An invaluable text based on a PhD thesis for researchers and individuals interested in Advaita Critical Edition of a 350-year-old Advaita Vedanta Text based on 33 Manuscripts & a Translation enriched with 692 Explanatory Notes 51 Verses in श्लेष (spiritual and empirical meanings)
Commentary udgara with numerous citations from Vedas, Puranas 100+ Illustrations
I am delighted to write Vedäntasiddhäntacandrikä with the commentary Udgara, critically edited with an few words about the present work English translation and notes by Dr Rohan Achyut Kulkarni The text. Vedantasiddhäntacandrika, also known as Siddhäntacandrika, is a product of the rich Advaita Vedanta tradition, composed by Rämänandasarasvati or Rämänandayati (r. colophon) in the 17 C.E. Gangadharendrasarasvati, the 38° Sankaracharya (from 1648 to 1653 C.E.) of Swarnavalli Matha (one of the Upapithas of Sankaracharya's tradition), Sonda, Sirsi, Karnataka, added his insights to this text through his commentary Udgara. The commentator was a disciple of Rämacandrasarasvati, the 36 Sankaracharya (from 1620 to 1642 C.E.) of Swarnavalli Matha, which is evident from the colophon (iti srimat-paramahamsa-parivrajakācārya-śrīmad-rămacandra-sarasvati-pūjyapada-sisya-śrī-gangadhara sarasvati-viracitaḥ siddhāntacandrikodgārah sampürnah).
It is a Prakaraņagrantha a small treatise on Advaita Vedanta consisting of 51 verses. Prakaraņagranthas, mostly, are written to introduce basic concepts of Advaita Vedanta. Sankaracharya himself started this tradition. Sankaracharya adopted three layers to propagate Advaita Philosophy. The first layer is writing Commentaries (Bhāşyas) on threefold foundational texts of Vedanta known as Prasthänatrayi, viz. Upanishads, Bhagavadgīta and Brahmasūtras of Badaräyaņa. They are also known as Śruti-prasthäna, Smrti-prasthäna and Tarka-prasthāna, respectively. Sankaracharya, through these Bhāsyas, defended Advaita with logical rigour and well-established it. He devoted much of his commentaries to refuting the opponents" views. These Bhāşyagranthas are meant for scholars and highly learned people.
The second layer is composing Prakaraņagranthas for the sake of beginners. The third layer is composing stotras-devotional hymns for the sake of common people who are not capable or able to study either Bhāşyagranthas or Prakaraņagranthas. This text is on Advaita Vedanta and a post-Śańkara work, so it will not be out of context to briefly discuss the development of the Advaita School of thought. Undoubtedly, there was a tradition of Advaita Vedanta before Sankaracharya. He is not the founder of Advaita Vedanta but the chief exponent and defender of Advaita. His works are of prime importance in the history of the entire Vedama in general and Advaita in particular, Sankaracharya is a Spiritual master, a great Saint, and the greatest Philosopher. Advaita, for him, is an experience as well as a Philosophy.
Advaita is not just s subject matter of discussion but also a matter of direct experience itself (aparoksänubhūti), Sankaracharya, following the Upanishads, states that Brahman, which is non-dual, absolute existence, consciousness and bliss by nature, is the Ultimate Reality (ekameva hi paramārthasatyam brahma satyam jhānam-anantam brahma). It is all-pervading, i.e. inside and outside of everything (tadantaranya sarvasya tadu sarvasyāsya bahyatak) and the supporting ground of these changing phenomena, and there is no difference, ultimately, between individual (jiva) and Universal Reality (paramatman). Jiva is Brahman only-jivo brahmaiva näparah. The main aim of Vedanta is to realise this identity between jiva and Brahman. Becoming one with Brahman is moksha (brahmānubhāvaśca moksah).
This is the experience of Advaita, identifying oneself with everything in the universe, which is the highest state of realisation of consciousness and bliss, in which individuality becomes universality (mahāsāmānye'ntarbhāvaḥ). In this state, the distinction between the individual and the cosmic disappears, and there remains no distinction between the knower (jñātr), the thing known (jñeya), and knowledge (jñāna). This is the state of Brahman, the highest Reality (jääty-jñeya-jñāna-bheda-rahitam brahma). As per Sankaracharya, this is the main theme of Upanishads.
This is the experiential aspect of Advaita. Advaita as a philosophy is a conceptual framework through which Sankaracharya tried to explain how the nirguna-brahman (impersonal absolute) appears as the phenomenal world and individuals. He attempts to establish the non-dual nature of Brahman as the ultimate reality with sharp reasoning and the support of śruti. Upanishads mainly talk about the non-dual nature of Brahman, the impersonal absolute, but in some places, they do mention Brahman as saguna (personal). Sankaracharya reconciled such kind of contradictory statements of Upanishads by introducing the svarūpalakşaņa (essential nature of Brahman) and tațasthalakşana.
"Dr Rohan A. Kulkarni should be complimented for critically editing the original text and commentary with great difficulty, translating them into English, and bringing out its philosophical import with an introduction and necessary notes in very lucid language for the benefit of students, research scholars and lovers of Advaita Vedanta. This edition is also well-equipped with Appendices and an exhaustive Bibliography. This book is a useful handbook for understanding several essential principles of Advaita from the right perspective because it provides detailed discussions and comprehensive analyses of all those concepts. It will be considered a milestone for revealing several tricky foundational concepts of Advaita. It is a worthwhile addition to the collection of handbooks on Advaita literature. I strongly recommend that this book should be read by all beginners who want to study Advaita. It will certainly help them to understand the basic concepts of Advaita."
Vedas (1182)
Upanishads (493)
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