upanishads with a personal god, as Ramanuja had done before him. Nimbarka, in his Dvaitadvata philosophy, accepted the Brahman both as nirguṇa and as saguṇa . Vallabha, in his Shuddhadvaita philosophy, not only accepts

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852-682: Is also called Uttara Mīmāṃsā , which means the "latter enquiry" or "higher enquiry"; and is often contrasted with Pūrva Mīmāṃsā , the "former enquiry" or "primary enquiry". Pūrva Mīmāṃsā deals with the karmakāṇḍa or ritualistic section (the Samhita and Brahmanas ) in the Vedas while Uttara Mīmāṃsā concerns itself with the deeper questions of the relation between humans and Divine or Absolute reality. Despite their differences, all traditions of Vedanta share some common features: The main Upanishads ,

923-497: Is decisively against such a theory" – George A. Greirson (1920). According to the medieval era Bhaktamala text by Nabhadas, Ramananda studied under Raghavananda , a guru (teacher) in Vedanta -based Vatakalai (northern, Rama-avatar) school of Vaishnavism. "It was Ramananda's teacher, Raghavananda, who came from the South, and after much wandering had settled at Benares. There, and not in

994-451: Is false or illusive, and that saguna Brahman with attributes is also real. Ramanuja states that God, like man, has both soul and body, and the world of matter is the glory of God's body. The path to Brahman ( Vishnu ), according to Ramanuja, is devotion to godliness and constant remembrance of the beauty and love of the personal god ( bhakti of saguna Brahman ). The Swaminarayan Darshana, also called Akshar-Purushottam Darshan by

1065-508: Is held to be the sole unchanging metaphysical reality and identical to the individual Atman . The physical world, on the other hand, is always-changing empirical Maya . The absolute and infinite Atman - Brahman is realized by a process of negating everything relative, finite, empirical and changing. The school accepts no duality, no limited individual souls ( Atman / Jīvatman ), and no separate unlimited cosmic soul. All souls and their existence across space and time are considered to be

1136-638: Is in everything. I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puranas, You go there, only if Brahman were not here. I am a sacrifice to You, O True Guru. You have dispelled all my confusion and doubt. Ramanand's Lord is the all-pervading Brahman, The word of the Guru ends millions of karma . Jagadguru Jagadguru is of Sanskrit origin where jagat means 'the entire world' and guru means 'spiritual master' (literally, 'dispeller of darkness'). In

1207-609: Is mentioned in the Sikh holy scripture Guru Granth Sahib . Ramananda was known for composing his works and discussing spiritual themes in vernacular Hindi , stating that this makes knowledge accessible to the masses. Little is known with certainty about the life of Ramananda, including year of birth and death The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature give dates of 1366–1467 for his lifespan. His biography has been derived from mentions of him in secondary literature and inconsistent hagiographies. The most accepted version holds that Ramananda

1278-413: Is more a tradition than a school of Vedanta. The schools of this tradition emphasize that the individual self ( Jīvatman ) is both different and not different from Brahman . Notable figures in this school are Bhartriprapancha, Nimbārka and Srinivasa (7th century) who founded the Dvaitadvaita school, Bhāskara (8th–9th century), Ramanuja's teacher Yādavaprakāśa , Chaitanya (1486–1534) who founded

1349-723: Is much disagreement among the various traditions. Independently considered, they may seem completely disparate due to the pronounced differences in thoughts and reasoning. The main traditions of Vedanta are: Bhedabheda (difference and non-difference); Advaita ( non-dualism ); and the Vaishnavite traditions of Dvaitadvaita (dualistic non-dualism), Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism), Tattvavada ( Dvaita ) (dualism), Suddhadvaita (pure non-dualism), and Achintya-Bheda-Abheda (inconceivable difference and non-difference). Modern developments in Vedanta include Neo-Vedanta , and

1420-435: Is no historical proof that Ramananda's teachings inspired that text. Shastri has proposed the theory that Ramananda's complex theological schooling in two distinct Hindu philosophies explains why he accepted both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman , or god with attributes and god without attributes, respectively. Shastri suggests his theory offers an explanation why Ramananda's disciples co-developed saguna and nirguna as

1491-743: Is one of the most widely commented upon works in Vedanta. This text is so central to the Krishna-centered Vedanta schools that the Vedantin theologian Vallabha added the Bhāgavata Purāṇa as a fourth text to the Prasthānatrayī (three classic scriptures of Vedanta). Vedanta philosophies discuss three fundamental metaphysical categories and the relations between the three. Shankara, in formulating Advaita, talks of two conceptions of Brahman : The higher Brahman as undifferentiated Being, and

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1562-572: Is only His grace that leads to redemption and salvation. Madhva believed that some souls are eternally doomed and damned, a view not found in Advaita and Vishishtadvaita Vedanta. While the Vishishtadvaita Vedanta asserted "qualitative monism and quantitative pluralism of souls", Madhva asserted both "qualitative and quantitative pluralism of souls". Shuddhadvaita (pure non-dualism), propounded by Vallabhacharya (1479–1531 CE), states that

1633-627: Is sometimes wrongly perceived as the sole representation of Vedantic thought, with Shankara being a follower of Shaivism, the true essence of Vedanta lies within the Vaisnava tradition and can be considered a discourse within the broad framework of Vaisnavism. Four Vaishnava sampradays are considered to be of special significance based on the teachings of Ramanuja, Madhva, Vallabha, and Nimbarka. The number of prominent Vedanta schools varies among scholars, with some classifying them as three to six. Bhedābheda means "difference and non-difference" and

1704-589: Is the earliest surviving complete text on Advaita Vedanta. Gaudapada's Kārikā relied on the Mandukya , Brihadaranyaka and Chhandogya Upanishads . In the Kārikā , Advaita (non-dualism) is established on rational grounds ( upapatti ) independent of scriptural revelation; its arguments are devoid of all religious, mystical or scholastic elements. Scholars are divided on a possible influence of Buddhism on Gaudapada's philosophy. The fact that Shankara, in addition to

1775-563: Is the largest ascetic community in India, and their members are known as Ramanandis , Vairagis or Bairagis . They are known for their self-imposed highly disciplined, austere, structured and simple lifestyle. Richard Burghart acknowledges that Ramananda is revered as the founder in the Ramanandi Sampraday's tradition, but adds that historical evidence about its origin is meager and India's largest monastic community may have gathered strength

1846-416: Is the only means of knowing (pramāṇa) regarding spiritual matters (which are beyond perception and inference). This is explained by Rāmānuja as follows: A theory that rests exclusively on human concepts may at some other time or place be refuted by arguments devised by cleverer people.... The conclusion is that with regard to supernatural matters, Scripture alone is the epistemic authority and that reasoning

1917-472: Is to be used only in support of Scripture’ [Śrī Bhāṣya 2.1.12]. For specific sub-traditions of Vedanta, other texts may be equally important. For example, for Advaita Vedanta, the works of Adi Shankara are nominally central, though other teachers were equally, or even more, influential. For the theistic Vaishnava schools of Vedanta, the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is particularly important. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa

1988-464: Is unity of all souls and that the individual soul has the potential to realize identity with the Brahman . Vishishtadvaita is a qualified non-dualistic school of Vedanta and like Advaita, begins by assuming that all souls can hope for and achieve the state of blissful liberation. On the relation between the Brahman and the world of matter ( Prakriti ), Vishishtadvaita states both are two different absolutes, both metaphysically true and real, neither

2059-451: Is used in the lineage of Ramananda , founder of Ramanandi Sampradaya . Vedanta Vedanta ( / v eɪ ˈ d ɑː n t ə / ; Sanskrit : वेदान्त , IAST : Vedānta ), also known as Uttara Mīmāṃsā , is one of the six orthodox ( āstika ) traditions of textual exegesis and Hindu philosophy . The word "Vedanta" means "conclusion of the Vedas ", and encompasses the ideas that emerged from, or aligned and reinterpreted,

2130-600: The Rāmacaritamānasa , the poet-saint Tulasidāsa uses the same word for Lord Rāma . Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda uses it for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his song Guru Paramparā . A. C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmi Prabhupāda uses it for Lord Kṛṣṇa in his composition Mārkine Bhāgavata-Dharma . In Hinduism , the three great acharyas – Adi Shankara , Ramanujacharya , Madhvacharya are combinedly known as "Acharyatraya" or "Triacharya". These three acharyas are considered to be

2201-545: The Bhagavadgītā and the Brahma Sūtras are the foundational scriptures in Vedanta. All traditions of Vedanta give a specific exegesis of these texts, collectively called the Prasthānatrayī , literally, three sources . All prominent Vedantic teachers, including Shankara , Bhaskara , Ramanuja , Madhva , Nimbarka , and Vallabha wrote commentaries on these three sources. The Brahma Sūtras of Badarayana serve as

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2272-665: The Brahma Sutras , the principal Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita , wrote an independent commentary on the Kārikā proves its importance in Vedāntic literature. Adi Shankara (c.800-c.850), elaborated on Gaudapada's work and more ancient scholarship to write detailed commentaries on the Prasthanatrayi and the Kārikā . The Mandukya Upanishad and the Kārikā have been described by Shankara as containing "the epitome of

2343-400: The Achintya Bheda Abheda school, and Vijñānabhikṣu (16th century). Nimbārka (7th century) sometimes identified with Bhāskara , and Srinivasa propounded Dvaitādvaita . Brahman (God), souls (chit) and matter or the universe (achit) are considered as three equally real and co-eternal realities. Brahman is the controller (niyanta) , the soul is the enjoyer (bhokta) , and

2414-765: The Vākyapadīya , written by Bhartṛhari (second half 5th century, ) and the Kārikā written by Gaudapada (early 6th or 7th century CE). Shankara mentions 99 different predecessors of his school in his commentaries. A number of important early Vedanta thinkers have been listed in the Siddhitraya by Yamunācārya (c. 1050), the Vedārthasamgraha by Rāmānuja (c. 1050–1157), and the Yatīndramatadīpikā by Śrīnivāsa Dāsa. At least fourteen thinkers are known to have existed between

2485-519: The BAPS, was propounded by Swaminarayan (1781-1830 CE) and is rooted in Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita . It asserts that Parabrahman (Purushottam, Narayana) and Aksharbrahman are two distinct eternal realities. Adherents believe that they can achieve moksha (liberation) by becoming aksharrup (or brahmarup), that is, by attaining qualities similar to Akshar (or Aksharbrahman) and worshipping Purushottam (or Parabrahman;

2556-523: The Brahma Sutra commentaries by Nimbarka , Ramanuja , Vallabha , Shankara and Madhva . In his conclusion, Ghate determined that Nimbarka's and Ramanuja's commentaries provide the most accurate interpretation of the Brahma Sutras, considering both the passages that emphasize unity and those that emphasize diversity. Gavin Flood suggests that although Advaita Vedanta is the most well-known school of Vedanta and

2627-544: The Brahma Sutras were complete vary, with Nakamura in 1989 and Nicholson in his 2013 review stating, that they were most likely compiled in the present form around 400–450 CE. Isaeva suggests they were complete and in current form by 200 CE, while Nakamura states that "the great part of the Sutra must have been in existence much earlier than that" (800 - 500 BCE). The book is composed of four chapters, each divided into four-quarters or sections. These sutras attempt to synthesize

2698-503: The South, he had Ramananda as his disciple." – George A. Greirson (1920). Other scholars state that Ramananda's education started in Adi Shankara 's Advaita Vedanta school, before he met Raghavananda and began his studies in Ramanuja 's Vishishtadvaita Vedanta school. Ramananda is credited as the author of many devotional poems, but like most Bhakti movement poets, whether he actually

2769-524: The West due to the influence of the 14th century Advaitin Vidyaranya and modern Hindus like Swami Vivekananda and Ramana Maharshi , most Vedanta traditions focus on Vaishnava theology . The word Vedanta is made of two words : The word Vedanta literally means the end of the Vedas and originally referred to the Upanishads . Vedanta is concerned with the jñānakāṇḍa or knowledge section of

2840-419: The basic texts and Vedanta interprets them through rigorous philosophical exegesis to defend the point of view of their specific sampradaya . Varying interpretations of the Upanishads and their synthesis, the Brahma Sutras , led to the development of different schools of Vedanta over time. Vinayak Sakaram Ghate of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of

2911-508: The bhedabheda-philosophy, instead postulating the identity of Atman with the Whole ( Brahman ), Gaudapada (c. 6th century CE), was the teacher or a more distant predecessor of Govindapada , the teacher of Adi Shankara. Shankara is widely considered as the apostle of Advaita Vedanta . Gaudapada's treatise, the Kārikā – also known as the Māṇḍukya Kārikā or the Āgama Śāstra –

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2982-501: The classics and scriptures, the word has been used for several Devas . In the Mahābhārata , Arjuna addresses Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the 'Supreme Master of the entire world'. Adi Shankaracharya uses the title Jagadguru for Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his Śrī Kṛṣṇa-āṣṭakam . The Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa uses the word Jagadguru for Lord Śiva in his great poem ( Mahā-kāvya ) titled Kumārasambhava . In

3053-481: The composition of the Brahma Sutras and the other encompassing the schools that developed after the Brahma Sutras were written. Until the 11th century, Vedanta was a peripheral school of thought. Little is known of schools of Vedanta existing before the composition of the Brahma Sutras (first composition c. 2nd cent. BCE, final redaction 400–450 CE). It is clear that Badarayana, the writer of Brahma Sutras ,

3124-456: The composition of the Brahma Sutras and Shankara's lifetime. A noted scholar of this period was Bhartriprapancha. Bhartriprapancha maintained that the Brahman is one and there is unity, but that this unity has varieties. Scholars see Bhartriprapancha as an early philosopher in the line who teach the tenet of Bhedabheda . Bhedābheda means "difference and non-difference" and is more a tradition than

3195-533: The diverse teachings of the Upanishads. However, the cryptic nature of aphorisms of the Brahma Sutras have required exegetical commentaries. These commentaries have resulted in the formation of numerous Vedanta schools, each interpreting the texts in its own way and producing its own commentary. Little with specificity is known of the period between the Brahma Sutras (5th century CE) and Adi Shankara (8th century CE). Only two writings of this period have survived:

3266-442: The entire universe is real and is subtly Brahman only in the form of Krishna . Vallabhacharya agreed with Advaita Vedanta's ontology , but emphasized that prakriti (empirical world, body) is not separate from the Brahman , but just another manifestation of the latter. Everything, everyone, everywhere – soul and body, living and non-living, jīva and matter – is the eternal Krishna . The way to Krishna , in this school,

3337-442: The masses. Fourteen influential disciples of Ramananda included 12 men and 2 women poet-sants. According to Bhaktamal , these were: Men scholars: Women scholars: Postmodern scholars have questioned some of the above guru-disciple lineage while others have supported this lineage with historical evidence. Ramananda is the founder of the eponymous Ramanandi Sampraday (Shri Ramavat or Shri Sampraday or Vairagi Sampradaya). This

3408-401: The material universe is the object enjoyed (bhogya) . The Brahman is Krishna , the ultimate cause who is omniscient, omnipotent, all-pervading Being. He is the efficient cause of the universe because, as Lord of Karma and internal ruler of souls, He brings about creation so that the individual souls can reap the consequences of their karma . God is considered to be the material cause of

3479-462: The mechanics are not important, and that these are useless if the individual does not take the opportunity to reflect and introspect on the nature of Brahman (supreme being). Ramananda states that rote reading of a sacred text is of no benefit, if the person fails to understand what the text is trying to communicate. Ramananda is often honored as the founder of Sant-parampara (literally, the tradition of bhakti sants ) in north India. His efforts, in

3550-549: The most part of his life lived in the holy city of Varanasi . His date of birth is December 30 but death is uncertain, but historical evidence suggests he was one of the earliest saints and a pioneering figure of the Bhakti movement as it rapidly grew in North India , sometime between the 14th and mid-15th century during its Islamic rule period. Tradition asserts that Ramananda developed his philosophy and devotional themes inspired by

3621-473: The philosophy of "inconceivable difference in non-difference", in relation to the non-dual reality of Brahman - Atman which it calls ( Krishna ), svayam bhagavan . The notion of "inconceivability" ( acintyatva ) is used to reconcile apparently contradictory notions in Upanishadic teachings. This school asserts that Krishna is Bhagavan of the bhakti yogins , the Brahman of the jnana yogins , and has

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3692-493: The philosophy of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya . Most major Vedanta schools, except Advaita Vedanta and Neo-Vedanta, are related to Vaishnavism and emphasize devotion ( Bhakti ) to God , understood as Vishnu or a related manifestation . Advaita Vedanta, on the other hand, emphasizes Jñana (knowledge) and Jñana Yoga over theistic devotion. While the monism of Advaita has attracted considerable attention in

3763-493: The pillars of Vedantic tradition of spiritual India. Traditionally the title Jagadguru is used by all the peetadhipathis of Mathas founded by traditional Jagadgurus such as Adi Shankaracharya , Ramanujacharya , Madhvacharya , Nimbarkacharya , and Vallabhacharya . Jagadguru is also honoured as the title by Kashi Vidvat Parishat in Varanasi for the knowledge and value of particular guru. The title "Jagadguru Ramanandacharya"

3834-469: The quotes attributed to them in later literature, Sharma postulates that Ashmarathya and Audulomi were Bhedabheda scholars, Kashakrtsna and Brahmadatta were Advaita scholars, while Tanka and Dravidacharya were either Advaita or Viśiṣṭādvaita scholars. Badarayana summarized and interpreted teachings of the Upanishads in the Brahma Sutras , also called the Vedanta Sutra , possibly "written from

3905-486: The realist Parinamavada position, which appears to have been the view most common among early Vedantins". In contrast to Badarayana, post-Shankara Advaita Vedantists hold a different view, Vivartavada , which says that the effect, the world, is merely an unreal ( vivarta ) transformation of its cause, Brahman. The Upanishads present an associative philosophical inquiry in the form of identifying various doctrines and then presenting arguments for or against them. They form

3976-542: The same oneness. Spiritual liberation in Advaita is the full comprehension and realization of oneness, that one's unchanging Atman (soul) is the same as the Atman in everyone else, as well as being identical to Brahman . Vishishtadvaita , propounded by Ramanuja (11–12th century), asserts that Jīvatman (human souls) and Brahman (as Vishnu ) are different, a difference that is never transcended. With this qualification, Ramanuja also affirmed monism by saying that there

4047-519: The scriptural testimony, is considered the most authentic means of knowledge instead. All schools of Vedanta subscribe to the theory of Satkāryavāda , which means that the effect is pre-existent in the cause. But there are two different views on the status of the "effect", that is, the world. Most schools of Vedanta, as well as Samkhya, support Parinamavada , the idea that the world is a real transformation ( parinama ) of Brahman. According to Nicholson (2010 , p. 27), "the Brahma Sutras espouse

4118-459: The six are epistemologically valid. For example, while Advaita Vedanta accepts all six pramanas , Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita accept only three pramanas (perception, inference and testimony). Advaita considers Pratyakṣa (perception) as the most reliable source of knowledge, and Śabda , the scriptural evidence, is considered secondary except for matters related to Brahman, where it is the only evidence. In Viśiṣṭādvaita and Dvaita, Śabda ,

4189-654: The south Indian Vedanta philosopher Ramanuja , however, evidence also suggests that Ramananda was influenced by Nathpanthi ascetics of the Yoga school of Hindu philosophy. An early social reformer, Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender , class or caste. Traditional scholarship holds that his disciples included later Bhakti movement poet-sants such as Kabir , Ravidas , Bhagat Pipa and others, however, some postmodern scholars have questioned some of this spiritual lineage while others have supported this lineage with historical evidence. His verse

4260-416: The south Indian Vedanta philosopher Ramanuja , however, evidence also suggests that Ramananda was influenced by Nathpanthi ascetics of the Yoga school of Hindu philosophy. Antonio Rigopoulos states Ramananda's teachings were "an attempt towards a synthesis between Advaita Vedanta and Vaishnava bhakti". He adds that the same link can be found in the 15th-century text of Adhyatma Ramayana , but there

4331-599: The speculations and enumerations contained in the Upanishads , focusing, with varying emphasis on devotion and knowledge, and liberation. Vedanta developed into many traditions, all of which give their specific interpretations of a common group of texts called the Prasthānatrayī , translated as "the three sources": the Upanishads , the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita . All Vedanta traditions are exegetical in nature, but also contain extensive discussions on ontology , soteriology , and epistemology , even as there

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4402-477: The study of reliable and valid means by which human beings gain accurate, true knowledge. The focus of Pramana is the manner in which correct knowledge can be acquired, how one knows or does not know, and to what extent knowledge pertinent about someone or something can be acquired. Ancient and medieval Indian texts identify six pramanas as correct means of accurate knowledge and truths: The different schools of Vedanta have historically disagreed as to which of

4473-421: The substance of the import of Vedanta". It was Shankara who integrated Gaudapada work with the ancient Brahma Sutras , "and give it a locus classicus " alongside the realistic strain of the Brahma Sutras . A noted contemporary of Shankara was Maṇḍana Miśra , who regarded Mimamsa and Vedanta as forming a single system and advocated their combination known as Karma-jnana-samuchchaya-vada . The treatise on

4544-642: The supreme living entity; God). Tattvavada, propounded by Madhvacharya (13th century), is based on the premise of realism or realistic point of view. The term Dvaita, which means dualism, was later applied to Madhvacharya's philosophy. Atman (soul) and Brahman (as Vishnu ) are understood as two completely different entities. Brahman is the creator of the universe, perfect in knowledge, perfect in knowing, perfect in its power, and distinct from souls, distinct from matter. In Dvaita Vedanta, an individual soul must feel attraction, love, attachment and complete devotional surrender to Vishnu for salvation, and it

4615-495: The triple ontological essence of the Brahman , but also His manifestation as personal God ( Īśvara ), as matter, and as individual souls. The schools of Vedanta differ in their conception of the relation they see between Ātman / Jīvātman and Brahman / Īśvara : Pramāṇa ( Sanskrit : प्रमाण) literally means "proof", "that which is the means of valid knowledge". It refers to epistemology in Indian philosophies, and encompasses

4686-558: The two parallel currents in the Bhakti movement . However, this theory lacks historical evidence and has not gained wide acceptance by scholars. The Ramananda literature that is considered authentic, states Enzo Turbiani, suggest a milestone development in metaphysical principles of the Bhakti movement. Ramananda asserts that austerity and penances through asceticism are meaningless, if an individual does not realize Hari (Vishnu) as their inner self. He criticizes fasting and rituals, stating that

4757-560: The universe because creation was a manifestation of His powers of soul (chit) and matter (achit) ; creation is a transformation (parinama) of God's powers. He can be realized only through a constant effort to merge oneself with His nature through meditation and devotion. Advaita Vedanta ( IAST Advaita Vedānta ; Sanskrit : अद्वैत वेदान्त), propounded by Gaudapada (7th century) and Adi Shankara (9th century), but popularized by Vidyaranya (14th century) and 19th-20th century neo-Vedantins , espouses non-dualism and monism. Brahman

4828-588: The vedas which is called the Upanishads . The meaning of Vedanta expanded later to encompass the different philosophical traditions that interpret and explain the Prasthanatrayi in the light of their respective views on the relation between humans and the Divine or Absolute reality. The Upanishads may be regarded as the end of Vedas in different senses: Vedanta is one of the six orthodox ( āstika ) traditions of textual exegesis and Indian philosophy . It

4899-416: Was born in a Kanyakubja Brahmin family, about mid 14th-century, and died about mid 15th-century. Although few people hold him to be of southern origin, there's no evidence to support such a claim. In fact, all genuinely Indian sources agree in stating that Ramananda was born at Prayaga (Allahabad). "Not one word is said as to his southern origin, and the fact that he was stated to be a Kanyakubja Brahmin

4970-414: Was not the first person to systematize the teachings of the Upanishads , as he quotes six Vedantic teachers before him – Ashmarathya, Badari, Audulomi, Kashakrtsna, Karsnajini and Atreya. References to other early Vedanta teachers – Brahmadatta, Sundara, Pandaya, Tanka and Dravidacharya – are found in secondary literature of later periods. The works of these ancient teachers have not survived, but based on

5041-731: Was the author of these poems is unclear. Two treatises in Hindi, Gyan-lila and Yog-cintamani are also attributed to Ramananda, as are the Sanskrit works Vaishnava Matabja Bhaskara and the Ramarchana Paddhati . However, poems found in the original and well-preserved manuscripts of Sikhism and handwritten Nagari-pracarini Sabha are considered authentic and highlight the Nirguna (attributeless god) stream of thought in Ramananda. Ramananda developed his philosophy and devotional themes inspired by

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