elements of vedanta

 

The elements of Vedanta are as follows:

1. Shankar’s Advait Vedant (788 – 820 AD) – non dualism – believes that this world is an illusion (maya); only Brahman (Parabrahman) is ultimate reality and jiva is not different from Brahman. 

2. Ramanujacharya’s Vishishtadvait (1017 – 1137 AD) (wrote Shri Bhashya) – qualified monoism. His doctrine mentions 3 eternal realities i.e jiva (chit), jagat (maya) and Ishwar (parbrahman). Parbrahman is independent and yet controller of both chit and achit. He believed in Ashvarya Pradhan bhakti.  Sri Vishnu, Sri Narayan, Sri Vasudeva, Sri Krishna are all considered as Parabrahman. Parbrahman has five forms: Para, Vyuh, Antaryami, Vibhav and Archa. Laxmi Narayan is divine couple. At the time of death only gross body is shed. Vaikunth’s muktas arrive to take jiva. Sanchit karma is removed only at the time of death, till then both sanchit & Parabdha karma remain. 

3. Nimbarkacharya’s Dvaita-advait philosophy (1028 – 1125AD) (wrote Vedanta Parijat) – means dualistic no-dualism. He believed in three eternal realities – Brahman (Ishwar – Kridhna & Radha), Jiva (chit) and Jagat (Achit). According to Nimbark, there are five sadhanas – Karma (nishkam bhav), Jnan (knowledge of brahman & self), Upasna (meditating on Brahman – as antaryami - of sentment, of non-sentiment & as different from sentiment & non-sentiment) Prapatti (total self-surrender to parmatama) and Guruprasatti self-surrender to the spiritual preceptor). 

4. Madhvacharaya’s Dvait Darshan (1294 – 1317 AD) (wrote Purnapragya Bhashya) - Advait regarded only Brahman as truth and the external world of matter as mithya-unreal. Dvait upheld the difference between Brahman and individual jiva and matter. The latter two are completely different between themselves and individual jivas also differ from one another fundamentally. Madav’s davit regard brahman as supreme reality and advocates its adoration. His school of bhakti identify with Vishnu and upasana of Narayan with Laxmi.He accepts both jivan mukti and videha mukti. When the jiva observes vows of Dharma, develops staunch faith, offers param bhakti as dos and accepts Parmatma’s sharanagati to please him, the parmatma graces the jiva with aparoksh jnan – direct vision.
 
5. Vallabhacharaya’s Shuddha davit (1479 – 1532) (wrote Anu Bhashya) – He upheld that Atmas & matter (maya) are real manifestations of Parmatama (Brahman) and not unreal. They are his parts.

1. Brahman is independent reality and is identified as Krishna
2. His essence is existence (Sat), Knowledge (Chit) and Bliss (Anand).
3. From his nature as Existence – springs forth life (pran), senses and bodies. From his nature as Knowledge – springs forth the jivas or atomic atmas. From his nature as Bliss – springs forth the antaryamins or the presiding deities of jivas.
4. Shri Krishna is one supreme Ataryamin – the inner ruler of all.
5. He is the abode of all qualities – good and seemingly bad.
6. Bhakti is firm and all-surpassing affection (sneh) for parmatma with a full sense of his greatness. It is only means of moksha.
7. It is loving service and attachment to parmatma.
8. It is gained through his grace, which destroys sins.

While Shankara’s concepts are based on Upanishads, other vedantists relied more on Purans more particularly on Vishnu Puran. 
All the Vedantists agree on three points. They believe in God, in the Vedas as revealed, and in cycles. The belief about cycles is as follows:

• All matter throughout the universe is the outcome of one primal matter called Âkâsha; and all force, whether gravitation, attraction or repulsion, or life, is the outcome of one primal force called Prâna.  Prana acting on Akasha is creating or projecting the universe. At the beginning of a cycle, Akasha is motionless, unmanifested.
• Then Prana begins to act, more and more, creating grosser and grosser forms out of Akasha — plants, animals, men, stars, and so on. After an incalculable time this evolution ceases and involution begins, everything being resolved back through finer and finer forms into the original Akasha and Prana, when a new cycle follows.
• Now there is something beyond Akasha and Prana.  Both can be resolved into a third thing called Mahat — the Cosmic Mind. This Cosmic Mind does not create Akasha and Prana, but changes itself into them.

References:

1. http://veda.wikidot.com/shad-darshana
2. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/99ed/84c9c959fb782c8eeca3b3b789af29568fbf.pdf
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
4. The complete works of Swami Vivekananda, Mayavati Memorial Edition, Volume I, Advaita Ashrama