कामम् क्राेधम् लाेभम् माेहम् त्यक्तवात्मानम् भाव्यम् काेहम्।
आत्मज्ञानम् विहीनामूढाः ते पत्यन्ते नरकनिगूढाः ।।
Give up lust, anger,infatuation and greed. Ponder over your real nature. Fools are they, who are blind to the self; cast into hell, they suffer endlessly. ---- Text 27, Bhaja Govindam, Adi Sankara )
Classical Puranic Hinduism period generally refers to the timeline circa 450 CE to 1400 CE. Several religious and spiritual philosophers impacted the ethical thinking of the society during this period. But the greatest impact on Dharma and Ethical living was felt on the basis of teachings of FIVE GREAT SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHERS of this period namely;
- Sri Adi Sankara (788-820 CE), exponent of KEVALA ADVAITA/ uncompromising MONISM, philosophy of oneness/ not two Brahman& Self.
- Sri Ramanuja ( circa 1017-1137 CE ), exponent of VISISHTADVAITA or Qualified MONISM.
- Sri Nimbarkacharya ( circa 1130-1200 CE ), exponent of DVAITADVAITA or BHEDA-BHEDA-VADA, professing duality and individuality at the same time.
- Sri Madhavacharya ( circa 1288-1317 CE ), exponent of STRICT DVAITISM or Dvaita Vada.
Some more names of this period like that of Sri Gandapadacharya ( circa 700 CE ), of Advaita philosophy & generally referred as Guru of Adi Sankara, need worth mentioning for their contribution towards spreading the message of Dharma and Ethical thinking. During the same period, Buddhism continued to grow and diversify itself into Zen- Buddhism & allied religious areas.
- Sri Vallabhacharya ( circa 1479-1531 CE ), exponent of SUDDHADVAITA VADA or pure MONISM and founder of Push-ti sect.
SUFISM, originated in circa 800-900 CE, prominently in Basra, Kufa & Baghdad, Egypt, a few more places in middle east & Persia,sometimes referred as a mystical movement, focused on love relationship with God leading to intimate experience of God & finally to a total union with God. Several Sufi ascetics and philosophers continued to impact the society on Dharma and Ethical living. While we shall cover the messages prophesied by the 5 great philosophers from Adi Sankara to Sri Vallabhacharya in this blog, the learnings on Dharma & Ethical living from Sufi ascetics shall be covered in next blog.
The philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, prophesied by Adi Shankaracharya is based on sacred texts of Upanishads, Bhagwat Gita & Brahmsutras.
Brahma, Satyam, Jagan mithya ; Jivo, Brahmaiva napara.( Vivek Chudamani ) ie. Brahman is reality, the universe is an illusion, the living being is Brahman alone and none else. Going a step further, it conveys that Jiva or individual soul is not different from Brahman, who is full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge and self-bliss. It is SVARUPA ( essence), NIRAKARA( formless), SEER( drashta), TRANSCENDENT( turiya) and SILENT WITNESS( saakshi). Adi Sankara cleansed the Vedic Religious practices of ritualistic excesses by transforming these into acceptable Ethical practices. Dharma and Ethical thinking in society underwent a big boost thru
- His commentaries on Brahmsutras called Brahmasutrabhashya and Bhaja-Govindam-- a devotional poem in praise of Lord Krishna besides the famous Sanskrit poem cum dialogue between Master & Disciple " Vivek Chudamani ", focusing on developing VIVEKA, the human faculty of discrimination as the central requirement of ETHICAL LIVING & spiritual life. discrimination between REAL & UNREAL frees us from the bondage of ignorance and delusion.
- Establishment of FOUR MUTTS in four corners of India, called Jyothirmutts to serve spiritual needs of ascetic community within Vedantic tradition.
भजगोविन्दम् भजगोविन्दम्, गोविन्दम् भज मूढमते । Text 34.
सत्सन्गत्वे निस्स्ञगत्वम् निस्स्ञगत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् ।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्र्चलतत्वम् निश्र्चलतत्वे जीवन्मुक्ति ।। Text 9. It means one should engage in Sat-sang, which takes one towards non attachment to material world, freedom from delusion, leading to Self- Settledness and finally liberation. Text 31 of Bhaja Govindam conveys a few Ethical practices;
प्राणायामम् पृत्याहारम् नित्यानित्य विवेक विचारम् । It means that for Ethical Living, one should regulate Parana, remain unaffected by external influences, discriminate between real and fleeting, think good and pious as well as develop internal peace by silencing turbulent mind. His teachings were a great source of inspiration for the society in leading an Ethical life. His stress on acquiring Knowledge as an vital means of Ethical living can be visualized thru some of these verses of Brahmasutrabhashya.
शास्त्रयोनित्वात् --1.1.3 ie Brahman is realizable only thru acquiring knowledge of sacred scriptures.
तदनुग्रहेतुकेनेव हि ज्ञानेन माेक्षसिदिध्भर्वितुमर्हति ।। -- 2.3.41 ie the attainment of Moksha or liberation is possible indeed thru the knowledge or Gyana, with the grace of Ishwara.
Vivek Chudamani , specifically states 6 virtues of SELF CONTROL as the ETHICAL FOUNDATION of Spiritual Life.These are (a) Sama, the tranquil state of mind, constantly zeroed on contemplation of the goal after detaching it from myriad sense objects (b)Dama, steering the sense organs of knowledge & action away from their sense objects (c) Uparati, self withdrawal of thought waves, free from the influences of external objects (d) Titiksha, forbearance or the capacity to endure all sorrows/ sufferings without struggling for revenge/ redressal (e) Samadhana, one pointedness towards total contemplation of the ever pure Brahman or concentration of the mind on TRUTH (f) Sraddha, active faith in the Masters and spiritual scriptures. Quoting two verses from this scripture which had enormous impact on ETHICAL LIVING at that time;
सत्यम ज्ञानभनन्तम् ब्रह्म विशुद्धम परम् स्वतः सिद्धम् ।
नित्यानन्दैकरसम् प्रत्यगभिन्नम् निरन्तरम् जयति ।। ( verse 225 )
It conveyed that BRAHMAN is Existence-- Knowledge-- Absolute, extremely pure, supreme, self existing, eternal, indivisible bliss, not essentially different from inner most self and absolutely without parts.
अहमकारग्रहान्मुक्तः स्वरूपमुपपघते, चन्द्रवदिध्मलः पूर्ण सदानन्दः स्वयमप्रभः ( verse 300) ie once freed from the shackles of EGO ( like moon freed from eclipse), one discovers his true real nature and becomes infinite, ever blissful and self effulgent.
All the five leading philosophers and preachers listed in the opening para agree that Brahman is the cause of the world and that knowledge of Brahman, mainly from spiritual scriptures leads to Moksha, the ultimate goal of life. They only differed in respect of nature of this Brahman, the state of the soul , the means of attaining Moksha and its causality wrt the universe. Let me state a few distinct ideologies of the other four philosophers and their schools of thought.
According to Sri Ramanuja, Brahman is with attributes and endowed with auspicious qualities. The world and individual souls are essential real constituents of Brahman's nature. The individual soul remains a personality for ever and go thru a state of contraction during Pralay and expansion during Creation. For him, Bhakti is the chief means of final emancipation and not Gyana or knowledge.
According to Sri Nimbarkacharya, Brahman is both Nirgun and Sagun. The universe is not unreal, but a true manifestation of Parinama of Brahman. The world is identical with and at the same time different with Brahman ( Bheda-Bheda-Vada), just as the water and bubble are same and different in many ways. As per him,there are three equally real and co-eternal realities--- Brahman or controller, CIT or enjoy-er and ACIT or the object enjoyed. The individual souls are part of supreme self, controlled by supreme being. The final salvation can be achieved by Bhakti and for him, the highest object of worship is Rad-ha- Krishna.
According to Sri Madhvacharya, Vishnu is the highest God, the world is real, all living being are dependent on Vishnu for their existence and salvation lies in the soul experiencing its intrinsic joy thru pure/ unsullied love of God. Further, the means of knowledge are sensory perception, inference and reading of holy scriptures.His focus on Strict Dvaitism had five primary elements.
- Jiva and Ishwara are different.
- Jivas and Jadas or non living things are different.
- Jada- Jada Bheda ie two in-animated things are different.
- Jiva-Jiva Bheda ie two Jivas are different.
- Ishwara-- Jada Bheda ie God and in-animate things are different.
To sum up the blog, let me state few points which emerge from analysis of these philosophies;
- While the Basic Gyana of Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmsutras, Bhagwat Gita and other spiritual scriptures continued to engross the human society at that time, yet its rationale and constructive criticism for its acceptance in ethical living continued to evolve. Focus also remained on gaining knowledge by reading of these scriptures and contact with learned Gurus.
- Realization of Brahman thru devotion to Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna ( Bhakti movement) in order to achieve final salvation and merger of individual soul with Brahman gained momentum. Even Sufism, emerging during this period, had a clear inclination towards devotional path.
- Dharma and Ethical thinking were greatly impacted by the preaching of these schools of thoughts, both thru the spiritual texts brought out by these philosophers as well as establishment of a few systems for society to follow.
" He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman" III-2-9, Mundaka Upanishad.
"The wise who know the Atman as bodiless within the bodies, as unchanging among the changing things & as great and omniscient does never grieve" II-22, Katha Upanishad.
