CHAPTER -I TRADITION OF ADVAITA VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY

Transcription

1 CHAPTER -I TRADITION OF ADVAITA VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY Indian philosophy is interwoven with religion which ultimately leads to the search of truth. The search for truth is associated with the thinking process connected with the spiritual and the material. So the knowledge one gets can be divided into two-external knowledge and internal knowledge. The subjects connected with spirituality and religion come under internal knowledge and the knowledge of other subjects like physics and science etc. come under external knowledge. The common feature of Indian thought was to flame up thinking process. This was encouraged by debates, talks etc. The Self and non-self theories and the logic and intuition theories helped to brighten up the subjects. Indian philosophy is divided into two categories viz. orthodox systems and heterodox systems. Among the six orthodox systems of Indian philosophy, the last one is called Uttaram m Æsa or Vedanta, which means the concluding portion of the Veda ( ÉänùÉxÉÉÆ +xié& ÉänùÉxiÉ&). The Vedas are mainly divided into three, Karmak a (the portion of action), Up san k da (the portion of worship), and Jμ nak a (the portion of knowledge). Jμ nak a, which is embodied in the UpaniÀads is called Vedanta. The Prasth natrayas i.e. the UpaniÀads the B.G., and the

2 11 Brahmas tra are the base of Vedanta philosophy. Vedanta is a philosophical development which correlates man and the cosmic soul- J v tma and Param tma. Vedanta aims to identify and understand the Self. When the Self is realized, J v tma recognizes itself as the Param tma and one attains Sat, Cit and Ënanda. In this state, ignorance is erased. Vedanta philosophy cannot be easily apprehended because it requires immense patience, high level concentration and selflessness. The School of Vedanta has different sub-divisions like Advaita, Vi iàt dvaida, Dvaita, áudh dvaita and Dvait dvaita. India s culture and heritage are deeply influenced by the truths which all these different systems represent. Even though the philosophical standpoints of these traditions are different, they all claim their integrity and honesty towards the UpaniÀadic wisdom, and so their basic ideal are not much alienated from the legacy of Indian thought. This tendency acknowledges the truthfulness of each tradition in bringing out the noblest contemplation without denying the veracity of the Vedas. Among these, Advaita Vedanta has a very prominent place. áa kar c rya was the embodiment who propounded the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and gave it a rich lustre of nobility. According to him Advaita is the essence of Vedanta. This understanding made him dedicate his

3 12 whole life for the recovery of the hidden treasures of Veda and its restoration. In the R m ya a, Mah bh rata, Brahmas tra and Pur as, Advaita Vedanta philosophy has been mentioned but it came to be known as a separate, well systematized and fortified branch with all polemic arguments to substantiate its concepts, only after áa kar c rya. Major Divisions of the Vedanta Tradition The tradition of the Vedanta is divided into three according to their chronological development. Vedanta system was enhanced in each and every stage with an extraordinary veracity towards the radical scriptures. This classification only pertains to how this philosophy passed through different ages and how it served the needs of the changing social conditions. The divisions are denominated as the Early tradition, Middle tradition and Modern tradition. Early Tradition of Vedanta The early tradition of Vedanta is the period from the Îgveda to Gau ap d c rya. Vedanta has one of its foundations as the UpaniÀads so the origin of Vedanta philosophy can unmistakably attributed to the Vedas. Moreover its polemic and religious needs are supplemented by the Brahmas tra and B.G., Brahma or Ëtma is the doctrine of the supreme

4 13 soul and essence of Vedanta teachings. So the doctrine of Brahman which we find in the UpaniÀads became a full-fledged philosophical system with the enhancement of the Brahmas tra and the B.G. In the UpaniÀads Pur as and Brahmas tra, Mah bh rata, R m ya a etc. the names of early tradition scholars and successors are mentioned. The lists of the names are too lengthy. Early tradition is again divided into four viz., UpaniÀadic tradition, Pur ic traditions, Epic traditions and Brahmas tra traditions. a. UpaniÀadic Tradition UpaniÀads are the last portion of the Vedas and has three main parts- Dharmak a (portion of worship), Karmak a (portion of action) and the Jμ nak a (portion of knowledge). Among the three divisions last part Jμ nak a is called Vedanta. The date and authorship of the UpaniÀads have not been determined accurately. A lot of scholars and preceptors have acquired the UpaniÀadic knowledge yet none of them have recorded the time. Scholars and historians have different opinions about the period of the UpaniÀads. 1 Many researchers are of the view that the period of the UpaniÀads could be between BC.4500 and BC 600. According to Max Muller, the UpaniÀads are from BC 400. Since the UpaniÀads were passed on and inherited from generations to generations

5 14 through áruti (hearing), the period of the UpaniÀads cannot be assessed. 2 It is mentioned in the MuktikopaniÀad (Muk.Up.) that there are 1180 UpaniÀads as a part of the four Vedas. Îgveda 21,Yajurveda 109, S maveda 1000 and the Atharvaveda 50. Thus the total comes to 1180 UpaniÀads. 3 Most of them have not yet been recovered. Around two hundred UpaniÀads are available. Of these Muk.Up., gives the names of 108 UpaniÀads as the most important. 4 However the Vedanta philosophy has accepted the eleven UpaniÀads which are of great philosophical eminence. These are:-ì v syopaniàad, KenopaniÀad (Ken.Up) Ka hopaniàad (Ka.Up.) Pra nopaniàad, Mu akopaniàad (Mu.Up.), M kyopaniàad (M.Up.), Taittir yopaniàad (Tai.Up.), AitareyopaniÀad, Ch ndogyopaniàad (Ch.Up.) B had ra yakopaniàad (B h.up.) and ávet vataropaniàad (ávet.up.). While analyzing the UpaniÀads we come across ideological debates and philosophical discussions. Thus the UpaniÀads opens the door to the inner arena of philosophical thoughts, and most of the discussions progress in the form of dialogues and questionnaires between Guru and áiàya. The aims of scholars in those days were to find an ideal solution to free human beings from sorrow and they never cared for money or fame. One of the remarkable features of the debates was that the defeated scholar became

6 15 the follower and disciple of the winner. This shows that there was no personal conflict or greed for money and position, but an unquenchable thirst for finding the truth, so the defeated never found ignominy in becoming the disciple of the conqueror of a debate. From the oldest UpaniÀad, B h.up., we can assume the nature of the primitive contemplation which is followed in the rest of the UpaniÀads. B h.up., which has the clear tradition of the Vedanta philosophy belongs to the áatapatha Br Åma a of the áukla Yajurveda. One among the great four Mah v kyas +½þ É ÉÀÉκ É, 5 is the Vedic prayer +ºÉiÉÉä ÉÉ ºÉiMÉ ÉªÉÉ, ié ɺÉÉä ÉÉ VªÉÉäÊiÉMÉÇ ÉªÉÉ, ÉÞiªÉÉä ÉÉÇ + ÉÞiÉÆ MÉ ÉªÉÉ, 6 The aphorism of advice +Éi ÉÉ ÉÉ + äú pù¹]õ ªÉ&, ÉÉäiÉ ªÉÉä ÉxiÉ ªÉÉä ÊxÉÊnùvªÉÉʺÉiÉ ªÉ&, 7 and other main aphorisms like + ÉªÉ É Éè ÉÀÉ 8, xéäêié xéäêié, 9 +Éi ÉxɺiÉÖ EòÉ ÉÉªÉ ºÉ ÉÈ Ê ÉªÉÆ É ÉÊiÉ 10, Ê ÉYÉÉiÉÉ Æú + äú EäòxÉ Ê ÉVÉÉÊxɪÉÉiÉ 11 etc. are also found in this UpaniÀad. This shows the highest ideal of the Vedanta can be traced back to the oldest UpaniÀad and what we see in the later UpaniÀads is not a new concept but an elaboration with newly added findings which have been experienced by the seers. This makes the statement true that the Vedantic ideals are as old as the mountain Him laya. The Preceptors and scholars of the early history of the Vedanta

7 16 tradition can be seen in the B h.up. The references in the B h.up are the only source to prepare a proper list of ancient preceptors of the Vedanta tradition. Besides B h.up there are numerical descriptions of the Vedanta preceptors in Ch.Up., KauÀ taki UpaniÀad, Ka.Up., Pra nopaniàad, Tai.Up., etc. Some of the eminent preceptors are Y jμavalkya, Janaka, Maitreyi, Satyak ma, Raiquan, UÀasthi, Aswapati, Maugallya Muni, G rgi, Uddh laka, ávetaketu, A giras, Naciketa, Pippal da, áaunaka, Radh dhara, B gu etc. 12 b. Pur ic Tradition The eighteen Pur as and eighteen Upa Pur as are written in a simple and attractive style so that the laymen can easily apprehend the eternal knowledge and also the Vedic truths. The Pur as contain essentially the Vedanta philosophy explained in the UpaniÀads. Vedavy sa is considered to be the author of the Pur as but many other sages are also mentioned in the Pur as. The eminent scholars of the Pur a period who followed the Vedanta tradition are:- 13 Brahmadeva, Vy sa, áuka, Vaisamb ya, VasiÀ a, Agastya, Datt treya, Vidura, N rada, etc. The characters of the Pur as are mainly Gods or Goddesses. This is so because even a common man can understand the supreme powers of the Gods and Goddesses mentioned in the Pur as and also indirectly

8 17 acquire the philosophy of Vedanta. The stories in the Pur as are allegorical and symbolic and pertain to the higher truth in the Vedic scriptures. As the UpaniÀadic wisdom is abstruse and inflexible for a common mind, the truths are fashioned in the form of stories so that even a child can understand them comfortably without much effort. So there is no mistake in saying that the Pur as itself represents a stage of Vedantic philosophy. 1. Epic Tradition The two great Epics of India are the R m ya a and the Mah bh rata and they occupy the prime position in epic literature. These epics are an open book of social, cultural, spiritual, political and ethical history of ancient India. The historical conclusion is that, the period of R m ya a and Mah bh rata could be B.C V lm ki and Vedavy sa, the authors of these epics, are the crowned geniuses of the world. To a common man these epics are the Vedas. The Vedanta philosophy has been elaborately explained and has been given a royal position in Vedic literature in these epics. Sage V lm ki, Ëdikavi, the author of the R m ya a has lighted up the Vedanta philosophy through Yogav sià ha. The hero of the R m ya a, the incarnation of ViÀ u has been pictured as an ideal person

9 18 having good qualities and righteousness. The R m ya a and the Yogav sià h are completely filled with philosophical vision and thoughts which indirectly helps a common man to understand Vedanta. It is believed by many that Vedanta philosophy originated from the sage Vy sa. The Mah bh rata of the sage Vy sa brings out a philosophical vision and methodology combined with scientific, logical and practical aspects. The victory of righteousness over injustice, the erasing of ego etc., based on Vedanta is the core of the Mah bh rata. One of the notable things is that, Vy sa himself becomes one of the central characters explaining the different levels of Vedanta philosophy in the Mah bh rata. The three distinct parts of Vedas - Karmak a, Up san k a, and Jμ nak a-are interwoven in the epic Mah bh rata. 2. Bhagavat G ta Tradition Vy sa wrote the B.G. in 18 chapters which adorns the position of the epic of epics. The B.G., gives a clear picture of the principles of the Vedas and UpaniÀads. It also shows the path of Self Realization and the realization of the supreme power. Many well known sages and well read persons have written commentaries on this epic. Some of them are áa kar c rya, Ram nuj c rya, Madv c rya, Bh skar c rya Rajagop l c rya, Chinmayananda, etc.

10 19 The word G ta in Sanskrit means a song. Many G tas are available to us, all explaining the central theme of the UpaniÀads and the B.G. tradition itself can be pointed out in relation with the philosophical tradition of Vedanta and these are seen in almost all Pur as for example Dev G ta, Anu G ta, Ripu G ta, Avadh ta G ta, AÀ vakra G ta, Guru G ta, áiva G ta etc. 3. Brahmas tra Tradition The Brahmas tra, a Vedantic text with the highest potentiality and philosophy, is of scientific nature also. The depth of Vedanta philosophy is found in the Brahmas tra which has 555 practical formulas, each containing an ocean of knowledge and this feature of the aphorisms has made many commentators to elaborate the concepts hidden in them to a thesis of their ideology. The Brahmas tra consists of the pith of the Vedanta philosophy, not only in establishing its own philosophy but in creating a formidable fort against the other philosophical tradition with powerful polemics and penetrating arguments. Some researcher s opine that Vedavy sa was the author of the Brahmas tra but some are against it. Some of the notable ancient preceptors of this period other than Vy sa are Ëtreya, A marathya, Au ulomi, Ka ak tsna, K rà μjini, Jaimini, B dari etc.

11 20 Middle Tradition of Vedanta The Middle period of the Advaita Vedanta tradition approximately starts a little before Pre-áa kara Vedanta. But we get only a very brief knowledge about this period except for the names of some scholars- UpavarÀa, Brahm nandi, Dravid c rya, etc. The Middle period denotes the long stretch of period from Gau ap d c rya to the 18 th Century. Even though great preceptors like Y jμavalkya, V lm ki, Vy sa etc. had realized that the efficacy of Veda is Advaita Vedanta, it was Gau ap d c rya who became the modern spokesman of Advaita. Hence, from the period of Gau ap d c rya, the Advaita Vedanta philosophy attained greater intensity and variety. 15 The propagation of the heterodox traditions had almost become inexorable at this period and the advent of foreign religions had also contributed to the waning of the orthodox traditions. As a result of the rigid and stringent rules of the caste system, rituals and customs, people began to take Jainism and Buddhism. In order to bring back the glory of Hinduism, as a spokesman of Advaita, Gau ap d c rya entered the arena. a. Gau ap d c rya Gau ap d c rya, was the guru of Govind c rya who guided

12 21 áa kar c rya. Gau ap d c rya adopted a philosophy which was a rough picture of Advaita Vedanta. He was an authority on the UpaniÀads and the B.G. The theory of illusion had been explained by Gau ap d c rya which áa kar c rya opened to the world with many examples. He propounded that Ëtma is the supreme soul which dwells inside everything and the influence of illusion causes ignorance. Ëtma is known by different names. The true path to realize the identity of Ëtma is by dedicated practice and meditation. The divine Mantra Om helps one to attain this. Gau ap da in the theory of Aj t proclaims that the J va never exists as a separate entity from the Brahman. Ëtma and J va are not two different entities and this thought made revolutionary impact on Indian philosophy and paved the way for the systematization of the purest Advaita. He proved that J va is the reflection of Ëtma because the mind wanders and deviates from Ëtma to experience worldly pleasures. When Ëtma is realized J va will experience Ënanda. Gau ap d c rya s direct disciple Govind c rya was also a propagator of Advaita, but his disciple áa kar c rya was the one who propagated the Advaita Vedanta philosophy by defeating all the opponents by giving the system a perfect shape and order. b. áa kar c rya (AD ) áa kar c rya, who represents the zenith of the Advaita Vedanta is

13 22 a phenomenal personality for accomplishing a great task of mastering all the wisdom of the times and establishing a revolutionary ideology within a short span of time. At a very young age he was able to attain the prestigious position of Sarvajμap haæ, spread the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and wrote many philosophical works and commentaries on á stras and Mantras etc. áa kara brought back Hinduism from the clutches of Jainism and Buddhism through the propagation of San tanadharma. He questioned the superstitious beliefs of sacrificial culture and orthodox priesthood by giving importance to monism. Advaita Vedanta became popular through the efforts of áa kara. The philosophy which áa kara put forward had an ascetic order based on practical visions according to which the customs and practices of Hindu religion were modified. áa kara s philosophy was a step forward to future generation s welfare. Following the steps of áa kara s philosophy, many scholars and philosophers adopted Advaita Vedanta. Padmap da, Hast malaka, To aka, and Sure vara were the direct disciples of áa kara, who propagated áa kara s philosophy all over India. A long list of post Vedantins can be found and all the Vedantist, even when writing the highest polemic works, never denied writing simple philosophical work from which laymen could

14 23 understand the nectar of Vedanta. The Post áa kara period represents a period when all the opponents and the Vedantist were engaged in controversies related to many subtle and incomprehensible philosophical mysteries and these were very complex and confounding for the ordinary people. In this period the Vedantic preceptors showed a little change from each other and this also paved the way for different kinds of schools viz., Bh mati, and Vivara a. But it cannot be neglected that the philosophical treatise for laymen also were written which proved to be the crux. The changing society also demanded changes in the approach of philosophy and this was a challenge the Post Sankara Vedantist s confronted. Post áa kara Advaitins with their contributions held the veracity of the view that Ëtma is the eternal consciousness and it cannot be clouded by anything, the intelligent cause egoism in the individual and thereby makes him ignorant and pushes him into the depth of delusion. Modern Tradition of Advaita Vedanta The middle period ended during 18 th century and it laid the foundation for modern tradition of Advaita Vedanta. It was a period of change in India in almost all the fields-culture, politics, religion, philosophy, spirituality etc. Advaita Vedanta occupied a crowning position

15 24 during this period by representing the true philosophical views and spiritual ideology of India. This was achieved mainly through the contributors of the commentaries, interpretations, literary works, monasteries etc. The British rule in India made a radical change in the economic and social life of India and the social reformers of India also began to find out the ideals like humanism and equality in the primitive scriptures and philosophy. This eventually ended up in bringing about the Advaita Vedanta philosophy for forming a new India. The condition of India during this period was steeped with strict caste system, low position of women, deprived of social dignity and education, and vexed with Sati. So the Vedantists of this particular period had to take up social awakening along with spiritual teachings. The scholars and Vedanta preceptors, who made creative and practical interpretation of the traditional Vedanta adapted to the modern period, are known as Neo-Vedantists and this period is known as the Neo-Vedanta period. The Advaitins were the backbone of the changes which took place in the social and religious arenas. They changed the society, which was deeply rooted in superstitions and other foolish ideas, into a modern world. The field of religion, culture, etc. were deeply influenced by the modern

16 25 period. The society was opened to a new spiritual awakening. This period moulded a civilization based on spirituality, religious tolerance universal love etc. The great leaders like, Dayananda Saraswati, Vivekananda, Chattampi Swamikal, Narayana Guru etc. and social reformers like, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore helped the people to overcome their weaknesses and lead a righteous life. Many socio-religious organizations and missionaries sprouted up to make the people aware of their rights in the religious and cultural realm. Besides spiritual awakening, national awakening was also, aimed at by these missionaries. Some of the important among them are Brahmasam j, Ëryasam j, and Ramakrishna Mission etc. A brief description of some social reformers will help us to understand the situation, in which they played a vital role. a. Raja Ram Mohan Roy ( ) Raja Ram Mohan Roy, born in 1772 in Bengal, is considered as the spiritual father of modern India. 16 He had mastered Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Greek, Latin and Hebrew. He believed that western education would improve the existing condition of society. He founded the Brahmasam j with a vision of eradicating the superstitions and social evils

17 26 like Sati. It propagated inter-caste marriage and widow marriage, opposed caste system, untouchability, child marriage and polygamy and favoured monotheism. Brahmasam j believed in Advaita Vedanta. b. Dayananda Saraswati ( ) Dayananda, a profound scholar of the Vedic lore and Sanskrit language, was one of the great leaders of the modern Indian renaissance. Dayananda toured all over the country and held scholarly talks and debates with men of different faiths and leaders of different movements. He propagated the language Hindi. His main writings include commentaries on the Vedas, Saty rthaprak a, a book of prayers and a work on Sanskrit grammar. He introduced a novel method called áudhi for those who had left Hinduism and wanted to return. Dayananda established the Ëryasamaja, in the year His slogan, adopted by Ëryasam j was Back to the Vedas. He raised his voice and exhorted people to fight against the social evils which prevailed during that period. Empowering women and uplifting them was one of the main mottos of the Ëryasam j. He worked hard to impart education to all, especially to women. Moreover, many schools and colleges under the Ëryasam j, were started.

18 27 c. Chattampi Swamikal ( ) Chattampi Swamikal was born in Kerala, in an aristocratic family. He was named Kunjan but people addressed him as Kunjan Pillai. He was blessed by a wandering monk with B lasubraåma yama tra and was known as Sanmukhadasan, and later when he was recognized as a man of letters and spirituality he came to be known as Sri Vidyadhi Raja Parama Bhattaraka Chattampi Swamikal. Though he was born in a Nair family, he was an advocate of the low caste. Through Advaita Vedanta and logic he awakened the society to fight against the social evils. He strongly advocated that each and every human being had the right to study the Vedas and perform temple rituals. He emphasized on the universal oneness, AhiÆsa and universal love. d. Narayanaguru ( ) Narayana Guru experienced the evils of the caste-system. He made up his mind to fight against caste-system and bring about universal love. He travelled all over Kerala and fought for social justice and equality. His disciples founded an organization named S.N. D. P., after consulting him. Through this organization the entire Ezhava communities of Kerala were educated and encouraged to acquire freedom from social vices. He believed that renaissance could be possible only through spiritual,

19 28 philosophical and ethical emancipation. This was the core of Advaita Vedanta. The weapon of Advaita Vedanta propagation helped Narayana Guru to fight against communal discrimination and spread the theory of universal love. e. Rabindranath Tagore ( ) Rabindranath Tagore was a native of Bengal. His father Debendranath Tagore was an intellectual and a leading light in the Brahmasam j. As a child Rabindranath Tagore grew up, in a family where the Vedas and the UpaniÀads were discussed, under the supervision of his father. This influenced him greatly. Rabindranath Tagore was an artist, sage, reformer and spiritual leader. He belongs to no school of religion nor has put forward any strict dogmas as religion. Spirituality, according to him, is a dynamic principle touching every aspects of life or any form of existence that touches human life. It is the best guiding principle of life that leads a human being from darkness to light (Avidy to Vidy ). This is the core of the Vedas. Self realization was the principle that Tagore formulated. He associated the bliss of Sat, Cit, and Ënanda with nature. He proclaimed that women, like men, could fight against social evils. He represented the end of all struggles by inner peace and detachment from the world. The school which his father started was expanded by him as á ntiniketan which later became a university known as Vi vabh rati

20 29 f. Mahatma Gandhi ( ) Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869 in a religious family. He is the Father of Our Nation. He grew up as an extremely sensitive boy committed to morality and theism. He had an exposure to the Vedas and the Pur as. The B.G. was the base of his life. Gandhiji was a living proof of a saint as well as a nationalist. Racism and caste discrimination made him fight for justice. According to him equality and self dependence were the basic aim of education. He toured all over India to understand the system that prevailed in that era. The two weapons he used were AhiÆsa and Saty graha. He tried to bring about universal love and humanity. He never preached what he could not do. The B.G. and the UpaniÀads, according to him, were the code of conduct for a human being. Gandiji s world s view is a mixture of humanism and theism. Gandhiji accepted and adopted all the virtues of all the religions and discarded the bad. He adopted and followed the philosophy of truth and the dignity of labour. He exhorted each and every one to lead a truthful life, regardless of the consequences. g. Aurobindo ( ) Aurobindo holds an outstanding position among the philosophers of

21 30 modern India. His philosophy was based on Vedanta integrated with Karmayoga. He was a nationalist who worked hard for the independence of India and a scholar who mastered many languages. The revolutionary Aurobindo was attracted to the B.G. and restructured his life on the basis of spirituality emphasized in the B.G. He realized that the constant practice of Yoga and Karmayoga would lead one to Self Realization. He established his philosophy on the basis of Advaita Vedanta, the non-dual philosophy. He had his own spiritual experience and had the realization of the Self. For his philosophy he used these experiences rather than the traditional teachings. He introduced the system of integral Yoga. The spiritual vision of Aurobindo are seen in his works, like Synthesis of Yoga, Letters on Yoga, Letters on G t, The Life Divine and S vitri. Aurobindo s Philosophy of integration is unique. It not only comprehends the whole of the reality, but also integrates the lower levels of experience into the higher. If reality is integral, the knowledge required for realizing it, must also be integral, since means must be appropriate to the end. The integral Yoga brings about the ascent of consciousness, leading to the realization of the cosmic Self as well as the descent of consciousness leading to the divinization of nature. The work of perfected

22 31 human beings, whom Aurobindo calls Gnostic beings, in bringing about this transformation of society, is decisive. h. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ( ) Ramakrishna was born on 18 February 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur about sixty miles North West of Kolkata. He was a great master who introduced an integral vision for humanity. Ramakrishna was a realized saint. From his childhood it is seen that his inner voice ruled him. He never accepted any philosophical theories without knowing it through and through. The example of this is the priesthood he was given at the K li temple of Dakshineswar. He asked many questions to the stone idol and when he found no answer he was about to end his life. Soon he got the glimpse of the Holy Mother as if an answer to all his questions. He used to meditate deeply and was always disturbed by the clicking sounds. He used to get many visions which could never be explained. To him God existed in each and everything and so he respected and honoured every living thing. Even marriage could not bring any change in him and his wife Sarada Devi accepted him as a divine teacher. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa believed in Advaita philosophy and he also believed in the theory of illusion. The negation path of Vedic discipline was accepted by him. It is said that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

23 32 has known the Avidy M ya as well as the Vidy M ya together. Avidy M ya represents desires and passions which are responsible for birth and death whereas Vidy m ya takes a man to the higher planes of consciousness where the J v tma and Param tma become the one living behind everything. 18 He was always in the company of holy men and devotees. He never preached that which could not be practised. He always used to say that when the flower blooms, bees visit them and likewise when a wise man s presence is there, devotees flow to him. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was tolerant towards all religions and found out that all religions led to the same path-realization of the Self that is God. The three systems, Dvaita, Vi ià dvaita and Advaita which represented the progress of man towards the ultimate reality, were stressed by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He also said that a man destined to realize God as a Sany si should discard the luxuries of worldly life and a man whose destiny is to become a householder should make perfect his duties without any result oriented attachment by surrendering himself to God. He wanted his followers to be sincere in their prayers to the lord. Sarada Devi was married to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa at the age of five. It was the period when Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to go into spiritual trance. Sarada Devi accepted him as a master more than a

24 33 husband. She was given an all-round education by her master. Under his guidance she practiced Jap and meditation along with her duties of life. She was very modest. Holy mother, as she was always addressed, had exhorted the women folk to be spiritual and to spread the glow of goodness all over. She also asked them to be self dependent and brave. All the disciples of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa were her children and she was their mother. 19 i. Vivekananda ( ) Vivekananda was the foremost disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. To propagate his Guru s message he along with other disciples, started a Missionary known as Ramakrishna Mission and Sarada Mission for women. He travelled all over the world and studied the world thoroughly and then recommended a remedy. Vivekananda was named Narendranath Datta by his parents. He was a boy with strong physique, brilliant intellect and mystic temperament. Even at a young age, he practised meditation and had a great power of concentration. He had taken a vow of austere religious chastity even though he had western education. Faith in God and religion was unsteady in him. He wanted a concrete support, an external power, a Guru who could satisfy his hunger for truth. He joined the BraÅmasam j but did

25 34 not find a Guru who could help him. But the meeting with Paramahamsa changed the whole life of Vivekananda and it is Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who made the Narendra into the Vivekananda. After his master s death Vivekananda travelled all over India as a monk. During these travels he understood the social evils and the superstitions of religion which had clung to the illiterate people as a result of the exploitation by the educated. The economic condition was also very bad; the caste system ruled the society making life miserable for the low caste. The education of mind and body became one of the main aims of Ramakrishna Mission. There too he could leave a mark of India s spiritual culture, which made a great change in the attitude of the western scholars towards the traditions and customs of India. Thus he made an inestimable contribution to elevate the glory of India, before the world, which was until then considered to be a superstitious country. Through many world tours he propagated Vedanta philosophy. The teaching of his Guru-to make people aware of religion and culture, unification of Hinduism and the upliftment of the downtrodden- was carried out by him. Vivekananda, as he himself called, was the mouth piece of Ramakrishna. Vivekananda compared Vedanta with Science. He said that the science of psychology helped to check the mind and its thoughts. It is an external study. The

26 35 same method of study is done by Vedanta but it is studied deep within, that is the study of Ëtma. He also added that one can control one s mind if one knows one s sub conscious mind clearly. 20 Vivekananda also advocated the removal of ignorance and M ya by the practice of Yoga. So every human being has to practice Yoga in order to know the Self. Vivekananda had many disciples. They all worked to uplift society by training the people spiritually. Ranganathananda, on whom this thesis is, was the disciple of Sivananda who was the direct disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Ranganathananda followed the outlook of Vivekananda and Sivananda and propagated the teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa all over the world in this modern era. He is also known as modern Vivekananda.

27 36 Resume The base of Indian philosophy is the search for truth. This search is divided into external and internal search for knowledge. The great sages of India stressed the flaring up of the inner knowledge-thinking process. This process was again based on the Vedanta. The base of the Vedanta philosophy is considered as Prasth natrayas like the UpaniÀads the Brahmas tra and the B.G. Vedanta aims at realizing the Self thereby realizing the supreme power. The Vedanta tradition is divided into three-early, Middle and Modern. The early tradition of Vedanta is from Îgveda to Gau ap d c rya. The early tradition is divided into four: - UpaniÀadic tradition, Pur ic tradition, Epic tradition and Brahmas tra tradition. The Middle tradition of Vedanta starts a little before áa kara and ends in 18 th century. Many great saints were born during this period. The strict frame work of Hinduism was unbearable for the common people and they were attracted to other religions. But the establishment of Advaita Vedanta on a redoubtable level prevented the inexorable growth of other religions.

28 37 The modern tradition of the Vedantic period starts from 18 th century. Many great changes took place in the cultural, political and religious fields. This was mainly due to the renaissance that was the result of modern education and new perspectives in thought. The preceptors never insisted on believing their ideals blindly but asked them to make it practical and adopt it. It was the period of social awakening and this period is also known as the Neo-Vedanta period. The great pioneers during this period were spiritual leaders like Dayananda Saraswati, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Vivekananda, Chattampi Swamikal, Narayana Guru etc., and social reformers like, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore etc. These leaders were the backbone for erasing the social evils in society as well as in exhorting the people to lead a righteous life.

29 38 Notes 1 A.B. Keith, The Religion and Philosophy of the Vedas and UpaniÀads (Vols), Motilal Banarasidas, Delhi, I ed., Pandita Jagadeesa Sastri, UpaniÀad Sangrahaha, Motilal Banarasidas, Delhi. 2 Dharmananda Swamikal, Living Traditions of Advaita Vedanta, The Heritage Publication, Bangalore, 2012, p.8. 3 BEèòEòºªÉɺiÉÖ ÉÉJÉɪÉÉBEèòEòÉä{ÉÊxɹÉx ÉiÉÉ Muk.Up., Ibid., B h.up., Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., , Ibid., Dharmananda, Op. Cit., p Ibid.,p Ibid.,p Ibid.,p Ibid.,p Ibid.,p.172.

30 39 18 Gospel of Sree Ramakrishna, (tr.), Nikhilananda, ár Ramakrishna Ma h, Mylapore, Chennai, p The Gospel of the Holy Mother Sree Saradadevi, Sree Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai. 20 Swami Tapasyananda, The Philosophical and Religious lectures of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashram, Delhi, p. 44.