RAMANUJA

The founder of Visistadvaita Siddhanta. His commentary on the Vedanta Sutras called the Sribhysya and the Gitabhasya are among his best-known works. Of his followers, in later years, the most outstanding were Vedanta Desika and Pillai Lokacaya, the founders of the two sub-schools, Vadagalai (Northern) and Tengalai (Southern). The former was the author of the well-known Satadusani a polemic against the Advaita Siddnanta of Sarkara.

        Visistadvaita means modified monism. The ultimate reality according to it is Brahman (God) who is immanent in matter and individual souls and controls them from within. All the three-God, soul and matter – are real, but God is the inner substance, while matter and souls are his attributes.

They are absolutely dependent on God, although they are eternal, relatively free and responsible for their actions. God is not nirvisesa (without quality), but is a being endowed with all the good and desirable qualities and free from evil ones. Although God is the material and efficient cause of the world.

IDELOGY: –

        “…The individual souls are innumerable, real and eternal entities of atomic size, forming the body of the Lord.”

“… The soul is real knower, agent of action, and enjoyer of the fruits thereof. In the state of liberation, the soul becomes omniscient, and freed from the ‘Law of Karma’, enjoys everlasting bliss, in the presence of God. It does not become God, but something similar to Him…”

The means of attaining Moksha or entry into the Lord’s abode is jnana (knowledge) which means love, remembrance and constant though of God and complete surrender to Him and His will.

DVAITA OF MDHVACARVA:

        Madhvacharya (A.D. 1199-1278) who hailed from Kalyanapura near Udipi in South Kanara district, was the founder of the dualism. In his commentary on the Vedanta Sutras and other works he opposed the monism and illusionism of Sankara and tried to establish pluralism and realism on the basis of the Prasthanatraya.

He recognized five eternal distinctions

(a) between God and individual souls.

 (b) between God and matter

(c) between the individual souls and matter

 (d) between one individual aoul and another

 (e) between one material object and another.

IDEOLOGY:

According to him, “…The world is not an illusion or false appearance, but a reality full of real distinctions. God, who is called Narayana, Visnu, Hari and Vasudeva can be known only by the testimony of the scriptures…”

 He is the creator, preserver and destroyer. God, matter and souls are ontological realities dependent on God, who is absolutely independent.

SUDDHADVAITA VEDANTA OF VALLABHACARYA

        Vallabha (A.D. 1479-1531), a Telugu Brahmana founded another Vaisnava school for Vedanta called Suddhadvaita (Pure Non-Dualism). He wrote commentaries on the Vedanta Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. His philosophy is known as Pustimarge (the path of grace) and his school by the name Rudrasampradaya. Although Vallabha hailed from the South, his influence was great in the North and is still felt in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Vallabha identified Brahman with Sri Krsna. He is one, omnipotent and omniscient, and the cause of all that there is in the universe.

The world and the individuals are not unreal appearances they are real manifestations of God, Maya (illusion) is a real power of God through which he engages in His Lila (the sport of creation). Although He is the material and efficient cause of the world, He does not undergo any change or transformation in Himself.

IDELOGY:

 The only means of salvation is Sneha (Deep-rooted and all – surpassing love) of God, which is not attained by the efforts of the individual alone.

ACINTYABHEDABHEDAVADA OF CAITANYA:

        Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (A.D. 1486-1533) wrote no philosophical treatise. His philosophical views are contained in his biography, Caitanya Caritamrta, written in Bengali by Krishnadasa Kaviraja. God, according to Caitanya, is Krsna. he is infinite love and bliss. He is full of infinite power and consciousness. Radha is the power of Sri Krsna. There is no difference between Him and Radha. he is an abode of contrary qualities.

IDEOLOGY:

He lives in the highest heaven which is beyond is inconceivable both with regard to His being and powers. he is the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer of the world. He possesses a supernatural body, mind and sense-organs. God is the Lord of maya while the jiva is subject to it. the world is not an appearance. It is real and a manifestation of his power of creativity. Bhakti or devotion is the only means of liberation.