Vedanta

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Vedanta
Basic Information
Aliases	Uttara Mīmāṃsā
Alignments	Epistemology   Mainstream   Metaphysics  Religions
Greatest achievement	Influence on Indian Culture
Philosophical Influences
Influenced by	Hinduism
Preceded	Hinduism
Succeeded
Philosophical Information
Year	450-400 BC
Region of origin	India
Notable ideas	Brahman is cause of the world Karma Pursuit of knowledge Rejection of Buddhism and Jainism Samsara and Moksha Sruti Śabda The Upaniṣads, the Bhagavadgītā, the Brahma Sūtras
Variations
Schools of Thought	Vishishtadvaita Advaita Vedanta Hinduism
Character Information
Likes	Bhakti
Dislikes	Materialism Egoism

Vedanta is a major school of Hindu philosophy among the six orthodox (āstika) schools. It explores the conclusions drawn from the Vedas, particularly the Upanishads, emphasizing knowledge and liberation. Vedanta encompasses various schools, all rooted in texts like the Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita.

These schools delve into ontology, soteriology, and epistemology, though they often differ significantly in their viewpoints. The primary Vedanta schools include Bhedabheda, Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Tattvavada, Suddhadvaita, and Achintya-Bheda-Abheda.

Beliefs

Scripture

The foundational scriptures in Vedanta are the main Upanishads, the Bhagavadgītā, and the Brahma Sūtras, collectively referred to as the Prasthānatrayī. These texts are interpreted by all schools of Vedanta.

• The Upanishads, considered the "heard" foundation (Śruti prasthāna) of Vedanta.
• The Brahma Sūtras, considered the reason-based foundation (Nyaya prasthana / Yukti prasthana) of Vedanta.
• The Bhagavadgītā, considered the remembered tradition (Smriti prasthāna) foundation of Vedanta.

Prominent Vedantic teachers like Shankara, Ramanuja, and others wrote commentaries on these texts. The Brahma Sūtras by Badarayana synthesize teachings from various Upanishads. The Bhagavadgītā also significantly influences Vedantic thought due to its synthesis of Samkhya, Yoga, and Upanishadic ideas.

Vedāntins unanimously agree that scripture (śruti) is the sole means of knowing spiritual matters beyond perception and inference. For specific sub-schools of Vedanta, additional texts may be important. For instance, Adi Shankara's works are central to Advaita Vedanta, and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa holds significance for Theistic Vaishnava schools. Some Vedantic scholars, like Vallabha, have included the Bhāgavata Purāṇa as a fourth text alongside the Prasthānatrayī.

Metaphysics

Vedanta philosophies discuss three fundamental metaphysical categories and their relationships:

• Brahman or Īśvara: This is the ultimate reality.
• Ātman or Jivātman: This refers to the individual soul or self.
• Prakriti or Jagat: This represents the empirical world, the ever-changing physical universe, including the body and matter.

Different Vedanta schools have varying perspectives on these concepts:

• Advaita Vedanta: Believes that Ātman is identical with Brahman; there is no difference between them.
• Viśiṣṭādvaita: Views Jīvātman as distinct from Īśvara but eternally connected with Him. They see the Supreme Reality as an organic unity where Brahman/Īśvara alone is the ultimate reality.
• Dvaita: Maintains that Jīvātman is always different from Brahman / Īśvara, with no inherent connection.
• Shuddhadvaita: Identifies Jīvātman and Brahman as identical, along with the changing universe, all being manifestations of Krishna.

Epistemology

Pramāṇa, meaning "proof" in Sanskrit, is central to Indian philosophies, focusing on how humans gain accurate knowledge. It explores reliable means of knowing and truths. Six pramanas are identified:

• Pratyakṣa (perception)
• Anumāṇa (inference)
• Upamāṇa (comparison and analogy)
• Arthāpatti (postulation, derived from circumstances)
• Anupalabdi (non-perception, negative/cognitive proof)
• Śabda (scriptural testimony/verbal testimony of reliable experts)

Different Vedanta schools disagree on which pramanas are valid. For instance, while Advaita Vedanta accepts all six, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita accept only three (perception, inference, and testimony).

Advaita Vedanta prioritizes perception as the most reliable source of knowledge, considering scriptural evidence secondary except for matters related to Brahman. In contrast, Viśiṣṭādvaita and Dvaita regard scriptural testimony as the most authentic means of knowledge.

Regarding cause and effect, all Vedanta schools support Satkāryavāda, where the effect pre-exists in the cause. However, there are two views on the status of the world:

• Parinamavada: The world is a real transformation of Brahman, supported by most Vedanta schools and Samkhya.
• Vivartavada: The world is an unreal transformation of Brahman, held by Adi Shankara and Advaita Vedantists, contrary to the realist view of Parinamavada.