॥सर्वमूल चिन्तना ॥
SARVAMOOLA COGITATION
॥ दश प्रकरणानि ॥
TEN PRAKARANA TRACTS
॥खण्डन त्रय सारः ॥
ESSENCE OF THREE CRITICISMS
What is Prakarana ? The definition is as follows.
zAstraika deza saMbaddhaM zAstra kAryAntare sthitam | prakaraNaM nAma grantha bhedaM vipazcita: ||
शास्त्रैक देश संबद्धं शास्त्र कार्यान्तरे स्थितम् । आहुः प्रकरणं नाम ग्रन्थ भेदं विपश्चितः ॥
In Shastras various aspects of a topic might have been discussed at various places. Prakarana tract is a literary work which gathers various ideas of one topic from various places and tell them cogently in one work itself. The work may be small or big. Sri Madhva has composed ten such works known as Dasa Prakaranas. Discussion of one aspect of Shastra out of several aspects, at one place, is the nature of Prakarana texts. Compare this with Vyakhyana or commentary in which following aspects are seen like splitting the sentence into words and discussing their meanings, both outward as well as implied, splitting the compound words and telling their etymologies, telling poetic beauties and subtle grammatical points and clearing various doubts raised etc,.
Sri Madhvacharya’s ten Prakarana texts are
I Three khandanas (criticisms) viz. (a) Mayavada khandana (b) Upadhi khandana and (c) Prapancha
mityatvanumana khandana
II Tattvodyota or vaada, a manual which reviews critically certain monistic doctrines and compare them with the doctrines of Soonyavada Buddhiism.
III Karma Nirnaya, a work on ritualistic aspects of Rigveda Mahanamni Mantras and reading high philosophical aspects in them
IV (a) Pramana Lakshanas and (b) Katha lakshana works on epistomology and science of debate
V (a) Tattva Samkhyana and (b) Tattva Viveka, works on Ontology and
VI Vishnu Tattva Vinirnaya, Raja or king of Prakarana Tract which deals with various doctrinal aspects of Tattva vada and criticisms of the doctrines of rival schools of thougts.
Let us briefly study the essence of the three Khandana Granthas.
Now let us delve into the work of Mayavaada Khandana.
Before going into the essence of this work let us briefly recollect the salient philosophical doctrines of Maayavada or Advaita or Monism.
Advaitins sum up their philosophy in a half Sloka as follows.
zlokArdhena pravakSyAmi yaduktaM grantha koTibhi: | brahma satyaM jaganmithyA jIvo bramhaiva nopara: ||
श्लोकार्धेन प्रवक्ष्यामि यदुक्तं ग्रन्थ कोटिभिः । ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रम्हैव नोपरः ॥
“ I tell in half verse whatever has been said in crores of works.Brahman alone is Truth and reality, the universe ( world ) is mitya and the individual soul known as Jeeva is no way different from Brahman. “
In other words , the one and the only reality in the entire cosmos is Brahman or Atman or pure consciousness ( suddha chinmatram ).The universe which we perceive is neither real nor unreal and it is an inexplicable entity known by the technical term Mithya which is normally translated as illusion. There is absolutely no difference between the individual soul and supreme soul or Brahman. In other words there is hundred percent identity between the Jeeva and Brahman.
Explaining these doctrines, the monistic philosophy states there exists nothing except the absolute Brahman. In the day today world all of us perceive multiplicity or pluralism. The Advaitins say that this pluralism is due to our ignorance only. This ignorance is denoted by the term “ Ajnana ‘ or ‘ Avidya “( ignorance or positive nescience ). In due course of discussion we may discuss various aspects of maayavaada or Advaita at appropriate places.
Maayavaada khandana work or मायावादखण्डन ग्रन्थ opens with the following invocatory verse or मंगलाचरण श्लोका
narasimho khilA jJAna matadhvAnta divAkara: | jayatyamita sajJAna sukha zakti payonidhi: ||
नरसिम्होSखिल| ज्ञानमतध्वांत दिवाकरः । जयत्यमित सज्ञान सुख शक्ति पयोनिधिः ॥
“ Narasimha ( lion–man form of Lord Sri Vishnu ) is a efflugent sun who removes the darkness ( ignorance ) created by the ignorance philosophy ( Advaita or Maayavaada ). He is an ocean of limitless energy, good knowledge and eternal bliss. He shines well. “ Jayati means utkrishto bhavati and here according to the context is translated as shines well which is not literally correct.
The work begins briefly as follows;
vimataM anAraMbhaNIyam anyathAprati pAdakatvAt | yaditthaM tattathA yatha saMpratipannam ||
विमतं अनारंभणीयम् अन्यथाप्रति पादकत्वात् । यदित्थं तत्तथा यथा संप्रतिपन्नम् ॥
“ Maayavada Khandana points out that Maayavaada, i.e. Jeeva Brahma aikhyavaada ( identity of individual soul and absolute ) is not the purport of the sruti (श्रुति ). If this is taken as the purport of the sruti, the study of the Sruti itself becomes a purposeless pusuit. It is stated that the Advaita Sastra is a purposeless pursuit as its objective and the subject cannot be convincingly and logically explained. These two points are presented in a syllogistic form as “ Vimatam anaarambhaniyam – Anyata pratipaadaktvat “ .In this syllogism Vimata, i.e. the issue under the debate is to be taken as “ Vedadi Sastra “ once and as “ Advaita Sastra “ once again. Anaarambhaniya means not worth pursuing. the reasons given in the syllogism viz, “ Anyataa pratipaadakatvaat “ means that “ it results in presenting something that is not true “.
The Maayavaadins say that we perceive the world due to ignorance . They say “जगत् is अज्ञानकल्पित“ and Jeeva is Paramatma only “ जीव is परमात्मा एव” Due to ignorance only, We are not able to perceive that. We are really Brahman only. Veda Sastras teach us the same by the Sruti “तत्वमसि´” , “that thou art we are have to pursue the same by Sadhana or practice as “ अहं ब्रह्मास्मि “, “I am Bramhan”. That is the real purpose of Veda Sastra or Sruti.. Sri Madhva says “ Jeeva Brahmaikhya “ is not truth. The Veda Sastras and Advaita Sastra both should not be studied. Since both teach unreal thing like Jeeva Brahmaikya, they should not be studied. The entire text elaborate these points only.
If Sastras teach the identity of individual soul with the absolute, which is un true in reality, then those sastras should not be pursued. Since Advaita teaches “untruth” , it should not be studied. so, “Maayavaada” is criticised in this “Khandana Grantha”.
In Advaita, Atmavastu ( Absolute ) alone is real and all the rest are false.In that case whether “Jeeva atma-Paramatma aikhya” is different from atma vastu or whether both are same. In case, they are different the main doctrine of Advaita breaks down as we have to accept two facts or two truths. On the contrary if we accept both are same, then Atma already knows its aikhya with Paramatma and there is no need for sastra study as Atman is already aware about its identity with the Absolute and Sastras teach only what is already experienced. So,on both counts, the study of Sastra or Advaita Vedanta is a waste. If you say that the soul does not know the identity with the Absolute, it is also wrong, since Advaita says soul is swaprakasa (self luminous) and it does not have ignorance as its nature. .So the identity is a “Siddha vastu“ and Sastra’s help is not necessary, there cannot be any ignorance as Atma vastu does not have any qualities or characteristics as Advaita says Atman is nirguna and nirdharmaka.
According to Advaita doctrines that “which is already not known is Pramana”. Since the absolute is self revealing and hence already known the sastra that proposes to teach it is Apramana (not testimony).
As already told Ajnana or nescience cannot veil Brahman which is self luminous there is no subject matter for the sastra to be studied. According to another Maayavaada doctrine, the removal of Ajnana or ignorance is Moksha or liberation, that is knowing that Atman is identical with Paramatman after the removal of ignorance by the study of (advaita) Sastras is liberation. since as earlier discussed, as there is no ignorance, and the identity is already there and need not be achieved now by the study of sastras. so the study of Sastra need not be pursued. As the study to be pursued does not have the requirements of Anubandha Chatushtaya(अनुबन्ध चतुष्टय )- like प्रयोजना , विषय , अधिकारिन् , संबन्ध it need not be studied at all. If yoy say finally that जीव ब्रह्म ऐक्य is मिथ्या or false, then Sastras which teach ऐक्य is false and they have to be discarded.
This small tract discusses the main doctrine of Advaita viz., Jeeva-Brahma Aikhya by way of subtle arguments which show in whichever way, you pursue the subject of Jeeva-Brahma aikhya, you land in logical fallacies and the proposed sastras which teach them are also full of false things. The entire study of Veda Sastras and Advaita Sastra need not be pursued and Maayaavada is not tenable at all. In this way Maaya Vaada doctrine of Jeeva-Brahma aikhya is scattingly criticised in this Khanda work.
In the concluding portions Acharya Madhva quotes Gita Slokas (chapter 15) द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ upto कृतकृत्यस्य भारत to prove the absolute difference between the absolute God, soul and matter and hierarchy among souls , the reality of all these and etc,. He also quotes a Kathopanoshad passage and a Brahmasutra to prove the supremacy of God and hierarchy among souls and their absolute mutual differences.Finally Sri Madhva concludes the work with antya mangalasloka as follows : .
iti sarvajJa muninA mAyAvAda tamo khilam | nirastaM tattva vAdena satAM saMzayanuttaye ||
इति सर्वज्ञ मुनिना मायावाद तमोखिलम् । निरस्तं तत्त्व वादेन सतां संशयनुत्तये ॥
“Thus Sarvajna Muni alias Sri Madhva composed this work which expelled all the darkness created by Maayavaada.He has also enumerated the principles of Tattva vaada for the sake of noble good souls for the removal of doubts in them.”
nAsti nArAyaNa samaM na bhUtaM na bhaviSyati | etena satya vAkyena sarvArthAn sAdhayAmyaham ||
नास्ति नारायण समं न भूतं न भविष्यति । एतेन सत्य वाक्येन सर्वार्थान् साधयाम्यहम् ॥
“There is no one equal to Sri Narayana both in the present,past and future. By stating like this i will accomplish every thing. this sloka occures in Mahabharata and Brahmanda Purana.
Now let us take another khandana work for our study.
For Maayavaada Khandana we have a teeka by name “Vivarana” by Sri Jayatirtha Muni alias Teekacharya.. Sri Vadirajaswamy commented on it in his “Upanyasa Ratnamala”. Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha wrote a Tippani on it by name “Mandara Manjari”. The other tippanis on it are (a) Abhinava Parasu by Sri satyanatha Tirtha (b) Panchika by Sri BidaraHalli Srinivasa Tirtha (c) Guru Rajeeya by Sri Kesavacharya Pandurangi (d) Anantha Bhattya by Sri Srimushnam Ananthacharya (e) Lingeriya by Sri Srinivasacharya Lingeri and (f) Rotti Venkata Bhattiya by Sri Rotti Venkatacharya.
—— Sri Krishnarpanamastu.—-
In next article we may take up other Khandana Granthas for study.