Wednesday, May 8, 2013

CONTRIBUTION OF ANDHRA TO ADVAITA VEDANTA

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REFERENCES

1 Forward by Dr. V.Raghavan
.Contribution of Andhra to Sanskrit Literature
by Dr. P. Sriramamurthy ,
Publishrd by Andhra University, Waltair. Series no;-105.

      1. Andhrulaputtupurvittaralu&jambudvIpamu.
Author : Sri Kota Venkatachalam
publication:- Arya vijnana granthamala

      1. History of Indian Philosophy,
S.N Dasgupta,Vol.III-p-100.

4. Ibid Vol:-IV.P52.
Here the word “madhyageha” is believed to be the Sanskritization of the word “ nadiminti”.

5. Ibid. Vol.III.P-398.

6. Ibid IV.P -371.

7. Andhrasamsthanamulu-sahityaposhanamu
Dr. T. Donappa
Andhra Vishvakalaparishad
Waltair.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Advaita Vedanta Literature Bibliographical Survey
R. Tangaswami
Madras University Sanskrit Series- 36, 1980.

2. Advaita Vedanta An Introduction
Aravind Sharma
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers
Pvt. Ltd. DELHI

3. Advaita Vedanta
edited by
R. Balasubramanian
Project of History of Indian Sciences
Philosophy and Culture
Centre for Studies in Civilization
First published in 2000
Reprinted in 2004.

4. An introduction to
Indian Philosophy
by
Satish Chandra Chatarjee
&
Dhirendra Mohan Datta
IV Editor
University of Calcutta
1950

5. A History of Indian Philosophy
By The late
Surendranadh Dasgupta
Vol. I - V
Motilal Banarasi Das
Delhi.

6. A Study of Ratna prabha
by
Dr. Ch. Durga Prasada Rao
1995
7. A Survey of Post - Sankara Advaita Vedanta
of
S.A. Nachne
Edited by
Dr. R.K. Ponda
Eastern Book linkers
2000.

8. A Tradition of Teachers
Sankara and The Jagadgurus Today
William Cenkner
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited
Delhi.

9. Ancient Indian Education
Radha Kumud Mukarjee
Motilal Banarsidass Publications Private Limited
Dehli

10. ANDHRA YOGULU
Dr. B. Ramaraju
National Research Prof.
Om Sai Graphics Publishers
Hyderabad
2004

12. Andhrula Samskriti-Charitra
Kambhampati Satyanarayana
Hyderabad Book Trust


13. Andhra Samsthanamulu Sahitya Poshanamu
Dr.T.Donappa
Andhra Viswa kalaparishad
Waltair
1969

14. Apastamba Dharma Sutram
Dr. Umesh Chandradhar Pandeya
Kasi Sanskrit Series
1993

15. Brahmasutra Sankara Bhashyam
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited
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16. Bhamati and Vivarana Schools of Advaita Vedanta
A Critical Approach
P.S.Roodurmun
Motilal Banarsidass Publications Pravite Limited
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17. Brahma Sutra Bhashya Pradipika
Sri Goda Subrahmanya Sastry
Sri Sankara Baktha Jana Sabha
Kanchipuram
1992
18. Contribution of Andhra to Sanskrit literature
Dr. P Srirama Murthy
M.A. Ph.D.
Published by
Andhra University, Waltair.
July 1972.
19. Contribution of Andhra to Sanskrit Literature
Dr. B. Ramaraju
First Edition - 2002
19. Chitsukha's Contribution to Advaita
Dr.V.A. Sarma
Mysore Kavyalaya Publishers
Mysore


20. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHIES
VOL - III
Advaita Vedanta up to Sankara and his pupils
KARL H POTTER
Motilal Banarasidass
Private Limited - DELHI -1998

21. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF VEDANTA
Rammurthy Sarma
Eastern Book Linkers
Delhi
1993

22. Isthasiddhi Vivarana
Anubuthi Swarupacharya
Critically edited by
Dr.R. Krishna Murthy Sastrigal
Adi Sankara Advaita Research Centre
Chennai


23. Khyativada Samiksha
V. Subrahmanya Sastry
Advaita Sabha
Tiruchi
1982

24. Klesapaharini
A commentary on Naishkarmyasiddhi
Sachidanandendra Saraswati
Adhyatma Prakasa Karyalayam
Karnataka
1999
25. Lives of Saints
Swami Sivananda
Published By
The Divine life society
P.O. Sivananda Nagar - 249192
Uttaranchal
Himalayas
India
2002
26. Living with the Himalayan Masters
Swami Rama
The Himalayan Institute Press
Honesdate
Pennsylvania
27. MATRIVIDYA ( A research journal in oriental learning )
Vol. I No. I
Matrisri Vidya Parishat
Jillellamudi
Guntur Dt.
Andhra Pradesh
28. Perspectives of Sankara
Editors
R. Balasubrahmanyam
Sibajiban Bhattacharya
Rashtriya Sankaraya Jayanthi Mahotsav
Commemoration Volume
1989
29. Panchapadikavivaranam
Rashtriya Samskrita Vidya Peetha
Tirupathi
1985
30. Samskruta Sahitya charitra
Dr.Mudiganti Gopalareddy
Dr.Mudiganti Sujatareddy
Potti Sriramulu Telugu Viswa Vidyalaya
Hyderabad.
2004
31. Sanskrit Studies In India
Rashtriya Samskrit Samsthan
New Delhi
1997
32. Smrithi Manjusha
Souvenir - 2006
Sri Sringeri Jagadguru Sankara Seva Samithi
Hyderabad
33. Sri Bhagavad Gita Sankara Bhashya Tatva Bodhini
Bulusu Appanna Sastry
Sarada Press
1968
34. Sri Sankara Sankara Bhashya Vimarsa
Ramarayakavi

35. Sri Sankaratpragadvaitavadah
Sri Muralidhara Pandeya
Banarsidass Sanskrit Book Sellers
Chaukhamba
Varanasi

36. Sri Viveka Chudamani Telugu Translation
Dr. P. Rama Chandrudu
Samskrita Basha Pracharini Sabha
Hyderabad

37. Tattva Rahasya Prabha
Maddulapalli Manikya Sastry
Sri Sai Printers
Vijayawada

38. The Discovery of India
Jawaharlal Nehru
Penguin books
2004

39. The Message of The Brihadaranyakopanishad
Swami Ranganadhananda
Advaita Asram
Kolkata

40. The Method of Early Advaita Vedanta
Michael Comans
Motilal Banarsidass Publications Private Limited
Dehli

41.The Principal Upanishads
edited by
S.Radha Krishnan
Oxford University Press
Delhi
42. The Wonder that was India
Vol. I
A.L. Basham
Rupa Co

43. The Wonder That Was India
Vol.II
S.A.A. RIZVI
PICADOR
INDIA
44. The Yoga Vasistha of Valmiki
Vol. I & II
Motilal Banarsidass Publications Private Limited
Dehli

45. UPANISHADS ( Selection from 108 Upanishads)
T.M.P. Mahadevan
Motilal Banarsidass Publications Private Limited
Dehli

46. Upanishads for All
Chitrita Devi
S. Chand & Co. Pvt. Ltd
1973
47. Vijnana Sarwaswamu
Vol. VII
Telugu Basha Samithi
Hyderabad
1962

48. Vyasa Tatparya Nirnaya
Ayyanna Dikshita
Kanchi Kamakotipeetham
Kanchipuram.

49. Vedanta Muktavali
B.Ramarayakavi
Andhra grantha Mudranalaya
Vijayawada
1949
50. Vedanta Sutra Muktavali
Brahmananda Saraswathi
Anandasrama Grandhalaya
1915

51. Vedanta Sarawaswamu
Mudigonda Venkata Rama Sastry
Trilingamahavidyapithamu,
Vijayawada


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CONTRIBUTION OF ANDHRA TO ADVAITA VEDANTA

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SUMMING UP

The reader is likely to assume, after going through the above submission of the story of the Advaita Vedanta, that the popularity and vigorous of Advaita Vedanta is almost defunct at the present time. The assumption is not really valid.

As recently as three decades ago, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a wizard of Vedanta and a philosopher-statesman, conveyed the profundity of Advaita Vedanta to the Western world (let it be added in modesty that he was an Andhra.) The international transcendentalists, Jiddu Krishnamurthi, also known as J.K, and U. Gopalakrishna, also known as U.G, hailed from Andhra soil. It may come as a surprise to many that even today there are a number of institutions and gurukulas where Advaita Vedanta is taught along with other subjects. Even some universities, imparting modern education, offer courses in Advaita Vedanta. Examples are: Andhra University (Vishakapatnam) and Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth (Tirupathi). It is gratifying that a sizeable number of aspirants plump for this ancient knowledge.
The charm and charisma of Advaita Vedanta does not end there. Scholars from prestigious institutions are frequently invited by reputed organizations gracing the entire country to share their rare knowledge with them. The scholarly activities of Advaita Vedanta have manifold outlets. Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams, under the Sastra Rakshana scheme, offers liberal financial assistance for publication of religious works including Advaita Vedanta. Further, Sura Bharathi of Hyderabad and Sadhana Granthamala of Tenali, to name just a couple of enthusiasts, publish works exclusively on religion.

Another area of encouragement is national and international conferences at places like Andhra University, where a number of sessions are allotted to discuss Advaita Vedanta.

Besides Universities, Mutts and other organizations, many scholars in their individual capacity have been doing yeoman service for the enrichment and
popularization of Advaita. Kolluri Somasekhara Sastry, Bulusu Appanna Sastry, Mudigonda Venkata Rama Sastry, Mandalika Venkata Sastry, Jayanthi Surya Narayana Sastry, Rani Narasimha Sastry, Chirravuri Ananta Padmanabha Sastry, Maddulapalli Manikya Sastry, Prof.P.Ramachandrudu and Prof.V.Anjaneya Sarma are a few scholars who have dedicated themselves for the glorification of Advaita Vedanta.
I fondly hope and believe that even space technology in no way will contribute to the atrophy of Sanskrit and the Sastras including Advaita Vedanta which, as the realisation seems to be dawning on the powers that be, are a veritable treasure-house of mature Eastern wisdom.

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CONTRIBUTION OF ANDHRA TO ADVAITA VEDANTA

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                                                              CHAPTER 10  

                                MUTTS AND YOGIS 
 
Education can be said to be of two kinds - 'Para' and 'Apara'. Para may be defined as extra-mundane while the opposite, that is, Apara is mundane. The scriptures enjoin that both are equally worthy of acquisition, the supreme function of them being relief from worldly entanglements. Paravidya is said to lead to the realization of Atman while Aparavidya can enable one to acquire knowledge of the physical world.

Despite this basic difference, both Para and Apara education comprise four stages, 'Adhiti' (learning), ' Bodha' (teaching), 'Acharana'(practice) and 'Pracharana' (propagation). It is only when these four noble stages are integrated, that education's true aim is fulfilled.

Prior to Sankara there were many asramas where Vedanta and other philosophical subjects were taught. When Sankara arrived on the scene, he saw to it that the four-stage system was honed and intensified. Also for harmonious spread of the movement of Vedanta, he went about establishing four mutts - on the four sides of India : Sringeri in Karnataka (South), Govardhan in Gujarat ( West ), Jyotirmutt in Uttaranchal (North), and Puri in Orissa (East) and entrusted their management to his own disciples.

These four Mutts represent the four Mahavakyas of which the four Vedas are the sources. Some elaboration of this idea is called for. Of the four Mahavakyas, 'Prajnanam Brahma', probably the first, which means ''Brahman is knowledge, is extracted from the Rigveda. The other Mahavakyas are as follows :

''Aham Brahmasmi'' (meaning " I am Brahman") represented by Saradapeetha of Sringeri is extracted from the Yajurveda. ''Tattvamasi'' (thou art that), represented by Dwaraka Mutt, is extracted from the Samaveda and, finally, the fourth one
''Ayamatma Brahma'' (this Atman is Brahman), represented by the Jyothir Mutt is extracted from the Atharvaveda.

Besides these four Mutts there is a claim that Sankara founded a Mutt at Kanchi in Tamilnadu. Each of the heads of these Mutts bears the halo of Sankaracharya.

It is heartening to note that, although there may be minor differences in the modalities of their day-to-day activities, all the Mutts are one in propogation of the essential sprit of Advaita.

A notable feature of the Mutts is that the Sanyasins bore ten different titles as initiated by Adi Sankara. There seems to be a controversy about this classification, some crediting the Adi Sankara himself for it and others ascribing the division to Pridhvidharacharya. The titles of the ascetics are :

तीर्थाश्रमवनारण्यगिरिपर्वतसागरा:|
सरस्वती भारती च पूरी नामानि वै दश|

Those with the titles Puri, Saraswathi and Bharati are attached to Sringeri; ''Tirtha'' and ''Asrama'' are attached to Dwaraka; "Vana" and "Aranya" to "Puri" and ''giri'', ''Parvata'' and "Sagara" to Jyothirmutt. Kanchipeetam has adopted Indra Saraswathi. Let us now survey these different mutts briefly.


SRINGERI MUTT :

Although all the Mutts enjoy uniform reputation, the Sringeri Mutt has a special historical significance. An anecdote goes like this :

One Lomapada, king of Angadesa, invited Rishyasringa, an absolutely unsullied ascetic and staunch celebate, to his kingdom which was beset with a severe drought. True to his anticipation, as soon as Rishyasringa stepped into his kingdom, the drought disappeared miraculously and rain poured heavily. It was this saint Rishyasringa who did penance at Sringeri and Sankara was greatly attracted to this marvellous mendicant. That, then, is the significance of Sringeri.

Right from Sureswaracharya to the present swami, his Holiness Bharathitirtha Maha Swamy, Sringeri peetha has had a succession of thirty-six Acharyas, and, not only a majority of them happened to be Telugus, but, surprisingly, the official language of the Mutt is Telugu. The Mutt is running primary schools, libraries as well as all-facility guest houses. The vidya peetha of Sringeri has affiliated some forty educational institutions and Sanskrit it a "must" in them.

KANCHI MUTT :
This is one among the seven sakthi peethas and it is also known as Sarvajnapeetha.

According to tradition, Sankara established this peetham and made this a centre for the other four peethams.

कांच्यां श्रीकामकोटौ तु योगलिंगमनुत्तमम् |
प्रतिष्ठाप्य सुरेशार्थं पूजार्थं युयुजे गुरु:||

Right from Adi Sankara to the present Sankaracharya, this Mutt has been managed by as many as sixty-eight Acharayas, a considerable number of whom hailed from Andhradesa. The ninth in succession, Kripasankara, was known as Gangesopadhyaya in his pre-sannyasa life. His term was considered to be the golden age in the annals of Kanchi Mutt.

Vidyaghana, the fourteenth Acharya, also hailed from Andhra. Son of Bapanna Somayaji, this Vidyaghana was an eminent scholar, besides being a reputed Advaitin, and additionally he was an adept at mantra sastra.

To avoid monotony, here is a summary of some other prominent Andhra acharyas. Satchitsukha was the twenty-third in succession. What is remarkable about this man was that with his amazing debating prowess, he was able to convert an astronomer-atheist to the spiritual fold.

Mahadevendrasaraswathi, the twenty-eighth Acharya of the mutt, was followed by Bodhendrasaraswathi.

A highly memorable Acharya, Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi, the 68th in the line of the Mutt, toured the length and breadth of India (like Adi Sankara himself) not once but (a stupendous strain in itself) several times, and propagated Advaita. He was an embodiment of Brahma Jnana. His greatness was discussed thoroughly in a number of books published by reputed authors : P.Umamaheswara Sastry, (author of Chadrasekahravijayamaharatnaharam), Kalluri Venkata Subrahmanya Deekshita (author of Gurukeerthilahari), and Jatavallabhula Purushottam (author of Jagadguruprasasti). The universal and eternal teachings of Sri Chandrasekharendrasaraswathi Mahaswamigal are as follow.

Cultivate friendly attitude to conquer the minds of men ;
Look at others as yourself;
Give up war; give up jealousy;
Don't commit aggresion without reason;
Mother Earth is like Kamadhenu to fulfil wishes ;
The Lord God is like father, showering mercy ;
People of theworld !!
Live with descipline;
Live with charity;
Live with mercy;
May all people attain greater well-being.
DWARAKA MUTT :

Hasthamalaka, a disciple of Sankara was the founder-organiser of the mutt. In selecting Dwaraka, Sankara had a sanctimonious purpose. The sage Rishyasringa (about whom we have already studied earlier) moved from Sringeri to Dwaraka where he performed a rigorous and long-lasting penance along with his wife Santha. Rishyasringa, it may be repeated, was endowed with an uncanny power of materialising auspiciousness whereever he went. The most notable among the Andhra Acharyas was Anandagiri.

Dwaraka has grown into a holy piligrim centre on the West coast. Further, this Mutt has become a seat of higher studies and reasearch in Sanskrit and Advaita Vedanta. Among its multifareous activities may be mentioned its benevolent acts such as cow protection and promoting and encouraging Advaita Vedanta.

JYOTHIR MUTT :

Another significant mutt is Jyothir Mutt, established by Sankara in the North-West Himalayan region, 6000 feet above sea level. A number of educational institutions are affiliated to this mutt where Sanskrit is compulsory in the curriculam.


PURI :

This mutt is in Orissa. Paradoxically, it is at once ancient and modern teaching both ancient subjects like the sastras as well as modern subjects like ((mathematics, science, literature and social sciences.

Like the Adi Sankara the pioneer, the Acharayas of all these Sankara mutts have earned immaculate reputation of simple living and high thinking. And, as for their activities, although each mutt has its unique tradition, they are all one in propagating and enriching the fundamental concepts of Advaita.

Aside from the five principal Mutts (about which we have had a bird's-eye view) there are a large number of thier subsidaries.

YOGIS :

It is not out of place here to touch upon the contribution of Yogis in the propagation of Advaita Vedanta. The holy books of our tradition unanimously admit the unavoidable necessity of a living guru or saint for attaining the highest goal of life, i.e., self realization. The Upanishads stress the need for a guru for attaining Brahmajnana.

तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत्समित्पाणि: श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् |(मुण्डक उपनिषद्///१२)

The same idea is found in the Gita also.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया|
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्व दर्शिन:||
(Bhagavadgita IV - 34 )

The subustance of this command may be understood as follows :
Acquire Brahmajnana through prostration, inquiry, and sercive to an unusually qualified guru.
According to Swamy Rama, an internationally renowned saint, a father usually trains his children to grow and live happily and profitably in the physical world. But a spiritual father gives supreme jnana which cannot be imparted by a father or anyone else. ( Living with Himalayan Yogis - P. 26)

That is why our tradition gives utmost importance to teachers of enduring knowldge. The Upanishads describe such a teacher as elevated not only intellectually but spiritually also.
India is a land which has given birth to such high stature saints, also called Yogis, as their soul is always in association with that of the Supreme Soul. Among them some, including a few Andhras, are traditional while the others are non-traditional. Some are independent while the others are attached to a particular Mutt. Some are men while the others are women. Some are high-born while the rest are of low caste. Similarly, some are writers while the others are mere preachers. But irrespective of their status, position, caste, creed and sex, most of them have already attained perfection in the realisation of the supreme truth while others are still in their pursuit. The unique quality of them is simple living and sublime thinking. Despite their personal differences basing on their traditions their unifying factor is spirituality. They have achieved the four goals of Advaitavidya, viz ., study, preaching, practice and propagion. Interestingly, their blessings, or even their mere presence, have led their followers to advaitic fold, some sort of supreme bliss. Andhradesa has a glourious record in this spiritual sojourn.

There are literally hundreds of yogis (spiritualists) even among Andhras. Although the writer could procure a complete list of them after much search, he has deemed it prudent not to test the patience of the reader with the more
or less monotonous list. If, however, any body is intrested in getting to know those names, he will only be too pleased and will supply the information.


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CONTRIBURION OF ANDHRA TO ADVAITA VEDANTA

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CHAPTER 9
THE CONTRIBUTION OF PRINCIPALITIES

The growth, development and spread of the satstras have a chequered story behind them. There is an adage in Sanskrit according to which pundits, women and creepers cannot become resplendent without a suitable prop.
                                      विनाश्रया: न शोभन्ते पण्डिता: वनिता: लता:
This support was readily forthcoming for pundits from the then ruling kings and nobility. History brought about gradual change of authority to Moguls, and, later, the British. Patronage of pundits continued, though at a lower key, even under some of the Mogul rulers. In course of time there was a geographical reorganization culminating in the constitution of what came to be known as principalities. Even under this transition, poets and pundits were not denied encouragement and patronage. The result : Teaching of the Vedanta and other sastras went on untrammeled.

A word of specific activity in this regard is warranted here. The literary programme may be divided into four categories - appointing and\or honoring the scholars of Vedanta in their courts, getting scholars to write books on Vedanta and publishing them; organizing regular schools for teaching the Vedanta; organizing regular libraries by collecting and stocking thousands of books in general and of Vedanta in particular. A brief sketch of the contribution made by the principalities which are also coined as estates is given under.

Here is a synopsis of their contribution. This writer has thought it fit to employ the Telugu alphabetical order for the estates.

Papayaradhya of Mulugu family, patronized by Amaravathi estate, was not only a scholar of repute but also a Brahmajnani. There is an interesting story about the power of his prayer. When he went to the temple of Lord
Amareswaraswamy of Amaravathi, he found the doors of the temple closed. He started a panegyric of the Goddess Chamunda and lo behold ! the doors opened themselves. Having come to know of this wonder, the king of the estate Jagannatha Naidu invited him to be his courtier. Papayaradhya wrote many books on different sastras. An author of over a hundred works, he translated Devibhagavata which was replete with Advaita thought, into Telugu.

In our alphabetical journey we now come to Bankupalli Mallayya Sastry of Urlam estate whose achievement was translation of the Brahmasutras, a tough task indeed. We now go to Undrajavaram estate which patronized Vemparala. Suryanarayana Sastry, a poet and a scholar who wrote Sankaravijayam in a singularly scholarly Telugu. He contextually touched upon many doctrines of Advaita. Further , in order to bring home (Telugu land) the ideas in Sankaravijaya, he made some appropriate alterations, without, at the same time, sacrificing the sprit of the original work.
Peri Kasinatha Sastry, who was patronized by the Urlam estate, contributed his might by producing a monumental work in the field of Advaita. His work Sarirakabhashyasahitapratyushaprabodhamananamu , a translation of the Brahmasutrabhashya of Sankara , is itself a scholarly feat.

Next comes Kalahasti (A.D.1765 - 1850). This estate patronized Shanmukhadas of Akshintala family who translated the Sriramavasistasamvadamu, also called the Yogavasista. It deals with a number of philosophical thoughts and was a marvelous work.
A scholar patronized by Kurupam estate of Srikakulam District was Pulugurthi Narasimhamatya for authoring Mahavakyaratnavali in which he highlighted the Mahavakyas of different Upanishads. In addition, he drew the close attention of the devotees to the concept of Avidya, illusoriness of the world and the uniqueness of Brahman.

Another towering personality who produced a huge amount of literature in the field of Advaita Vedanta was Paravastu. Srinivasa Jagannathaswami, patronized by the Gode estate. His most inspiring book Bhagavadvishayopanishattulu , is an anthology and yet draws the attention of the seekers of the knowledge of Brahman as the original work does. His another work, Vaidikamatavali , explains not only the six systems of orthodox Indian philosophy but also the other subsystems of Vedanta : Sakteya, Visistadvaita and Dwaita.

Another renowned scholar whose fame is not confined to Andhradesa but extended beyond Andhra borders to as far as Varanasi was SubbaSastry of Akshintala family. The Jataprolu estate of Mahaboobnagar district was lucky in having patronized him. His Bhashyartharatnamala, in poetic format is a commentary on the Brahmasutrabhashya of Sankara. His son Singara Sastry, like his father, was a noted scholar and he was honored by the neighboring estates such as Venkatagiri, Gadwal, Vanaparthi, Atmakuru. He was the author of many works.
Here is a refreshing departure from the array of honors conferred on well deserving scholars by various estates. We have to honour the honorerPanuganti Parthasarathi Rayadu, the king of Panugallu estate of Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, was a great scholar himself. He digested the essence of the Gita and translated it in Manjaridwipada metre basing on the tradition.

Puranapanda Mallayyasastry of Pithapuram estate, of Andhra Pradesh translated the Brahmasutrabhashya of Sankara into Telugu. It is considered to be one of the best translations of Sutrabhashya..

Madhunapantula Satyanarayanasastry of the same estate wrote Shaddarsanasangraha and dedicated it to Suryaraobahaddur, head of the estate.

Mikkili Mallikarjunakavi [A.D.1805-1875] , who was the native of the village Peddada of Godavari district, wrote Nachiketacharitam and translated the Bhagavad-Gita into Telugu .

Dendukuri Narasimha Sastry a reputed scholar of Vedanta, was appointed by the king in his estate as parikshadhikarin in the branch of Advaita Vedanta and his services as parikshadhikarin were highly appreciated by the king as well as his colleagues.

Venkatakrishna Somayaji of Kotikalapudi family was patronized by the Bobbili estate of Srikakulam district. He translated Prabodhachandrodayam of Krishnamisra in to chaste Telugu. His son, Kotikalapudi Kodandaramakavi, was again a profound scholar in Vedanta and his scholarship was recognized by his being appointed as teacher in the estate to teach Vedanta.

Sriman Kalattur Vikrala Ramachandracharyulu [A.D.1879-1932] flourished in Mutyalapadu of Nellore district. He was a scholar in Vedas, Vedangas, and the six orthodox systems of Indian Philosophy. He was also a versatile scholar in all branches of learning. He not only preached Vedanta but defeated the scholars of other systems whom he came across. His versatile scholarship was appreciated in the following manner.

वेदानां सदनं तदर्थ शरणं वेदांगविद्याधनं
षड्दर्शिन्यवधारणं सकलविद्यारण्यपंचाननम् |
वाग्गंगाभरणं यशोSधिकरणं दुर्वादिनां भीषणं
विक्रालान्वयभूषणं शुभगुणं श्रीरामचन्द्रं भजे||
Akshintala Subbasastry who flourished in the Vanaparthi estate of Mahaboobnagar was a native of Reparla. He wrote Bhashyaratnamala in Arya metre.
Matukumalli Narasimhasastry who lived in Valluru estate of Krishna and Godavari districts was a panditadhikari. He debated for about three weeks and
defeated a scholar in Logic and Vedanta of a Sankara Mutt. While acting as Parikshadhikari, he honoured a number of Vedanta scholars.

Yellapeddi Raghavasastry [ A.D. 1765 - 1850] of Karampudi village and Vankamamidi Ramasastry of Varahapura Agrahara were also of considerable literary prowess..
Now, let us take a quick look at a few great but less- known Pundits.

Peri KasinathaSastry of Vijayanagaram estate wrote Bhagavadgitasaramu in Telugu.

Similarly, Gopinatham Venkatakavi of Venkatagiri estate wrote Bhagavadgitasaramu in Telugu.
Tanikella Prakasasastry of Sangamavalasa estate which was situated in the north of Visakhapatnam and west of Parvathipuram, wrote a work Vedantasiddhantaprakasa which throws light on many concepts of Advita Vedanta.
Chelekani Lacharao of Yerragudem estate composed Bhagavadgitamritam.
Raja Kalidindi Kumaralakshminarasimharaju, head of Mogultur estate, was a compelling scholar. In addition to becoming a great poet by himself, he also patronized many poets. He composed a work entitled Bhagavad-Gita in Dwipada metre.

                                                                                 ***

ANDHRA CONTRIBUTION TO ADVAITA VEDANTA

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CHAPTER 8

CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN TO
ADVAITA VEDANTA

It is interesting to note that a few women scholars also contributed their might for the development of Advaita Vedanta.

Despite the unconscionable ban of women, quite a number of women not only studied the sastras but also participated in scholarly discussions with emerging success. Andhradesa can justly be proud that it also produced reputed scholars of the fair sex.

Contrary to popular notion, women were never treated as inferior to men. They were given equal status and privileges as men and were never subjected to gender discrimination. There is evidence to show that women, just like men, also got initiated in Gayatri and chanted the Vedas with equal alacrity. And, like men, they too participated in philosophical discourses. A shining example is found in the lively discussion on Vedanta between Yajnavalkya and his wife Maitreyi.
.

To some, it may come as a revelation that women even chaired philosophical discussions and debates. Thus, Ubhayabharathi, wife of Mandana Misra, had the privilege of presiding over the marathon debating session where a furious debate took place between Sankara and MandanaMisra on highly esoteric philosophical issues. What is more stunning is that she, as judge, declared Sankara, not her husband, MandanaMisra - the winner ! We have in recent times the shining example of a great scholar, Kamakshi.

Kamakshi [A.D.1852 -1920], daughter of Ramaswami, is from Andhradesa. She was a great scholar in Nyaya and Vedanta. After her husband Ramalingarya's premature death, she proceeded to her mother's house and, rather
than drowning in grief, steeped herself in the study of Nyaya and Vedanta with unswerving concentration and determination. Kamakshi wrote the following scintillating works.
1) Advaitadipika : - This work substantiates the doctrines of Advaita, advocated by Madhusudanasaraswathi in Advaitasiddhi.

2) Sritiratnaprakasatippini : - This is a commentary on the Sritiratnaprakasa of Tryambakabhatta.
3) Sritimatodyotatippani : - This is also a commentary on the Sritimatodyota of Tryambakabhatta.
All these works were published by Sri Vani Vilas press.
While on this discussion of Vedanta Philosophy, one needs to record that a large number of contributors some contributed famous Telugu works while the other wrote original works in Telugu still others wrote commentaries of some Vedanta works in Telugu. Here are a few notable examples.

Kanakamba of Kanchanapalli family belongs to the 20th century. She wrote the great work Amrutasaramu, comprising 550 verses. She was a student of Amrutanandaswami and she incorporated the teachings of a guru in her works. The importance of a guru in attaining Moksha, the greatness of pranava, the concept of jivanmukthi and the means of attaining Atmasakshatkara are some of the important issues discussed in this treatise..

Another work of the same author is Ananadasaramu which consists of about 500 verses. In this monumental work the importance of Bhakti, Jnana, Vairagya and Self experience are beautifully advanced.
Still another production of the same author, Jivayatra is also available. This was written in 1800 poems. The title Jivayatra is suggestive of the
empirical journey of the jiva to the goal of Liberation.

Tarigonda Venkamamba of the 19th century translated Vasistaramayana also known as Yogavasista in chaste Telugu. She used the Dwipada as metre using a simple but elegant language.

Subhadramba of Mamidanna family lived in the first half of 20th century. She authored Adhyatmaramayanamu where she discussed many philosophical points such as the transitoriness of the world, the nature of Supreme Being and the identity of Jiva and Brahman.

Still there are many women authors of Advaita. Besides, we find that there were women ascetics also in Andhradesa who attained the state of Jivanmukti [liberation while living] and whose presence inspired their devotees in attaining or experiencing the state of liberation. Here is a list of the lady luminaries.

1) Tarigonda Venkamma [A.D. 1730 - 1817] of Chittur District.
2) Dontulamma [A.D. 1807 - 1932] of Machilipatnam of Krishna district.
3) Tikkalakshmamma [A.D. 1815 -1933] of Adoni.
4) Avadhuta Picchamma of [A.D. 1870 - 1951] of Kurumaddali.
5) Sukshamamurtemma [A.D.1807-1928] of Gangayapalli.
6) Venkamma [A.D.1808- 1862] of Manikyanagaram.
7) Chinnamma [A.D.1887 - 1956] of Repelle.
8) Eswaramma [A.D.1703 - 1803] of Kandimallaipalli.
9) Anasuya [A.D.1923 -1985] of Jillellamudi.

[ For more information about the other Yoginis, see Andhra Yogulu by
Prof. B. Rama Raju].


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ANDHRA CONTRIBUTION TO ADVAITA VEDANTA

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CHAPTER 7

REFUTATIONAL TREATISES

The contribution of Andhra to Advaita Vedanta is two--fold: Establishment of AdvaitaVedanta and demolition of systems antagonistic to Advaita Vedanta in general, and Visistadvaita Vedanta and Dwaita in particular.

Sankara's Advaita lasted unchallenged for as long a period as two centuries. Though there arose minor differences in the outlooks of Vivarana and Bhamati parts of the philosophy, they were in absolute agreement with the quintessence of the Advaita, i.e., the oneness of Jiva and Brahman. However, we find some decline in the Vedanta's sway from the 11th century onwards, as some Vedantins like Ramanuja, Srikantha and Madhva, went about interpreting the Sastras in their own idiosyncratic ways, much at variance with the pristine state of the Advaita. In this on-going battle of wits, some ardent followers of the Advaita condemned the critics severely and gave their perspicacious interpretation of the Vedanta. As part of this literary battle, some Advaitins, threw the Visistadvaita of Ramanuja and the Dwaita of Madhva into the defensive. The "modus operandi" is somewhat like this:
Ramanuja, the propounder of Visistadvaita, studied Vedanta under Yadavaprakasa who happened to be an Advaitin. Ramanuja was not satisfied with the interpretations made by his guru. He used to differ with him frequently. In course of time, the quarrel between them on some Philosophical issues resulted in Ramanuja being driven out by Yadavaprakasa. Later, it so happened that he was encountered by Yamunacharya, his maternal uncle's teacher. Astounded by this Acharya's scholarship, Ramanuja left for Srirangam to meet him. Unfortunately for him, by the time Ramanuja reached there, Yamunacharya had departed from this world. The story goes that Ramanuja found, to his dismay, three fingers of the dead body in an unnaturally deformed condition. Ramanuja interpreted the three deformed fingers as his three unfulfilled desires. These three desires, he surmised, were :
1) Propagation of Vaishnavism.
2) Preparing a commentary of the Brahmasutras in the light of Visistadvaita.
3) The measures to bring people into the fold of Vaishnavism.

Eventually, after returning home, Ramanuja wrote a number of treatises among which Vedanta Deepa, Vedantasara and Vedarthasangraha are outstanding. His commentary on the Brahmasutrabhashya is known as Sribhashya, and it gained immense popularity.

Ramanuja's philosophy is referred to as Visistadvaita because it combines Advaita [oneness of God] with visesha [attributes]. The philosophy is monotheistic. In Ramanuja's system of philosophy, the Lord [Narayana] has two inseparable Prakaras or modes,viz.,the world and the soul. These are related to Him as the body is related to the soul. They have no existence apart from Him. They inhere in Him as attributes in a substance. Matter and soul constitute the body of the Lord. The Lord is their indweller. He is the controlling reality. Matter and soul are the subordinate elements. They are termed Viseshanas, i.e., attributes. God is the Viseshya or that which is qualified.

The philosophy of Ramanuja picked out seven fundamental flaws in the Advaitic thought. The system argues:

1) The nature of Avidya. Avidya must be either real or unreal; there is no other possibility. But neither of these is possible. If Avidya is real, non-dualism collapses into dualism. If it is unreal, we are driven to self-contradiction or infinite regress.

2) The incomprehensibility of Avidya. Advaitins claim that Avidya is neither real nor unreal but incomprehensible [anirvacaniya]. All cognition is either of the real or the unreal : the Advaitin's claim flies in the face of experience, and accepting it would call into question all cogition and render it unsafe.

3) The grounds of knowledge of Avidya. No pramana can establish Avidya in the sense that the Advaitin requires. Advaita philosophy presents Avidya not as a mere lack of knowledge, as something purely negative, but as an obscuring layer which covers Brahman and is removed by true Brahma vidya. Avidya is positive nescience, not mere ignorance. Ramanuja agrues that positive nescience is established neither by perception, nor by inference, nor by scriptural testimony. On the contrary, Ramanuja argues, all cognition is very real.
4) The locus of Avidya. Where is the Avidya that gives rise to the [false] impression of the reality of the perceived world? There are two possibilities; it could be Brahman's Avidya or the individual soul's [Jiva.] Neither is possible. Brahman is knowledge; Avidya cannot co-exist as an attribute with a nature utterly incompatible with it. Nor can the individual soul be the locus of Avidya : the existence of the individual soul is due to Avidya; this would lead to a vicious circle.

5) Avidya's obscuration of the nature of Brahman. Sankara would have us believe that the true nature of Brahman is somehow covered-over or obscured by Avidya. Ramanuja regards this as an absurdity; given that Advaita claims that Brahman is pure self-luminous consciousness, obscuration must mean either preventing the origination of this [impossible since Brahman is eternal] or the destruction of it-equally absurd.

6) The removal of Avidya by Brahma vidya. Advaita claims that Avidya has no beginning, but it is terminated and removed by Brahma vidya, the intuition of the reality of Brahman as pure, undifferentiated consciousness. But Ramanuja denies the existence of undifferentiated [nirguna] Brahman, arguing that whatever exists has attributes : Brahman has infinite auspicious attributes. Liberation is a matter of Divine Grace : no amount of learning or wisdom will deliver us.

7) The removal of Avidya. For the Advaitin, the bondage in which we dwell before the attainment of Moksha is caused by Maya and Avidya; knowledge of reality [Brahma vidya] releases us. Ramanuja, however, asserts that bondage is real. No kind
of knowledge can remove what is real. On the contrary, knowledge discloses the real; it does not destroy it. And what exactly is the saving knowledge that delivers us from bondage to Maya? If it is real, then non-duality collapses into duality; if it is unreal, then we face an utter absurdity. [Ramanuja-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia].

Although, Ramanuja had also a large number of followers, the chief opponents of Ramanuja were followers of Sankara. They attempted to retaliate and refute Visistadvaita of Ramanuja both from the point of view of logical arguments and through that of interpretation of the Upanishads.
WORKS AGAINST VISISTADVITA :

Umamaheswara [A.D. 1550 -1650] of Vellala family was a disciple of Akkayyasuri and father of Bhaskaradikshita. These two, father and son, each in his own way, became bitter critics of Visistadvaita. Umamaheswara wrote a treatise Tattva Chandrika or Nirgunabrahmamimamsa wherein he demolished the theories of Srikantha and Ramanuja wholesale. [ Incidentally, this work is available in Madras Government oriental Manuscripts Library. [R. 5156]]. Not content with his criticism in this work, he prepared to write another treatise Virodhavarudhini in which he continued his tirade against Visistadvaita with still more virulence, Umamaheswara pointed out as many as one hundred self-contradictions in the Visistadvaita and allied productions, but, unfortunately he became ill and could not fulfil his desire : he had to be content with attacking just 27 contradictions[ H.I.P.-part-2 .p396]. Umamahesrara was credited with the authorship of other works, including Advaitakamadhenu and Taptamudravidravana wherein he condemned the theories of Visistadvaita vehemently.

Bhaskaradikshita [A.D.1650-1750], his father's son that he was,was a protege of Raghunathanayaka. His monumental work Atmatattvapariksha consists of eight chapters. This work is unpublished but the manuscript is available in Madras Oriental Manuscripts Library [No. R 756.M.G.O.M.L]
Another critic of Visistadvaita was Brahmadeva Pandita [A.D.1700-1800] of Pinninti family. His cogent criticism against Visistadvaita is found in his masterpiece Visistadvaitadushanasarasangraha.

As for 'Tattvamasi' of Advaita, Brahmadevapandita opposed Ramanuja's Visistadvaita interpretation arguing that it contained a number of loopholes and thus his interpretation was utterly untenable and finally praised Sankaras's original Vedanta as indisputably unsurpasable. According to Advaita, the interpretation of the Mahavakya i.e..Tattvamasi is as follows : the word Tat conveys the concept of Brahman as Infinite, Omniscient and Inaccessbile. Tvam conveys Jiva which is but limited. However since knowledge is the common factor, albeit quantitatively different, the two are identified with each other - Tatvamasi.

In sharp contrast, Ramanuja interpreted the concept of Tatvamasi as a three-fold entity : the Body, the Jiva and the Antaryami (the inmost factor). Antaryami (Almighty dwelling inside) is none other than the Almighty and this signifies Tatvamasi but this view was not accepted by Sankara's followers because it ignores Jiva and introduces the questionable concept of Antaryami. Their emphasis is on the oneness of Jiva and Brahman, not Antaryami and Brahman.
The knowledge that we get from Sriti like Tattvamasi is direct and immediate as well as not rational. To understand the meaning of this text we have to consider the grammatical co-ordination, the substantive attribute relation and the implied meaning conveyed by the terms.

The two words 'tat' [that] and 'tvam' (thou) are in grammatical co-ordination, and the meanings conveyed by them are not synonymous. The word 'tat' refers to Brahman as determined infinitude, omniscience, remoteness, etc. It is absurd to identify 'tvam' ["thou"] with 'tat' [that] in view of the fact that the determinant of the two terms is mutually incompatible. So by removing the determinants of each term and by retaining the common element, viz., consciousness through the process of Jahadajahallakshana also known as Bhagalakshana, we can
interpret the sriti thus : 'tat twam asi' conveys the sense of identity, a unitary unrelated content, namely the undifferentiated consciousness. This is the Advaitic interpretation. Contrary to this Ramanuja interpreted 'Tattvamasi' in a different way. According to him there are three steps :-
1. The Body
2. Jiva( Who is identified with the body)
3. Antaryami (dwelling in the jiva)

Here 'tvam' refers to Antaryami who dwells in the midst of all living and nonliving beings and 'tat' refers to Brahman which is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. Since Parameswara is Antaryami, there is no need to go for Bhagalakshana to bring identity between Jiva and Brahman. But this is not acceptable as the actual and direct identity of Jiva and Brahman is not stated here.

विशिष्टाद्वैतवादस्य मानाभावादयुक्तित: |
स्वरूपाद्वैतवादो न: सम्यग्विजयतेतराम्||
We now come to another staunch defender of Advaita-Vedanta Ayyannadikshita [A.D. 1700-1800]. His work Vyasatatparyanirnaya was a small book yet highly penetrating in expressions [reminding us of the modern mantra 'Small is beautiful']. His purpose in writing this beautiful work was to settle the disputes between the then burning issues of monism versus dualism.

It is amusing that Ayyannadikshita humorously argued that critics of Vedanta, whose top-of-the-roof outbursts against the Advaita, happened to attack the Advaita itself of which they were blissfully ignorant. The natural inference is that they equated Advaita with Vedanta unwittingly, and paid unwilling tribute to Advaita.
Another critic of Visistadvaita, Narakanthiravasastry [A.D 1850-1950], was well versed in many Sastras, and wrote a commentary on Vyasatatparyanirnaya. Besides publishing the works of Umamaheswara viz., Tattvachandrika and Virodhavarudhini, he also broughtforth Mahavakyaratnavali and Taptachakrankavidhvamsa which bitterly criticized the Visistadvaita. Still another critic from Andhradesa was Bellamkonda Ramarayakavi. He excelled all his predecessors in his criticism against Visistadvaita. There is an interesting anecdote Vis-a-Vis Ramaraya's philosophical turnaround.

Originally he was a faithful devotee of Visistadvaita. He once invited a Vaishnava celebate to be his guest. This Vaishnavite, in his faith's arrogance, declined the invitation. This made Ramaraya furious and he began cogitating seriously about these contradictory faiths. Ultimately, he saw sensibility in Advaita and not in Visistadvaita. Thus his loyalty and belief shifted from Visistadvaita to Advaita in a curious somersault.

While Appayyadikshita tried to demolish the theories of Dwaita in order to defend Advaita, Ramaraya did the same against Visistadvaita. His Sankarasakarabhashyavimarsa meets the criticism of Ramanuja and Vedantadesika against Sankara and provides a word - to - word reply to their arguments. He also points out the contradictions and fallacies in the Visistadvaita. It is in this field that Ramaraya has excelled all the earlier Advaita writers such as Umamaheswara, Bhaskaradikshita and Brahmadevapandita. Ramaraya's outpourings were far superior to those of many scholars. Professor Dutta, a knowledgeble critic, declares that as against Umamaheswara, Bhaskaradikshita and Brahmadevapandita - whose works were either incomplete or incompetent, Ramaraya's works came as a shining example of striking criticism. While some Advaitins aimed their arrows against the Visistadvaita of Ramanuja, others challenged Dwaita which was propounded by Madhvacharya.


Madhvacharya alias Anandatirtha [A.D.1198-1276] was believed to be an incarnation of Vayu. He was considered to be a born enemy of Sankara. Though, paradoxically, Madhvacharya studied under Achyutapreksha, an Advaita teacher, he strongly differed from his teacher. His hatred towards Advaita drove him to such an extent that he called Sankara's followers deceitful demons. He was so intelligent that he not only convinced his teacher of his dualistic views but even converted him into his path. Madhva wrote about 37 works. He advocated dualism of which the main tenet is the five - fold differences.
1) Self and God
2) The selves themselves
3) Matter and soul
4) Matter and self
5) Matter and matter
In short, no two items are truly identical, though some pairs appear to be the same. It is surprising that, even on attaining Moksha, the fundamental physical difference between the various categories of living and nonliving beings remains unaffected.
`जीवेशयोर्भिदा चैव जीवभेद: परस्परम् |
जडेशयोर्जडानां च जडजीवभिदा तथा ||
पंच भॆदा: इमा: नित्या: सर्वावस्थासु नित्यश: |
मुक्तानां च न हीयन्ते तारतम्यं च सर्वश: || (Mahabharatatatparyanirnaya)
According to Madhva, Narayana is the Supreme Lord and Bhakthi is the means of liberation. Madhva differed not only from Sankara but also from
Ramanuja. Like Sankara and Ramanuja he had a huge following among whom Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha stand out. These disciples became "more loyal than the king" and attacked the Mayavada of Sankara almost venemously.
Madhva lived in the 13th century and, at that time, many followers of Sankara such as Sureswara, Vachaspatimisra, and Prakasatman had written their treatises against dualistic views. Madhva and his followers, Jayatirtha and Vyasatirtha, tried their level best to refute the theories of Sankara. This raging literary battle took a more or less dramatic turn, with Yajnanarayanadikshita, et al attacking Vadiraja et al of their dwaita faith who in their turn, crossed swords with the former(Advaitins) challenging, for example, the validity of Yajnanarayanadikshita's commentary on Panchapadikavivarana. These attacks and counter attacks made an interesting, if unfortunate,saga. However, it was Madhva's dualism which suffered comparitively innumerable and inclement salvos at the hands of the Advaitins.

Appayyadikshita's scholarly work, Madhvatantramukamardanam, made an unfavourable criticism on Madhva's dualism. Many scholars have attacked Madhva's dualism vehemently as shown below.

Mallanaradhya of Kotisa family [A.D. 1400-1500] wrote Advaitaratna which is also known Abhedaratna in which he demolished the theories of Madhva.

Another great scholar Ramakrishna of Datta family composed a work, Madhvamatachapetika, in which he criticized the views of Madhvacharya pungently. Still another great scholar Sitaramasastry of Bommakanti family authored Madhvamatakhandanam in which the dualism of Madhva was totally torn to pieces.

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