ShAstrayOnitvAt AdhikaraNam - A clarification

In the following Video, Sri ManidrAvida Shastrigal, explains the SrikantabhAshyam on the ShAstrayonitvAt adhikaraNam from the Brhahmasutram:

Upanyasamon Srikanthabhäsye - Sastrayonitvāt - Adikaranam | Dr. Mani Dravid | 22 10 2024

One of the unique features of Sri Shakara bhAshyam is to give two kinds of meanings for this sutra.

One is to say that Brahman/Ishwara is known only through the vEdAdi ShAstra pramAna. It is not known through any other pramANa like pratyaksha or anumAna.

The second meaning is that Brahman or Ishwara is the source of shAstra also. By this the sarvagyatva or the omniscience of Ishwara is also proved. This is special to Shankara bhAshya as it is not mentioned by Sri Ramanuja or Sri Madhwa.

But a question arises; if Brahman / Ishwara is the source of shAstra then how come Veda/shAstra is apourusheya or that which has no author? For that the answer provided is that – At the time of creation, Ishwara brings out the shAstra which was already in Him. Ishwara also does not have any dosha or defects that is seen in all ordinary beings.

The above reason is not convincing enough as other avaidhika religions also can claim validity to their scriptures based on the same argument.

The correct reason would be to identify Ishwara or parmAtma as the all-pervading and indwelling Self, supporting and sustaining the entire universe as His body. This SarvavyApi, VishwAntaryAmi Ishwara/Brahman naturally becomes the source and destination of shAstra and all name/forms in the universe.

Other religions can never claim validity to their scriptures based on the above argument because their God is not paramAtmA – the all pervading and indwelling Self of the universe!

Here is another point that is discussed:

As Veda mantras are realized by Maharshis, they also would end up as equal to Ishwara knowing everything. For this the answer given is that – yes Maharshis know all that is taught in the Vedas, but Ishwara knows even that is not taught in the Vedas.

The above seems to limit Vedas. But Vedas themselves declare that it is infinite – anantAvai vedAh. But still Vedas also acknowledge that it cannot describe Ishwara/Brahman completely. This proves that Brahman is the source of Vedas also and clearly establishes that Ishwara/Brahman is higher than the Maharshis. 

Namaste

Suresh

Another look at the Vedic and non-Vedic World views

Namaste,

From the Vedic Hindu point of view - all other non-Vedic mata or religion or world views are nothing but reflections or watered down version of Hindu dharma only. Their existence have two-fold purpose. One to attract existing dumb followers who are not spiritually or intellectually evolved or matured enough to appreciate and practice the rigors of Vedic Hindu dharma and the other is to mislead asuras or haters of Vedic dharma.

Why should asuras or haters of Vedic religion be mislead? That is because they misuse the spiritual powers gained by meditating on the Vedic mantra to destroy the world. Asuras like Ravana, Hiranya kashipu and so on are blatant examples.

Either way, non-Vedic views provide a good purva paksha or challenges, for those who seriously follow Vedic dharma, thereby keeping them sharp and steadfast in establishing their Siddhanta / philosophical position and sadhana / practice of dharma, by overcoming or refuting all such challenges.

Of course, there are differences in the world views, within the followers of Vedic Hindu dharma also, but they are all different ways of seeing the same Non-dual Truth of SarvAntaryAmi Brahman or ParamAtma – established as the all-pervading and indwelling Self of all. Though the individual followers may disagree, all such Vedantic views overlap and complement each other. They are all aligned with the Vedic teaching that God/Brahman is established as the inner Self of all and the way to attain Him is through the path of dharma alone. Only Vedic view that accepts the entire universe as the body of God who is established as the inner Self of all, cannot have any self-contradiction.

On the other hand, all non-Vedic world views, that do not accept God or Brahman as the inner spirit Self of all, supporting and sustaining the universe as his body, will have self-contradictions and fall into the category of adharma or false religion.

Here is a high-level synopsis of all such major non-Vedic and Vedic views:

Bouddha (could also be called as nAsthika mohana shAstra):

As it helps to attract and spiritualize chAruvAkas or atheists who do not accept Veda or Ishwara or God. It also indirectly helps rajasic/tamasic humans to tone down and take to non-violence. But it has self-contradiction as it denies reality to everything which includes its own teaching. In-fact it indirectly supports Advaita Vedanta as the denier of everything cannot deny himself.

Jaina view also, falls into the same category as they do not accept Veda or Ishwara or God who perades and indwells in all. But they accept the existence of soul that indwells in every body which is actually a miniature Ishwara or ruler/owner/controller/sustainer of the body.

But both Bouddha and Jaina view accept dharma which is of the nature of truth, sacrifice and non-violence. Those who get attracted to such world views would at least practice truthfulness and non-violence that helps in their spiritual evolution and sustenance of the world.

(Non-traditional) Advaita could also be called asura mohana shAstra:

As it helps to attract and spiritualize those who mis-interpret or accept only the Self as real and deny any reality to dharma, yagya, devatas, brAhmanAs and varNAshrama dharma.

Such non-traditional advaitin’s have Self-contradiction as it is impossible to deny bheda / difference between atma/anAtma (self and non-self/body/universe) and the relationship of Dharma that obtains between them, in the transactional world. If the embodied self is considered as God, it leads to the - “I am God” mentality which is ignorance to the core and is nothing but Asuric / Atheistic view. 

But Traditional Advaitins are safe as they accept Veda/Ishwara as the inner Self of the universe and Varnashrama dharma as a service to Ishwara as valid in vyavahAra. They also accept, Dharma/Yagya/Ishwara bhakti as the only means to eliminate ignorance, leading to the attainment or realization of the Advaitic Brahman/Atman.

  

(Non-traditional) V.Advaita could also be called Nara mohana shAstra:

As it helps to attract all humans based on the teaching of spiritual equality thereby taking spirituality and religion to all downtrodden humans. 

But non-traditional or incorrect understanding of V.Advaitic equality might lead to the wrong understanding that jiva (soul) and Ishwara (God) are also equal in all respects. It can also lead to the false understanding that anybody can engage in any profession ignoring bodily differences, thereby eroding varnashrama dharma. 

In-fact the relationship of body and soul between the world and God helps to justify VarnAshrama dharma as every different part of the body has its own role or work to perform. But though the roles are different they are neither high or low as they all culminate in the service of the indwelling soul / God.

This wrong notion of material equality or outcome in the transactional world is the root of Communism which is another form of Asuric view, that tends to break all traditions, family and structures in human society. 

Other non-Brahmic (Abrahamic??) world views also subscribe to this wrong notion of equality in creation and so tend to collude with Communists as it helps their agenda of breaking traditional Vedic Hindu society.

 

(Non-traditional) Dvaita could also be called Sura mOhana shAstra:

As it helps to attract suras/devatas/satvikas based on the teaching of the supremacy of Ishwara/Vishnu as sarvottama, in the light of tAratamya or gradation that is materially seen in all sentient and insentient entities. The teaching of pancha bheda of Dvaita goes very well with pratyaksha or material reality. But taking this tAratamya to the core could lead to disunity due to non-cognition of the spiritual equality and unity due to the presence of the same Brahman or God in all. This would make suras's egoistic thereby making them fight among each other for supremacy making them vulnerable to attacks from asuras / adharmic views. Vedas and Puranas have many such stories of asuras defeating suras due they becoming weak due to infighting among themselves. 

But ultimately Suras always win over Asuras as they are intrinsically devotees of Vishnu, who will protect them. 

Ideally, spiritual and religious teaching, in addition to recognizing material differences and gradation, should help one to transcend worldly dualities like enjoyment and suffering, personified as suras and asuras and land us in equanimity due to the cognition of  Brahman/Ishwara in all and within oneself and everything.

Reconciliation of all Vedic views :

As no Vedantic darshana is perfect in itself, there is a need to integrate all of them, predominantly the idealistic and realistic views, by looking upon the entire world as the body/reflection/pratibimba of Brahman established as the essential Self of all. Acceptance of Brahman as the AntaryAmi Atma / Self and the world as God's body, which is explicitly taught in the Veda, seems to unite all the particular schools of vedanta.

The non-duality of the Universal Self and the spiritual equality of all beings due to the presence of the same Brahman in all and the absolute dependence of all the many different beings on God/Brahman established as the universal Self, cannot be denied by anyone accepting Veda as a valid pramANa. The absolute dependence on the universe for our existence cannot be denied by anyone, irresepective of their world view, as it is very much experiential.

As a consequence, all non-Vedic/adhArmic views/religions that do not accept the entire universe or cosmos as the body or personality of God – have self-contradiction and goes against the universal Vedic view which is very much experiencial.

 

Namaste

Suresh

Refutation of John Muir's view

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir_(indologist)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matapar%C4%ABk%E1%B9%A3%C4%81

 

John Muir was a British Indologist who like many others studies Sanskrit to misinterpret and denigrate all that is Hindu and to propagate Christianity.

The book is written in the form of a dialogue between a student and a teacher. The following is a synopsis of 1839 edition of his work Matapariksha with my refutation inline:

 

Description of God's Attributes (Īśvara-guṇa-varṇana)

The student notes that various religions contradict each other, and therefore, not all of them can be true. The teacher explains that an intelligent person must analyze religions, accept the true one, and reject all others. He then describes the various attributes of the god.

The Necessity of Divine Guidance (Aiśanītyāvaśyakatā)

The student asks if all believers conceive the God as omniscient, creator of everything etc. The teacher explains that many people follow religions that blaspheme God and worship other spirits, claiming that their scripture is divine.

Description of the Characteristics of the True Religion (Satya-dharma-lakṣaṇa-varṇana)

The teacher describes the three characteristics of the true scriptures:

The founder of the true religion must have performed miracles such as giving life to the dead, and such miracles should have been recorded beyond doubt. The true scripture must show excellence: the texts containing shameful stories are not divine. The true scripture must be universal: a scripture good for only a certain group of people is not divine.

True scripture/religion is that which is not created or founded by any human, ever existing or sanAtana and that which unconditionally sustain the entire universe. Veda/dharma alone qualify as true scripture/religion as it is not created or founded by any human, eternal with no beginning or end and enshrines the ideal of dharma/yagya/sacrifice that unconditionally sustains the universe. Though propagation of Veda is restricted to a section of people, the results of the sacrifice performed is reaped by all. Also, the performance of dharma comprising of the ideals of yagya/sacrifice, daana/charity and Tapasya/self-control is applicable to all.

Everything else including Christianity and its siblings that do not have the idea of karma/dharma cannot explain the diversity in creation and so they all fall into the category of adharma/false religion. Intelligent people need to reject and take up Sanatana dharma. Miracles like giving life to the dead and so on are only for children and fools. Alternatively, what is not a miracle in the universe? everything including the sprouting of a plant, birth of a baby, working of the human body and the entire universe is a miracle and intelligent people can recognize God’s presence in all of them. What is needed for a true religion is not just a story or miracle but a solid philosophy that explains everything. Vedic view of looking upon the entire universe as the body of God sustaining everything alone can be considered as universal and real as it is experiential.

Presentation of Christianity (Khṛṣtīya-mata-pradarśana)

The teacher explains that only the scriptures of Christianity have the above-described characteristics, arguing that:

The miracles of Jesus were recorded before many witnesses, and even his adversaries admitted them. The commandments of Christianity are holy and pure. Christianity is universal and does not benefit only people from certain castes During this explanation, the teacher discusses various Christian doctrines such as the necessity of Jesus' incarnation, the Holy Spirit and the Heaven.

Christianity and other Abrahamic religions with eternal hell and heaven are applicable only for dogmatic humans and so cannot be universal. Their kindness is restricted to believers in their faith only. Vedic Hindu religion alone could be considered as universal as it locates God in all and consequently extending kindness and compassion to every living being including plants and animals. Even non-living entities are revered as sacred and humans are urged to reduce consumption and promote sustainable living.

Deliberation on the Indian Scriptures (Bhāratīya-śāstra-vicāra)

The teacher then explains that the Indian scriptures do not show the three characteristics of the true scriptures, arguing that:

Only the children and the fools, not intelligent people, believe in the miraculous stories about the daityas and the asuras. The origin of the Hindu texts such as the Vedas is obscure, as they were orally transmitted for a long period. Heroes such as Rama and Krishna were humans who have been glorified as divine figures by poets.

Asuras and Suras symbolically represent material and spiritual forces that influences humans. It is very well known that Rama and Krishna are avataras or incarnations of the supreme God Vishnu or Brahman who is the Universal Self. As already mentioned, Vedas alone are authentic as they are authorless and universal. Vedas look upon the entire universe as the One supreme being, God and as a consequence, dharma as a service to the universe, culminate in the service of God.

Bible also is filled with stories with fictitious characters like Satan and Angels and they are not symbolic either. All other non-Vedic texts are not universal as they divide the universe into believers and non-believers. Abrahamic god is arrogant, jealous and human like, as he damns a section of his own creation into eternal hell.

Hindu God on the other hand, is full of auspicious qualities and unconditional love as he keeps the entire world within himself. He resides in the heart of all including those who don’t believe in him. Instead of damning adharmic people, He gives infinite chance through multiple lives for them to correct themselves and come to the right path of dharma.

The Hindu texts are full of contradictions, "shameful stories", and erroneous claims such as the description of the earth as "lotus-shaped or resting on a turtle's back". The rituals described in these texts do not make sense: for example, if one's sufferings are a result of sins, why does bathing in the Ganges cleanses one's sins but doesn't remove one's sufferings? Moreover, the Hindu scriptures are contradictory: if one follows the Vedas (which worship Indra and Agni), they must reject the Puranas (which worship Shiva and Vishnu) and the Vedanta (which worship the God as atman or spirit). The various philosophical systems - such as mimamsa, nyaya and sankhya - are mutually contradictory.

Many such, seemingly “shameful” and “contradictory” stories in the Vedas, puranas, ithihasas and other Hindu scriptures are highly symbolic. They serve two important purpose – one to mislead ignorant, non-traditional and irreligious adharmic people or asuras and the other to encourage traditional devoted dharmic souls to investigate and contemplate further and reconcile based on the interpretations provided by traditional AchAryas or teachers.

In addition to Agni and Indra - Rama and Krishna who are avataras of Vishnu, are mentioned umpteen number of times in the Vedas. The name Vishnu etymologically means the all-pervading and indwelling Self. This Vedic idea of God as the inner controlling Self of all should reconcile all differences as the spirit Self alone is identified through every name/form in the universe. Rigveda itself reconciles by saying “Ekam sat viprah bahuda vadanti” - that God or reality is One even though learned people identify Him with many names like Indra, Mitra, Varuna and so on.

Bathing in Ganga removes past sins or sanchita karma, but the soul will still have to go thru the sufferings due to prarabdha karma that has started bearing fruits. Even this could be reduced based on the individual’s devotion and God’s grace.

The caste restrictions prescribed by the dharma-shastras deny the equality of men, thus proving that Hinduism is not universal.

In conclusion, the teacher states that he derives "no satisfaction from refuting other religions". He praises the "good qualities" of the Hindus (such as their poetry and grammatical sciences), but states that their religion is not true.

Not everything including humans in the world are created equal. So, Vedas recognizes differences and urges humans to engage in dharma or service to the society and universe according to one’s capability and capacity. More importantly, Vedas recognize the presence of the same God in all and this view leads to spiritual equality and unity in diversity. Good qualities of Hindus are based on this universal view of recognizing the presence of the divine God in all the diverse entities. All other religions including Christianity that locates God only in heaven are obviously short sighted and so not complete. They could at best be considered as a reflection or partial manifestation of the universal Hindu religion. Such human conceived religions may come and go in time, as opposed to Sanatana Hindu dharma that exists for ever.

The attempt of all non-Vedic / adhArmic scholars to refute Vedic Hindu religion, is similar to the darkness fighting the light. 

Many Hindus have written rebuttals to Muir’s work:

Mata-parīkṣā-śikṣā ("A Lesson for the [Author of the] Mataparīkṣā", 1839) by Somanātha, apparently a pseudonym for Subaji Bapu of Central India

Mataparīkṣottara ("An Answer to the Mataparīkṣā", 1840) by Harachandra Tarkapanchanan of Calcutta

Śāstra-tattva-vinirṇaya ("A Verdict on the Truth of the Shastra", 1844-1845) by Nilakantha Gore (or Goreh) of Benares

 

Namaste

Suresh

Answers to Riddles in Hinduism - 12

Namaste

Here is an attempt to answer Dr. Ambedkar’s objections in his book - "Riddles in Hinduism".

Riddle # 12:

Why did the brahmins dethrone the gods and enthrone the goddesses??

Ambedkar seems to borrow heavily from the Christian missionary, John Muir’s works:

He says - Christians had problems proving to Jews that Jesus is the son of God as God is unmarried. But Hindus have no qualms as most of their God’s are married.

Further he says - Hindu God can enter a married state and neither the God nor his worshipper need feel any embarrassment on account of the God acting as though he was no better than a common man. The second is that the God's wife automatically becomes a goddess worthy of worship by the followers of the God.

Explanation: According to Vedic Hindu view, God creates by using His mysterious energy or Sakti called “mAya/Prakriti”, which is primarily identified as the material nature. Thus, if God is masculine, His Sakti or the material nature is feminine and they form an inseparable whole. Creation is impossible without this play of Purusha/masculine and prakriti/feminine. The Feminine form of God’s energy in the form of Mother nature with God indwelling in it, is naturally worthy of worship as it unconditionally sustains all beings

Ambedkar segregates Vedic and Puranic goddesses. He says, Vedic Goddesses were worshipped merely based on courtesy as they were wives of Gods while Puranic Goddesses were worshipped based on their own right as they fought wars and killed demons. Vedic goddesses never went to the battle field and never performed any heroic deeds – This is not true. Many Vedic suktas, describe Goddesses as bearers of weapons and also as dreaded killers of Asuras.  

The Varaha purana explanation that Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati are the names of one and the same divinity appears very odd for Ambedkar, as they are wives of Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva who are different and fight each other.

According to Vedas, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are manifestations of the supreme God Narayana only. The identification of all gods culminating in Narayana should reconcile all differences.

Ambedkar also writes:

The difference is that while in the Vedic times the wars with the Asuras are left to be fought by the Gods, in the Puranic times they are left to be fought by the Goddess. Why is that Puranic Goddesses had to do what the Gods in Vedic times did? It cannot be that there were no Gods in Puranic times. There were Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva gods who ruled in the Puranic times. When they were there to fight the Asuras why were the Goddesses enrolled for this purpose. This is a riddle which requires explanation.

Explanation: It is wrong to understand that Puranas deal with only Goddesses. Each Purana is dedicated to particular deities, male or female. As expliained earlier,  Goddesses are the energy or Sakti of Gods. They form an inseparable whole like the Sun and its rays. In some places God’s are heralded and in other places their consorts play a major role. In both cases, the credit goes to both. The ultimate purpose is to protect devatas who are embodiments of dharma and defeat the asuras who are personifications of adharma.

Why then Saraswati and Lakshmi not take part in the battle with Asuras and it is always reserved for Shiva’s wives? Even then, it is only Durga who kills asuras and Parvati is always shown as a simple woman?

Explanation: It is said that Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Parvati/Durga are said to control mind, speech and body respectively and so where ever there is physical fighting with the body is described, Durga’s role seems to be prominent. Parvati is the sattvic form of Durga only. The Vishnu purana states that all masculine forms are ultimately Vishnu and all feminine forms are Lakshmi. Lakshmi is the Sakti of Vishnu. This should settle all issues.

Further the Brahmins do not seem to have realized that by making Durga the heroine who alone was capable of destroying the Asuras, they were making their own Gods a set of miserable cowards. It seems that the Gods could not defend themselves against the Asuras and had to beg of their wives to come to their rescue.

Explanation: There is no problem here, as long as the Goddesses remain the Sakti of Gods. A true husband wins by losing to his wife and vice versa also.

 How can such cowardly Gods have any prowess? If they had none, how can they give it to their wives. To say that Goddesses must be worshipped because they have Sakti is not merely a riddle but an absurdity. It requires explanation why this doctrine of Sakti was invented. Was it to put it a new commodity on the market that the Brahmins started the worship of the Goddesses and degraded the Gods?

Explanation: Goddesses are worshipped not just because they “have Sakti” but because they “are Shakti” themselves and who form the inseparable attributes of Gods. That Sakti comes to the worshipper of Gods also. Gos nd their Sakti form one single whole. This is explicitly stated in the Veda mantra - "Ardho wa Atmana yat patnee". That is why in the Hindu culture the Wife is identified as "ardhAngi" (inseparable or better half) of the Husband. When God’s are praised their Sakti/Consorts are also praised and vice versa. There is no such thing as degrading anyone at the cost of the other. Ignorant and non-devotees will never be able to understand the Vedic and Puranic symbolism. Gods and Goddesses are the mothers and fathers who are worthy of worship on their own rights. Brahmins never invented them. Instead they recognized their values based the Vedic teaching.

Namaste

Suresh

 

 

DMK definition of Aryan and Dravidian

Mr. Stalin, the CM of Tamilnadu has given a statement recently that: If Aryan is to give different things to different people, Dravidian is to give everything to everyone.

Answer:

Mr. Stalin has totally changed the meaning of the Vedic words of Aryan and Dravidian. Aryan means noble and Dravidian means resourceful. The words complement each other.

Dravidian DMK has twisted it to mean racial. DMK is not giving anything to Hindus and brahmins, except pure hatred. It is only giving everything to non-Hindus and to its own leaders.

It is simply not possible to give everything to everyone. Are the DMK leaders ready to give away their entire bank balance to everyone? Can everybody become a top DMK leader? Can everybody fight the enemy and defend the border? Can everybody become business owners? Likewise, can everybody become laborers? Can a criminal and a law-abiding citizen be treated equally?

Do you think a CEO of a company will accept the same salary as a laborer? Are the DMK leaders taking the same salary as the janitors in their office? This is simply not possible in reality. These words are used by untruthful DMK to fool innocent people.

Not everybody is created equal. In every society people are rewarded according to the work they do. People can work only according to their capability and capacity which they naturally possess. Good work yields good results and bad yields bad. The reward always depends on the nature and the quality of job or service rendered. This is the universal immutable law of karma.  DMK is simply reiterating its communist idea of same wages/reward for all, irrespective of the nature and quality of job performed. This is simply unnatural and artificial.

Aryan or Vedic view is to recognize and nurture differences which is fundamental for the healthy functioning of any society or organization in addition to recognizing the one divine God in all. This Vedic Hindu view alone, of recognizing and nurturing differences and also seeing the same divine in all the different beings and entities, can sustain, integrate and establish unity in diversity. The entire universe is God and service to the universe in whatever way one is capable of rendering, is service to God. This is the Aryan or noble view and Vedas urge all sane humans to make the entire world Aryan.

Namaste

Suresh

Refutation of Suraj Yengde's Claims - 2

 Continued from Refutation of Suraj Yengde's Claims - 1

 

4. Isn't class the real differentiator today and not caste?

SY: Class alone was a differentiator then there would have been a revolution by now. But in India people are harassed by caste also and so there is a need to fight caste along with class. In India labor is exploited based on caste and after using it can be thrown as they are paying for the bad karma they have done. Yes, class-based exploitation of labor is there in all countries and that needs to be eliminated.

But in India caste based on karma provides a support or ground for the sapling of class and so both needs to be eliminated. In India there is a study that says 93% of asset is owned by brahmins and baniyas.

Answer:

Labor class consists of all castes and is not restricted to only dalits in India. In companies and factories there are many brahmins working as laborers. Yes, poor brahmins also work as domestic help. Everything cannot be attributed to bad karma. Anything can be corrected with our right karma / action on which everybody has control

Like in other countries, it is just the physical/mental/intellectual ability and poverty that makes people go for such labor-intensive jobs. As already said, class based on guna or characteristics can never be eliminated. More than half of brahmin population is much below poverty line in India and this would counter the statistics Mr. Yengde has provided.

As per Bhagavad gita, Varna is based on Guna (characteristics) and Karma (as in whatever work that one is capable of doing). This can always change based on one’s inclination. Not all Brahmins are engaged in priest/religious work. Likewise, not all dalits are doing cleaning work. Maybe it was so, many years in the past. But Hindu religion has changed and is changing too. So Mr. Yengde is simply harping upon old and obsolete ideas that is getting replaced.

5. The violence that Dalit’s face often comes from the OBC community. Yet caste activists only target brahmins. why is not OBC called out?

SY: When you take a group photo we always want to look at ourselves. We are fighting all upper castes that includes brahmins. If brahmins feel they alone are targeted then it is their problem. It is true that OBC are imposing violence. But they are doing it under a structure of varnashrama. Everybody is actually a human. But by caste one becomes brahmin, OBC or dalit. Brahmin community have to issue a fatwa saying that if any OBC commits violence against dalits/adivasis then they will be prohibited from entering temples, because this is against dharma. Brahmins are not doing it.

In fact, OBC's have been given "superficial" superiority that makes them engage in violence. They have been authorized by their superiors to engage in violence for which they are compensated spiritually, politically and what not.

 

Answer:

Brahmin is not a mullah to issue Fatwa. They don’t even own or manage the temples. Majority of the Hindu temples are owned by the Government who take all the income coming through donations and give it to minorities. So, Mr. Yengde should urge the government to issue the fatwa!

True Brahmins practice non-violence and vegetarianism. They don't even hurt an ant let alone humans. Brahmins are not responsible for OBCs violence. There are many cases where dalits also have engaged in unprovoked violence. Caste based violence is punishable under the law anyway. No Brahmin will approve violence against the weak and innocent. This is not supported by scriptures also.

Mr. Yengde is simply bashing Brahmins instead of directly taking on the OBCs. This is because he knows Brahmins are peaceful and passive and will never retaliate. If he directly takes on the OBCs they will surely hit back!

 

6. I treat my house help like family. Why do you accuse me as castiest.

SY: The help is a help because she comes from a particular caste and you have employed her because you are from a better caste which has granted you that ability. In other countries there has been slavery. But in India, slavery is tied to the caste which is hereditary. If someone wants to say he is caste free, the question needs to be asked - what have you done to eliminate this distinction of master and slave? In upper class house the servants are served food and drink in separate utensils and they are not allowed into the kitchen or sanctum sanctorum.

Good news is, younger generation of upper caste is noticing this and understanding that it is not right.

Answer:

The answer for this is same as #4 above. Domestic help is not slavery and it is not tied to any caste. Non-dalits including brahmins engage in domestic help also. What grants the privilege to keep domestic help is money, not caste. Even rich Dalits use domestic help. What are they doing to eliminate the Master-Slave distinction? Majority of Brahmins are actually very poor and so cannot afford to have help.  

 

7. Some progressives say, I don’t believe in caste and don’t even use my caste surname. How could I be among the oppressors?

SY: Just by giving up name does not make the slate clean. In Tamilnadu there is no surname, it is like in Iceland where children take the name of their father. But still one should not mock such people and welcome their motive to give up caste. But quite often they side with upper caste in their activities. But there are some genuine progressives who are not right wing and they are ready to change but they need guidance. But still, they have so much privileges that just giving up last name does not cut it. There last name is unnecessary for them to exercise their privileges with caste because in a cosmopolitan society what you need is your connections. so let us be critical with regard to what we need to do with anti casteism and how well we are going to engage in eliminating the divisions.

 

Answer:

It is Dalits who are reaping the birth-based caste privileges and not brahmins. There is reservation for Dalits and OBCs everywhere, so much so that Brahmins have no other option at all but to settle for low level schools/jobs. In spite of that Brahmins strive to obtain education and become successful. This is because they are naturally intelligent and hardworking. Others could learn from that.

Many rich dalit landlords in India always rent out their property to brahmins. This is because brahmins are peaceful, law-abiding , spiritual and pay their rent promptly without any complaints as opposed to other non-brahmins.

Genuine privilege or respect is available to anyone with good conduct. So the need of the hour is mutual respect between dalits and brahmins and not unwarranted mudslinging.

 

8. It is not about caste at all, but I have noticed that being from the same community often makes for an easier marriage. It is culture.

SY: It is ok for people to marry anyone they like. But culture is caste in India. British Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm has written a “Critique of tradition”. He says there is no such thing as tradition and it is something humans created to impose on others. Culture needs to have historical citation and caste provides that.

It is ok to marry within caste but if someone wants to marry from other caste, they should be allowed. But if a dalit marries an upper caste, the society is killing them.

Answer:

Actually, inter-caste marriages go against Dalit's interest. If a Dalit girl marries a brahmin boy then she may lose her dalit status and the child that is born to them could not be dalit and so will lose all the privileges given by the Indian government. Also, if it is argued that the Brahmin boy would become a dalit, it is also good for him as he gets to enjoy the benefits of reservation.

Birth based caste matters for dalits and not so much for "progressive" Brahmins!

Eric Hobsbawm’s theory may be true with respect to human created cultures/religions. But Hindu tradition is based on the eternal impersonal consciousness which is always going to be eternal.

 

9. How do you manage to connect every single thing with caste.

SY: We actually oppose many other forms of oppression but caste is the main thing. Man oppressing women, majority religion oppressing minority and so on, has its roots in the caste which has sanction from the Hindu scripture. In addition to perpetuating discrimination the caste provides power for upper caste. But still not every oppression is connected to caste and they need to be opposed also, but certainly there is an economy of cultural production that maintain the status co of the society and to challenge that we need to go to the roots. Long time ago we used to say population is the cause for all problems right, but now caste is the mother of all problems.

Answer:

All the above questions are essentially saying the same thing that all kinds of oppression has it's roots in varna/caste taught in the Hindu scripture. The philosophical basis of that has been already explained earlier. It is sheer stupidity to argue that one's own face/arms are oppressing one's own legs!

The Varnasrama dharma in simple terms is just a "division in labor". The division is essentially based on one's innate characteristics and capability (guna & karma) as taught in the Bhagavad gita.

The root of Hindu culture is the indubitable Absolute Self, that nobody can deny. Varnasrama dharma would then be a natural consequence of accepting the society and the universe in the form of body where all the parts are doing their respective dharma/duty. The relationship between the Self and the society/body is in the form of sustainer/sustained or protector/protected.  

Mr. Yengde's obsolete idea of oppressor and oppressed based on Marxism will never succeed.

 

10. If you want me to engage with caste you have to stop being so abrasive in your tone.

SY: Why does the principle of civility apply only to the oppressed. We dont live in a civilized society yet. We just learned civic education. We are living in a very intolerant, violent and obnoxious society. But still, I have the privilege of being nice and can tone down my language. But a poor dalit who is going through oppression need not be polite and you can expect him to be so.

Answer:

The same logic applies to poor/oppressed brahmins also but still Brahmins who are essentially peaceful and dharmic will not hit back.

Mr. Yengde should realize that other non-Brahmins may not keep quiet without any retaliation. Yes, like any other religion, there are cases of oppression of the weak are there in Hindu society and the root cause of that is ignorance and selfishness which is there in all humans belonging to any caste/gender.

So, the need of the hour is for all varna/caste to work collectively to support and uplift the downtrodden with mutual trust and co-operation.  

Here is a thought experiment:

Imagine a society where there is no caste OR where everybody is a dalit. In such a society someone has to be spiritual/intellectual, someone has to govern and fight the enemies, someone has to do business/trading and someone has to do the labor and clean the gutters. What else is this if not varnasrama dharma? In such a society could it be said that rich dalits would be oppressing poor dalits!!??

In other videos, Mr. Yengde is advising children to break away from their families as their parents are instilling caste ideas in their minds. What about dalit children? should they also have to break away as their parents are teaching birth-based identification of their dalit-hood and hatred for non-dalits?

So, the problem will not end with mutual mud-slinging. Based on the principle of VedAnta, we need to recognize God in each other and only then there can be mutual respect and prosperity.

Namaste

Suresh

Refutation of Suraj Yengde's Claims - 1

In the following video, T.M.Krishnan, a famous Carnatic musician interviews Suraj Yengde (SY) - a dalit scholar from Harvard, both happily engaged in demonizing Hindu religion and Brahmins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKqGzTbCNg8

Every society has good (sattvic) people, bad (tamasic) people and in-between (rajasic) people. Good (sattvic) people will never oppress anyone. Generally, brahmins in India are predominantly good (sattvic) people and practice a peaceful lifestyle given to spirituality, devotion, non-violence and sacrifice. Likewise, there are so many non-brahmins also who lead a sattvic (good) life without oppressing anyone. In every society there will be cases of oppression and all kinds of oppression happens only because of lack of spiritual awareness and education. But blaming the entire community of Brahmins and others based on such stray incidents is not right. Caste is essentially an extended family and is a natural consequence of retaining the job skills within the family. In every society, people tend to keep trade secrets within the family. So, diversity of varna/caste helps to retain and nurture various job skills that are essential for the society. Thus, castes are not bad but inter-caste hatred and the feeling of high and low needs to be eliminated. All kinds of oppressions in the society needs to be condemned and people have to be educated and corrected to respect each other. The word dalit is not there in the Vedas. The Vedic varnashrama is a system that recognizes diversity in society based on the capability and tendencies of people and is based on mutual co-operation. Oppression is not prescribed in the Veda. Dalits and downtrodden people have to be educated and taken care by the society so that they can realize their true potential. But it is wrong to blame the entire brahmin community for oppressions practiced by ignorant (tamasic) people who are unfortunately in majority, in these days.

In this regard the conclusions drawn by many, so called “intellectuals” like Mr. T.M.Krishnan and Suraj Yengde, is blatantly wrong. Here is an attempt to capture their allegations or purvapaksha and refute the same:

1) "Caste is something of the past and so why do you make me pay for the atrocities done by my ancestors" - (this is supposed to be a question asked by a brahmin.)

SY: "Caste is not of the past, it is very much now. Little children are taught how to differentiate between them and others (untouchables). There are so many incidents of atrocities by brahmins on the dalits. Brahmins are only 4% but still own about 49% of assets while rest of the poor lower caste don’t own anything. These assets, brahmins have are not earned by them but have been accumulated by looting, thuggering and exploiting. But, no, they don’t have to pay anything. They just have to give up their identity and their cultural capital and return back whatever they have robbed to the lower caste.

If Dalits are getting monitory help from the govt, they are actually paying back with their services. Their labor helps to produce things in the society unlike brahmins who don’t do any physical work but still make hefty sums of money.

Answer:

Well, knowledgeable traditional brahmin's will never ask such a question! because they know for sure that they have not harmed any living being and whatever they have is earned by them through dharmic means.

Yes, caste has existed in the past, existing now and will continue to exist in future. Not all humans are created equal. Every soul, the moment it is born, is casted into a body. The work that humans do for a living would always be as per the nature and capability of one's body, mind and intellect. In any free society, humans of same or similar nature and profession tend to form groups, in general. So Varnasrama, whether based on birth or guna/nature is going to be there in all human society. Yes, labor class in general would always be a majority and that simply does not make them oppressed and their employers as oppressors. This Marxist idea, pedaled by perverted intellectuals from Harward and other "elite" universities, is quite obsolete and not relevant any more. 

Hindus generally do not touch anyone. They just greet by folding hands. Brahmins themselves don't touch other brahmins and nobody touches a traditional sanyasi! Hindu parents generally teach their children to be clean, respect every human being, greet others with folded hands and to SEE God in every being and in everything in nature. This universal view gives rise to values like cleanliness, ahimsa or non-violence, mutual respect and harmony. Yes, parents may also teach children to be away from evil people, but definitely not to look down upon or hate anyone based on caste or religion. 

In the Bhagavad gita, it is taught that educated people will look upon, a learned brahmin, cow, elephant, dog and a dog eater with equal vision. So, the narrative that parents teach children how to differentiate between – “us and they (untouchables)”, is a baseless generalization.

Yes, cases of oppression and consequent retaliation has happened and can happen in all societies. That would be definitely due to ignorance and ego, that needs to be opposed and controlled and perpetrators have to be punished under the law. But it is wrong to generalize the same and label the entire varna/community as either oppressor or oppressed. This is obviously Communist / Marxist idea used to demonize Hindus and in particular brahmins. 

So, what needs to be eliminated is not the varna/caste but the feeling of high and low and the hatred that obtains between them. The VedAntic teaching of seeing One Brahman/God as the connecting link between every being belonging to any varna, should help to achieve the spiritual unity in diversity. True Brahmins are already practicing these values.

2. Upper caste includes all the forward caste. But why do you use the word brahmin?

SY: Brahmins have mistakenly taken this as applicable to them. But it is partly yes and partly no. Brahminical is the system which believes in the teaching called purusha sukta where all upper caste comes from head, hands and thighs of God while dalits come from the leg. This has given unmeritorious upper status to brahmins without having to do any work or contribute anything and lowermost status for sudras in spite of their hard work and labor. This is the root cause of discrimination. 

To counter this, we have to have a system that penetrates not just caste but other issues like sexism, misogyny and so on and Brahminical is the right word that includes all of these.

Answer:

Not all humans are created equal and so their duties depend on their nature and capability. Every civilized society will have the four varnas consisting of spiritual/intellectual, Administrative / Defense, Business/Trader and Service/Labor, whether it is recognized openly or not.

In the Purusha Sukta, which is the essence of Veda, the entire universe is looked upon as the body of God! He is described to be having 1000 heads, eyes and limbs. It simply means, everybody’s head is God’s head and everybody’s limbs are God’s limbs. Every part of God is sacred. So, the idea that Sudras are considered low as they have come from God’s leg is a blatantly false. The Bhagavad Gita 11^th chapter also teaches this universal form of God. Accordingly, the entire world and the society are structured and supposed to work exactly like a human body where all the different parts are engaged in discharging their respective duties without fear or favor, in total co-operation and mutual trust. The differences in the body parts are recognized and accordingly the nature of one’s duty is determined. Though there is difference in the nature of service of each body part / varna, they all ultimately culminate in the service of the Self / God only indwelling in the body/society. No other structure can be as natural and experientially real as this Self-body relation taught in the Purusha sukta. 

Yes, brahmana's duty is to protect the scripture by memorizing and performing sacrifice for the good of the world, and Kshatriya's duty is to protect the society as a whole and they both are supposed to do the same even at the cost of their life. That is why they are respected. On the same tone, a Brahmana without knowledge and a Kshatriya without courage to face the enemy, are totally useless and they lose all their respect. The same can be said about Vaishyas and Sudras engaged in their respective duties. People who go against this principle of not doing their sva-dharma can come from any varna. So, it is not just the birth but the conduct that makes one high or low!

It is childish to say brAhmaNas have not contributed anything to the Indian society. There is no knowledge area that brAhmanas have not excelled. In addition to protecting scriptures and being spiritual, brahmin's contribution in the field of Spirituality, Philosophy, Mathematics, Medicine, Music, Dance, Literature and so on is very well known. A true brahmin’s life is given to learning, teaching and sacrifice. Likewise, there is no part on the earth that Dharmic Kshatriyas have not ruled. No society can sustain itself if there are only traders and laborers.

3. Caste is found in all religions but why are only Hindus being targeted?

SY: Yes, this caste hierarchy is not just a Hindu thing and is present in all religions in India where women and dalits are made to wake up at 4am in the morning and clean the shit that people do. Even Ambedkar went thru caste discrimination and this is the system where the lower caste is oppressed and this is what we are fighting against.

Answer:

Mr. Yengde is right for once that caste is present in every society. He should also realize that currently, it is not just dalits and women but others are also doing cleaning work, in India. As already mentioned, all cases of oppression at any point of time happens due to selfishness and ignorance and true dharmic brahmin community itself has taken many actions to eradicate that much before the British. Sri Ramanujacharya was one such spiritual saint who legitimized entry of dalits into the temple. Likewise, many other saints and sadhus have done lot of work to eliminate oppression. There have been many saints and sadhus coming from the lower caste and brahmins worship them even today.

It is true that there are still many dalit communities are still engaging themselves in sewage work and society as a whole must do everything to help them move out of that profession and improve their life condition. Nowadays, people from other communities also are engaged in cleaning/sewage work. In any society someone has to do that job and generally it is not the caste but the economic status that drives people to take up such jobs.

No society/religion is free from defects and Hinduism is flexible enough to change the smruthi texts that govern the practical aspects of social life and Sadhus and Saints have been continuously helping to reform and re-establish dharma. There are many Brahmins engaged in this kind of social reforms. Instead of demonizing true brahmins and the all-encompassing Hindu religion, dalit leaders have to recognize their good intentions and work with them co-operatively for overall good. 

Namaste

Suresh

Refutation of Udayanidhi Stalin's claims

Udayanidhi Stalin - son of the chief minister of Tamilnadu, belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) - gave a public speech recently and said - Sanatana dharma is an epidemic disease just like Covid, Cholera and so on and needs to be not just controlled, but totally eliminated.

In the following video, the editor of HINDU - N.Ram justifies the denigration of sanAtana dharma by the DMK leader Udayanidhi Stalin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEqzRRp3nLA

He says that DMK is not denigrating Hindus in general. But their main opposition is with sanAtana (unchanging) aspect of Hinduism which is nothing but the VarnAsrama dharma or caste system. He quotes Ambedkar who says that there is nothing in the world that is not changing. But Hindus are upholding Vedas and Varnashrama dharma as sanatana or unchanging and this is the root cause for all caste related inequalities and violence and that needs to be eradicated.

When the questioner says that by referring to sanAtana they are pointing to Hindus only - Mr. Ram says "no, how can anyone oppose the majority community. They are not opposing the beliefs of Hindus and they can believe in any God they want. But the main thing to be eradicated is VarnAsrama or Caste which is denying equal treatment to dalits. 

Mr. Ram also quotes from Puri Shankaracharya Sri Bharathi Krishna Thirtha Swami's book – “sanAtana dharma”, where according to him, it is claimed that - "SanAtana dharma includes varnasrama dharma in which lower caste people cannot enter temples. They can get the same benefit as upper caste by just looking from a distance. Only upper castes have the right to do the worship in the temple". This gives undue importance to Brahmins and upper castes and denies all facilities for shudras/dalits who are lower castes. This is surely a disease and needs to be eradicated.

SanAtana means eternal or unchanging. But there is nothing in the world that is eternal. Everything is changing and the society and culture also has to change. Change is the law of life. No Hindu can justify sanAtana dharma. 

Ambedkar in his last speech says - in democracy one man stands for one vote. But SanAtana Hindu society is denying this equality. 

Reply from a SanAtani Hindu:

Mr. N. Ram is simply parroting the Buddhistic teaching that the world is changing and hence not real. He forgets the fact that the Atman / Conscious Self that witnesses change, cannot change and therefore eternal or sanAtana. The Hindu shAstra or Veda, which is rooted in this indwelling absolute eternal Self that abides in all, also has to be eternal or sanAtana.

The world may be changing, but still there is a regularity and a system in these changes. They are governed by natural laws which cannot change. The rotation and revolution of the earth and planets around the Sun, and the movement of the Sun and stars, the cycle of day and night, seasons and so on - all follow a rhythmic pattern and are governed by eternal natural laws. The nature of the five basic elements – space, air, fire, water and earth also don’t change.

The same natural laws that are governing the workings of the universe is governing the human body also. All these are due to the presence of Brahman or the universal consciousness that never changes, which always remains as the absolute cause for the entire changing universe. Modern science is now coming in terms with this VedAntic truth - but Vedic Hindu Rishis realized this thousands of years ago.

Why do we have VarnAsrama dharma? 

The Vedic view is that the entire universe is the body of the supreme God Brahman who indwells and sustains it, as the Supreme Self / ParamAtma. The structure of human family, society, world and the universe are exactly similar to the human body, where there are different parts performing their respective duties with full co-operation and unison. Every element in the universe, like earth, air, water and so on are like different parts of the cosmic body of God, engaging in their respective duties for the good of the world. Vedic Hindu God is thus teaching sanatana dharma through all the five elements and nature that are unconditionally offering themselves according to their nature to sustain all life forms. Humans are supposed to emulate the same by performing their respective duties according to their capability and capacity. Only then there can be lasting peace and harmony. 

Not all human beings are created equal. Every civilized human society and organization, will have these four varna or classes consisting of spiritual/intellectuals, administrators/defense personnel, business men/traders and laborers. These skills are a function of the individual characteristics or guna with which one is born. Though it is possible to have mobility among varnas when needed, the gunas and the respective skills run in the family. This results in caste which is nothing but an extended family that helps to retain and nurture the specific culture, diversity and lifestyle needed to sustain the skills that are useful to the society. Every caste and varna has its own unique culture and life style that is needed to discharge their respective duties. People belonging to different caste within the four varna are supposed to discharge their duties without fear or favor as a service to the indwelling God manifesting as the society, nation and the universe as a whole. Again, this is very much similar to the workings of all the different parts of the human body that engage in their respective functions as a service to the inhabiting soul. Thus, varnashrama is quite natural and spiritual. 

Mr. Ram has mis-interpreted the Puri ShankarAchArya's statement. In the book "SanAtana dharma" Swamiji has never mentioned that lower caste people should not enter temple. He only has mentioned that people who are not physically clean or if there is any birth or death in the family, such people should not enter any temple but can get the benefit by just having the darshan of the gopuram of the temple. This is applicable to all people, irrespective of caste/gender and no where he has mentioned that lower caste cannot enter temple. In fact, in the Puri Jagannath temple, people of all castes are allowed and after darshan everybody is provided with sumptuous prasad or sacred food offered to the Lord.

In a healthy body/society, all the constituent parts will be discharging their respective duty with full co-operation and unison as a service to the indwelling God established as the indwelling Self/Consciousness. In return they all get protected and nourished collectively as a whole by the Self/God. Anything that disrupts this organization results in a disease which is nothing but adharma and that needs to be eradicated.

So, Sanatana dharma is not a disease - On the contrary, Udayanidhi Stalin's claim that goes against the sanAtana dharma is a disease and that needs to be eliminated. His remark against sanAtana dharma is hitting back him only, with redoubled force.

The DMK, like any other non-Vedic / adhArmic religions, is trying in vain to divide and conquer Hindus based on varna/caste. But what unites and equalizes all Hindus belonging to various varna/caste is the One eternal God who is equally present in all. The one and the only Hindu God abiding in all as the universal absolute Self and manifesting as this universe, is both the master and servant at the same time. In the form of the universe, He is unconditionally sustaining/serving all life forms, thus teaching / leading by example. This non-dual, universal Hindu God cuts across all human created religions and sustains and unites all diversities. Even adhArmic people who denigrate Hindus are absolutely dependent for their existence on this Hindu God manifesting as the universe. DhArmic Hindus on the other hand recognize this truth and do their best to serve God manifesting as the society/universe by engaging in their respective duties/svadharma.  

Vedic VarnAsrama dharma is as timeless and eternal as the Elements/Sun/Moon/Stars and the indwelling absolute Self/Atman/Ishwara/Brahman that always remains as the source of all existence, consciousness and bliss.

Namaste

Suresh

Reconciling Advaita and Dvaita

Are Advaita and Dvaita opposed to each other? - It may appear so but in reality, they are not! 

But Advaita teaches tat tvamasi - you are that - and Dvaita teaches atat tvamasi - you are not that. How can they be the same?

Actually, both the views are complimentary. Traditional pundits may disagree but as all traditions accept the all pervading and indwelling Vedic truth of Brahman as non-dual and VarnAshrama-dharma as the means, both Advaita and Dvaita have to be taken together.

Tat tvamasi directly identifies atman as Brahman while atat tvamasi helps to eliminate ahankAra and  Ishwara bhAva. It can also be said that tat tvamasi establishes lakshyartha while atat tvamasi helps to eliminate vAchyArtha. Sri ShankarAchArya himself clarifies that he is only teaching lakshyartha through tat tvamasi. He uses bAdhAyAm sAmAnAdhikarNya to arrive at the lakshyArtha. 

The Advaitic mahAvAkyas would be true from the point of view of Ishwara established as the inner soul of All on whom the entire jagat or universe of sentient and insentient entities depend for existence.

What about VishishtAdvaita?

V.Advaita splits the sandhi as tat tvamasi only as in Advaita. But here there is no need to eliminate the vAchyArtha as the words tat and tvam both denotes Brahman only, indwelling as the inner Self of jada/prakrithi and jiva/chetana respectively, supporting both as it's body which has no separate identification. But the identification is said to be upAsanA sAmAnAdhikarNya.

V.Advaita helps to establish the integral nature of truth. In other words, it integrates Advaita and Dvaita by using the oneness and difference based on the body-soul relationship between universe and Brahman/God.

The whole point of Vedantic religion is to eliminate ahankAra that virtually divides God and Man. VedAntic God is sarvAtma - the soul of all. So, the entire universe is the body of God on whom all living beings depend absolutely for existence. Absolute dependence on the universe for our existence is very much experiential and undeniable.

If Varnashrama dharma is defined as performance of one’s prescribed duties as per one’s capability and capacity, as a service to the universe – then whatever may be the nature of work, it will culminate as a service to the indwelling God. All Vedantic views come together in this view of looking upon the entire universe as the body of God/Ishwara/Brahman.

Namaste

Suresh

Is Truth or Brahman - Dvaita, Advaita or V.Advaita?

 Truth or Brahman is neither  exclusively Advaita nor Dvaita or V.Advaita. It is all rolled into one! But still it all depends on how it is realized or experienced. It exists in all, irresepective of the world view that one subscribes to. It manifests as this very universe or Vishwa also. As the indwelling Self it is always unknown as it cannot be objectified and therefore it is nirguna nirAkAra. But out of it's own grace it takes any form to bless true seekers. So says Sri Adi Shankara himself.  

As per the MandUkya Upanishad, the Self that abides in all is Brahman. It is made of four parts (as if it were,) namely - Vishwa, Taijasa, prAjya and Tureeya. These four aspects corresponding to the waking, dreaming, deep sleep and body-less/universal states could be thought of standing for Dvaita, DvaitAdvaita or Achintya bhEdAbhEda, VishishtAdvaita and Advaita respectively. From this point, all vEdAntic views are justified. When it comes to vyavahAra, Advaitins are Dvaitins. Also Dvaitin's have to accept that the worldly enjoyment is fleeting or mithya when compared to the mokshAnubhava.

So, Advaita, Dvaita and V.Advaita - the three major schools of Vedanta are not mutually exclusive. On the surface, they may appear to be drastically different from each other, but in reality they are complimentary to each other. That is because the underlying scripture of Veda which is essentially "shabda" (or sound) and the supreme Vedic truth of Brahman, which is all pervading and indwelling, is common for all. The underlying path of Dharma/Tapasya to attain that Brahman are also the same for all. The end result of Brahman could be with or without attributes depending on the type of upAsana and there is scriptural support for the same. 

The Vedic scripture has three kinds of statements. 

• Ikya vAkyas - Identity statements that establish the oneness of jiva/jagat with Ishwara/Brahman.
• Bheda vAkyas - Statements that establish the difference between jiva/jagat/Ishwara/Brahman
• Ghataka vAkyas - Statements that integrate and reconcile the above two statements.

Advaita is based on the Ikya vAkyas, Dvaita on bheda vAkyAs and V.Advaita on the ghataka vAkyAs.

Scholars in all three traditions have engaged in debates to bring out the supremacy of their respective views and in that process have tried to bring out the "weaknesses" in the "opposing" views. There are strengths and weaknesses in all of them as Truth or Brahman cannot be compartmentalized. So the only way to resolve is to SEE Brahman everywhere and in everybody!

But due to many intricacies and improper or incomplete understandings in all these major schools of Vedanta and also when the analysis goes to the extreme, it is very much possible to have  misunderstandings, misconceptions or misconceived notions with regard to each of one of them.

The following are some of the misconceptions or allegations against Advaita:

• It is covered Buddhism as it denies any reality to the world of attributes. 
• It is atheistic as ultimately it denies God/Creation/Veda.
• It teaches "I am God" and so it is demonic.
• It gives less importance to Veda/karma and more to identity statements in the upanishads.

But here are some points in clarification:

• It accepts the reality of Atman/Brahman as opposed to Buddhism.
• It accepts Ishwara/Jiva/Jagat/Dharma as transactionally real until the attainment of Brahman. 
• It teaches "I am Brahman" where Brahman / Self has no attributes. God or Ishwara has attributes and so I am Brahman does not mean "I am Ishwara or God". 
• It accepts Veda/world/God as real until the attainment of Brahman.      

Here are some misconceptions about VishishtAdvaita:

• Brahman or God is not absolutely independent.
• Brahman or God is made up of parts consisting of soul and matter. 
• God-soul-matter are mutually dependent.
• God and individual souls are equal and so 'Jiva is equal to God'.
• God transforms and becomes the world.
• Less importance to Veda and more with Tamil pasurams of Alwars
• Less importance to Mahabharata. 
• Accepting both the identity and difference statements of Veda as true amounts to agreeing with both believers and non-believers of Veda/God. (This is hard to accept because both statements are made by Veda only!!

The following basic tenets of V.Advaita answers are all the above:

In V.Advaita, the relationship between God/Brahman and the world of souls/matter are exactly to the Self and body. The Self is always independent and the body is dependent on it. The Self is never affected by the problems in the body. The Self always sustains, supports, controls and uses the body for it's purpose. The body always engages in the service of the Self. Identification of the body always culminates in the Self. Body and Self are different but are inseparably one. The Brahman or God as the Self always remains the owner/controller and the jiva as the body always remains subservient to God. 

As long as one is embodied, all vedAntins including Advaitins, at least in vyavahara, have to accept the above as it is experiential and also has explicit scriptural support. 

Here are some misconceptions about or mis-claims from the Dvaita:

• Dvaita alone accepts the validity of entire veda, upanishads and puranas
• Based on the above, Dvaita teaches:
• Existence of multiple realities - God, many souls and matter.  
• Absolute reality and independence of God 
• Absolute reality and dependence of soul / matter on God.
• Five fold differences and gradations among souls / matter and God.

The above is a misconception because Advaitin's also accept the above in vyavahAra.

Dvaita or Tattvawada accepts the differential statements as absolutely real as they align with bodily experience and the Identity statements are interpreted in a secondary way. Advaita on the other hand accepts the identity statements as absolutely real and all differential statements are explained away in a secondary manner. In V.Advaita, all statements are absolutely and simultaneously valid as there is unity and difference in the body-soul relationship. 

But all the three darshanas accept that the Supreme Vedic Truth or Brahman is always the non-dual independent truth and the world of multifarious names/forms as dependent truth. It is also commonly accepted that the non-dual Brahman is revealing itself through all the many names/forms and the world of name/forms is the glory of Brahman which always remains as the indwelling spirit Self.

Just like Fire is one but still can exist as many, Brahman is one (without a second) and has the ability to manifest as many at the same time. Therefore Supreme Truth of Brahman is Advaita (non-dual), V.Advaita (integral), Multifarious and different from untruth also (Dvaita). 

The Supreme truth Brahman is present in all irrespective of whatever philosophy or world view one subscribes to. Cognition of this divinity at the root of all leads to unity in diversity and equanimity. Hindus/Humans need to realize this in order to restore the grandeur of Veda and Dharma.

Related previous post: Advaita, Dvaita and VishishtAdvaita

Namaste

Suresh