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    Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

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    This is a review of the book Fundamentals Of Advaita Vedanta by K.Narain, who has also written a critiques of Madhva refutation of Sankara's Non duality

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    Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

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    This is a review of the book Fundamentals Of Advaita Vedanta by K.Narain, who has also written a critiques of Madhva refutation of Sankara's Non duality

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    ReviewOfAdvaitaVedantaByKNarain

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    This is a review of the book Fundamentals Of Advaita Vedanta by K.Narain, who has also written a critiques of Madhva refutation of Sankara's Non duality

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    83 views3 pages

    Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

    Uploaded by

    Anonymous gJEu5X03
    This is a review of the book Fundamentals Of Advaita Vedanta by K.Narain, who has also written a critiques of Madhva refutation of Sankara's Non duality

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

    Review
    Author(s): Kanchan Mande
    Review by: Kanchan Mande
    Source: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 87 (2006), pp. 353-354
    Published by: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
    Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41692078
    Accessed: 03-03-2016 10:54 UTC

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    Reviews and Short Notices 353

    THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ADV AITA VEDANTA : By K. Narain,


    M. A. D. Phil., Pub. by Indological Research Centre, Varanasi.

    "The fundamentals of Advaita Vedãnta" is a monumental work in the


    field of Advaita Vedãnta.

    The book is divided into 13 chapters along with introduction,


    bibliography and index. The introduction again is divided into two sections.
    One is 'Šáňkara School and its Literature' and second is 'Resumé of
    Adviata Vedãnta Philosophy'. The first section viz. 'Šáňkara School and
    its Literature' begins with the etymological meaning of the word Vedãnta.
    As it is mentioned there originally, the term Vedãnta stood for the
    Upanishads, and in course of time all other scriptures and writings
    expounding their philosophy and thought were brought under this preview.
    Then the description of Šáňkara School begins. First one is Gaudapãda,
    the originator and the first exponent of the Vedãnta system. The author
    provides detailed account of his Mandükya Upanisad Kãrikãs. Then the
    author describes Šaňkarácárya, the originator and propagator of the
    monistic philosophy of Vedãnta. He mentions that Hindu tradition
    attributes to Šaňkara the authorship of nearly 200 major and minor works.
    After Šaňkara, K. Narian gives information about the direct and indirect
    disciples of Šaňkara, foremost among them are Surešvara and Padmapãda
    and Vácaspati Mišra, Prakãáãtman and Sarvajñátamuni respectively. The
    second section i. e. 'Resumé of Adviata Vedãnta Philosophy' points out
    the important and fundamental problems, such as the nature of the Ultimate
    Reality, the ignorance ( ajMna ), theory of liberation of Vedãnta philosophy
    of Šaňkara and his followers. The author further proclaims that he ventures
    to discuss them, in detail, in the following chapters. It shows author's genuine
    interest in the subject.

    The chapter named 'Criterion of Truth' is one of the important chapters


    of the text. It discusses the concept of Truth expounded by the Realist school
    of Indian Philosophy, with special reference to Nyãya school and in the
    conclusion three orders of reality which are the modus operandi of Šaňkara.
    Next chapter deals with it in detail. It is followed by the chapter named 'The
    Nature of Falsehood' where; the author discusses five definitions adopted by
    Madhusudana Sarasvatï in his Advaitasiddhi . This discussion suggests author's
    insight in the subject.

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    354 Annals BORI, LXXXVII ( 2006 )

    On this firm foundation the core concepts are discussed. First one among
    them is 'Epistemology'. As it is a pivotal concept, author gives utmost
    importance to it. It is divided into six sub-chapters viz. the idea of knowledge,
    states and forms of knowledge, means of knowledge, relation between
    experience, reason and authority, validity of knowledge and the last one is
    false knowledge ( avidyã ). In the discussion of the 'false knowledge ( avidyã )
    the author has taken into consideration Mímãmsã theories of Prabhãkara and
    Kumärila, Nyäya, Sämkhya, Satkhyãti of Rãmãnuja, Asatkhyãti of
    Mãdhyamika Buddhists, Atmakhyãti of Yogãcãra Buddhism and as a
    conclusion Anirvacaníyakhyãti of Advaita Vedãnta. This author's contribution
    is really praiseworthy.

    Remaining chapters are 'refutation of difference', 'theory of causality',


    'the conception of Mãyã', 'the concept of God (Išvara)', 'Philosophy of
    individual soul', 'philosophy of world', and the last one is 'the summum bonum
    and the means'. The last chapter is summum bonum in real sense. It discusses
    the nature of Moksa, pathways to the liberation, doctrine of Jîvanmukti. Then
    the author explains knowledge as means to liberation, and he puts utility of
    Karma and Bhakti as means to knowledge. Unlike Bhagavadgítã he finds
    knowledge superior to Karma and Bhakti, which is in favor of Šaňkara.

    Then the author Mr. K. Narian provides the bibliography including fifty-
    nine Sanskrit texts and forty-four modem works, which shows author's deep
    study of the subject. The text ends with the index of Sanskrit words.

    The author has taken painstaking efforts to support Šaňkara 's position,
    and is successful in handling such a difficult task. So Mr. K. Narian is worthy
    to be congratulated and the text is worth possessing.
    - Ranchan Mande

    ***

    SIGN AND STRUCTURE : INDOLOGICAL ESSAYS by


    C. Rajendran; published by C. Rajendran, Professor and Head,
    Department of Sanskrit, University of Calicut, Kerala - 673635 (with
    financial assistance from the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi);
    2000; pp. 144.

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