SrI:
Dear BhakthAs :
Dr.S.M.Srinivasa Chari is a
preeminent , contemproary Vedantic Scholar ,
who has been blessed to
recieve training from sampradhAyic VaishNavite
AchAryAs like Vaikunta Vaasi
, SrI Goshtipuram SoumyanArAyaNAchArya
Swami for many years
Those years of intense ,
traditional kaalakshEpams from authoritative VaishNavite
scholars & AchAryAs
have laid the
foundation for him to share his unique insights into
Bhagavad RaamAnuja
Darsanam in the form of outstanding monographs
;
latter are reference
books for many aasthikAs at every level of knowledge
about our Aasthika
darsanams . The facility and throughness with which
Dr.Chari explains
the grand doctrines of VisishtAdhvaitham , Adhvaitham
and Dhvaitham is unique among
modern day authors on Comparitive
Philosophy . With a keen
sense of impartiality , he has compared the three
darsanams developed by
AchArya RaamAnuja , Samkara and MaadhvA
and evaluated them in the
context of their aadhAram in PrasthAna Thrayam
( Upanishads , Brahma
SoothrAs and Bhagavad GitA ) . His constructive
evaluations
of the
fundamentals of the above three darsanams and
their key assumptions
are eye openers for novices as well as advanced
students of philosophy .
Sofar , Dr.Chari has
illumined us with such comparitive evaluations of
the three darsanams through
the release of the following Six outstanding
monographs so far . Each one
of them is a treasure :
1. Advaitha and VisishtAdhvaitha : A study based on Swamy
Desikan's
Sata
dhUshaNi .
2. Fundamentals of VisishtAdhvaitha: A study based on Swamy
Desikan's
Tatthva
Muktha Kalaapa .
3. VaishNavism : A handy reference monograph dealing with Its
Philosophy ,
Theology
and Religious Discipline .
4. Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of the AzhwArs :In depth
study of
the
theological and philosophical teachings of the 12 AzhwArs
.
5. The
Philosophy of the VedAntha SoothrAs : An objectie and
pioneering
evaluation of BadarAyaNA's
VedAntha SutrAs as commented upon by
the three principal darsana
sthApakAs .
6. The Philosophy of the Upanishads : A dispassionate study of
the commentaries
by Samkara , MaadhvA and
Ramanuja on BadarayaNa"s Vedanta SutrAs .
Sr.S.M.S. Chari's mature
genius has now added to the above list of Six
important monographs , yet
another brilliant monograph entitled :
"The Philosophy of the
Bhagavad Gita " .
We are
indeed fortunate to have the benefit
of Dr. Chari's authoritative
and scholarly monograph on "
The Philosophy of Bhagavad Gita ",
which focuses on the objective
evaluation of Samkara's ,
RaamAnujA's
and MaadhvA's
commentaries on GithOpanishad .
Dr. Chari's latest
monograph
on Gita is one of its kind that breaks new grounds
and
extends the frontiers of
research in this important area of comparitive
study of
VedAntha . Dr.Chari summarizes first the Philosophy of Bhagavad
Gita as advanced by the three AchAryAs
in an impressively clear and concise
manner . He covers all the eighteen chapters of
Bhagavad Gita using key
slOkams from each of the chapters and
compares the different intrepretations
on these quintessential slOkams
from the point of view of the three AchAryAs .
This forms Part
I of this monograph . In Part II ,
Dr. Chari focuses on
an objective and refreshing evaluation of
the individual commentaries
of
Samkara , Ramnauja and
Maadhva on Bhagavd Gita
across the matrix of
(1) The TatthvAs (2) The
Saadhana and (3) The Doctrine of Parama PurushArtha .
The TatthvAs
deals with the three doctrines of VedAntha (Tatthva Thrayam
)
on ParamAthman( Iswaran) ,
JeevAthman( Sentients) and the
Jagath ( Universe) .
The Saadhana
comprises of Karma Yoga , Jn~Ana Yoga and Bhakthi yoga ,
the spiritual doctrines established by Gita
for attaining Parama PurushArtha .
Saadhana is recognized
as the Central theme of Bhagavad Gita .
The doctrine of Parama
PurushArtha deals with the Supreme goal (Viz).,
the knowledge of Brahman . The knowledge of
Reality (TatthvAs) and
the means of its attainment would be
valuable , if only there is a worthy
higher goal (Parama PurushArtham) is to be
attained . That highest goal
as taught by Lord KrishNa as the Supreme
Brahman is the attainment of
liberation from bondage in SamsAram .
A close study of Dr.Chari's scholarly
monograph throws light on " how
this important religious classic ( Bhagavad
Gita) , which is one of the (three)
source books of VedAntha , is viewed so differently by the three
VedAntic
exponents". Dr.
Chari's most welcome contribution is the assessment of
the main philosophical
tenets advanced by the
three Schools of VedAntha
and their closeness or otherwise to
the purport of the original text
of Bhagavad
Gita . In this monograph , Dr. Chari has
advanced convincing reasons
to conclude that AchArya Ramanuja's
BhAshyam on Bhagavad
Gita
conforms closely to the teachings of
Bhagavad Gita .
Dr. Chari has arrived at the above
conclusion in an impartial manner
by " a critical examination of the
following major philosophical theories
and the connected issues " . The issues in
his own words are :
1. The nature of the Para-Tatthva or the ultimate reality - -whether it is the personal God
of religion or the impersonal undifferentiated Being .
2. The nature of
JeevAthman- - whether it is a distinct ontological
spiritual
entity different
from Brahman or non-different from it .
3. The status of the
Universe- - whether it is real or phenomenal in
character.
4. The theory of
Saadhana- -the Karma Yoga and its role in the Saadhana
for Moksha ; the
Jn~Ana Yoga and its role as the means to Moksha;
the Bhakti
Yoga and its role as the direct means to Moksha .
5. The nature fo the
Supreme Goal- - whether it is the attainment of
a status of
equality with Paramatman by the JeevAthman or is it
the realization
of the identity of
the Jiva with Brahman .
In the final chapter entitled
, " General Evaluation and Conclusion " ,
Dr. Chari develops his
case for his conclusion that AchArya Ramanuja"s
BhAshyam is the
closest in
reflecting the teachings of Bhagavad Gita .
He rests his case on
developing the answers for the above five questions.
His answers based on
comparitive analysis of the three BhAshyas are :
1.The Nature of Para TatthvA
or Ultimate Reality : " Throughout Gita ,
we come
across only
one concept of ParamAthman , who is equated with
a personal God in the
name of Lord KrishNa . There is no reference to
an undifferentiated
impersonal Being anywhere in Gita .
2. The Nature of JivAthman :
Gita acknowledges that JivAthman is
a distinct ontological entity
that is distinctly different from ParamAthman .
There is no verse in Gita ,
which explicitly states that JivAthman is
essentially Brahman. The
Upanishads and the VedAntha SutrAs
also affirm the difference
between the two: JivAthman and ParamAthman .
3. The Status of the Universe
: Is it real or illusory in Character ?
There is nothing in Gita that
holds the universe as illusory .
4. The theory of Saadhana:
The question is which of the three pathways
( Karma , Jn~Ana and Bhakthi
yoga) is the direct means to Moksha
and which are the subordinate
means ?
Samkara identifies Jn~Ana
yoga as the direct means and
the Karma as well as Bhakthi yogas
are subordinates . Ramanuja
holds that Bhakti yoga is the direct means
to Moksha and the other two
are aids to it . Maadhva identifies aparOksha
Jn~Ana ( direct perception of
ParamAthman) as the direct means to Moksha ;
aparOksha Jn~Ana arises from
dhyAna yoga , which is the same as
bhakthi yoga . The upadEsam
in GitA does not seem to support the views
of both Samkara and Maadhva
.
5. The Nature of the Supreme
Goal : is it the attainment of a status of
equality with ParamAthman by
the JivAthmanor is it the realization of
the identity of JivAthman
with Brahman ? According to the teachings of
Gita , it is clear that the
attainment of a status of equality (Saadharmyam)
with ParamAthman by the
JeevAthman constitutes the Supreme goal .
Maadhva and Ramanuja hold
this view .
Dr.Chari gives copious
references in support of the above views
and concludes on that basis
that AchArya Ramanuja's Gita BhAshyam
is closest to the teachings
of GithOpanishad .
Dr. Chari's monograph has a
very useful glossary , list of references
and subject index .
This brilliantly composed monograph has 280
pages
and is published by Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers , New Delhi .
One can order this book on
line from the web site:www.mrmlbooks.com
The price for the
book is Rupees 575 (~14$) .
adiyEn recommends this
outstanding monograph for your libraries
without reservations
.
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil
V.Sadagopan
SrImath Azhagiya Singar
Thiruvadi .
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