Comparative Philosophy Unique Contributions of Gaudiya Vaisnavism By Prahlad Priya Department of Vedic Studies.

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) C-3,415, Milan Vihar Apartments,72,Patparganj IP extension,Delhi-92 Phone: 9911377063 [email protected] Introduction Upanishads are the subject of the fourth and final degree of Vedic scholarship. Therefore the Upanishads are known as vedanta, "the conclusion of the Veda."The word upanishad means "that which is learned by sitting close to the teacher." The texts of the Upanishads are extremely difficult to fathom; they are to be understood only under the close guidance of a spiritual master (guru). Because the Upanishads contain many apparently contradictory statements, the great sage Vyasadeva (also known as Vedavyasa, Badarayana and Dvaipayana) systematized the Upanishadic teachings in the Vedanta-sutra or Brahma-sutra. The Vedanta-sutra is divided into four chapters: 1. Samanvaya, which explains the unity of the philosophy of the Upanishads; 2. Avirodha, which dispels apparent contradictions; 3. Sadhana, which describes the means to attain the Supreme; and 4. Phala, which indicates the goal. Vyasa's sutras are very terse. Without a fuller explanation, their meaning is difficult to grasp. Misconceptions about Hinduism In India there are not five but six schools of vedanta itself, each established by an acarya(teacher) who explained the sutras in a bhashya (commentary). 1. Shankaras Advaita philosophy (monism, mayavad) 2. Ramanujacharyas Visista-advaita philosophy (Qualified non-difference) 3. Madhvacharya's Dvaita philosophy (Difference) 4. Vallabhacharya's(or Vishnu swamis) Shuddha-advaita philosophy(Pure Non-difference) 5. Nimbarkacharya's Bheda-abheda philosophy (simultaneously difference and identity) 6. Jiva goswamis Acintya bheda-abheda philosophy used by Baladev Vidyabhushan in his Vedanta commentary, Govinda Bhasya. (inconceivable difference and identity simultaneously) This is the Bengal school of Vaisnavism or Gaudiya Vaisnavism or Lord Chaitanyas Sankirtan movement or ISKCON(Hare Rama Hare Krishna movement)
Warning for all the philosophers and academicians: almost all the books and literatures on philosophy and religion present the philosophy of Vedas or Vedanta or Hinduism to be Shankara's advaita(monistic) explanation. This is a biased approach and also contradicts the Vedanta itself.

Refutation of Shankaras Advaita by all the other 5 schools of Vedanta Though Shankara managed to refute Buddhism , Jainism, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa by taking arguments from Vedas and upanishads, he could not succeed to formulate a philosophy which could accommodate all the Vedic scriptures in harmony without rejecting any part of the Vedic literatures such as the Puranas and itihasas. Also, a closer look at the advaita doctrine shows it to be in opposition to many of the fundamental tenets of the Vedanta-sutra. It is has been shown how Shankara and his followers go so far as to "openly rebuff" Vyasadeva for his wording of the original text of the Vedanta-sutra. The advaitists are not shy about overturning the original sense of the text in order to push through their own impersonal philosophy. Advaita of Shankara is just one view and it also does not seem to match at all with the faith and the practices of the people in India, which has lot of Temples with Dieties. He explains the Supreme Being in impersonal terms, as being nameless, formless and without characteristics. Shankara's siddhanta is advaita, "nondifference" (i.e. everything is one, therefore the five relationships between God, Soul and World are all unreal and only illusion). Most quantum physics books only end up giving Sankaras Advaita(monistic, illusory) concept of the world or superconsciousness, which has already been refuted first by Ramanujacharya and later by Madhvacharya by all logics and reasonings. Views Common to the 5 remaining Schools of Vedanta If God is an impersonal absolute that is indifferent to its worshipers, then God cannot be the goal of the Vedic religion. And if knowledge of God cannot be expressed in words(anirvacaniya of Sankara), then God cannot be the goal of the texts of the Upanishads either. Thus the mayavad(maya + vad=illusion) conception of God undermines the very purpose of the Vedas. The Vedantists of the 5 personalist schools therefore set out to establish a truly Vedic theology. All the remaining 5 schools of Vedanta accept one God Krishna (or Vishnu) to be the Supreme and hence they all are also called as the 5 Vaisnava schools of Vedanta.
Note :The name Krishna is not sectarian. The definition of Bhagavan(God,a crude translation) is one who has six qualities in full: all wealth, all beauty, all power, all knowledge, all fame and all renunciation. By these six qualities in full, Bhagavan(God) has become the most attractive person. In Sanskrit akarshan(a+karshan) means attraction which is root word for naming God as Krishna.

They try to resolve the following questions 1. Existence is Real or Apparent 2. God 3. Soul 4. World or matter 5. Maya(illusion) 6. karma
1. Existence is Real or Apparent-

The first code of the Vedanta-sutra (athato brahma-jijnasa, which means "Now, therefore, let us inquire into Brahman, the Absolute"), is Vyasadev's directive to brahmanas who have become tired of the Vedic kamyakarmas (the rituals aimed at fulfilling ones materialistic desires or getting some benefits in return) which yield only limited and temporary fruits. Brahma-jijnasa (inquiry into Brahman) is Vedic metaphysics. The term jijnasa (inquiry) indicates that God is not a being so radically divorced from sensory experience that He can only be known in terms of what He is not (the "via negativa" of European theology, which is the method the mayavadis(Sankara) call neti-neti, "not this, not this"). Quite to the contrary, God may be positively understood by a human being who properly uses his senses and mind to inquire about His positive existence beyond matter.
The second code of Vedanta-sutra defines God as the object of positive inquiry: janmadyasya-

,yatah, "He, from whom proceeds the creation, maintenance and dissolution of this universe, is Brahman." The universe is full of qualities that emanate from God -- hence God Himself must be full of qualities. Mayavadi philosophy denies the reality of the qualities of the universe. This in turn denies the very definition the Vedanta-sutra gives for God, for if the universe is unreal, then the God who is said to be the source of the universe must also be unreal. By what authority can we be sure that the universe is real and that God is the source of it? The third code of Vedanta-sutra answers, sastra-yonitvat, "It is revealed in the Vedic scriptures."
2. God-

The schools of Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka and Vishnusvami explain God in personal terms; these acaryas and their followers have very exactingly formulated a philosophy that dispels the sense of mundane limitation associated with the word "person" and establishes transcendental personalism in terms of eternity, endless knowledge, complete bliss, absolute all-attractive form and all-encompassing love. God means the Supreme and hence can be only one, not two. The Vedas are monotheistic and not polytheistic.
3. Soul-

Soul is always separate from God and is part and parcel of God. Soul can be in one of the two states. Conditioned(bound in the cycle of birth and death) or liberated. In the conditioned state, the soul is covered by two-fold covering. First layer is a subtle body which is made of false ego, mind, intelligence and material consciousness. Second covering is of a gross body having senses which is subject to birth and death. Liberation of the soul means attainment of God. Even in the liberated state, soul does not become God but remains subservient to God.
4. Matter-

God created the material Universe. The process of creation is dealt in Srimad Bhagavata Purana Canto 5 in quite details. The purpose of this world is to give the conditioned souls a chance to give up their enjoying tendency and again develop desire to serve God. Once the soul is purified

of all its material selfish desires, then it can go back to the Spiritual world, which is beyond birth and death.
5. Maya(illusion)-

Maya is one of the energies of God, and not an illusion or mere ignorance of reality. A conditioned soul can get relieved from Maya only by the mercy of God, who is the controller of Maya. Maya has 2 functions 1) To make us forget about our relationship with God, and also cover up our consciousness by material consciousness 2) To help us get attached to this material world by infusing false ego of me and mine.
6. Karma-

Every action, thought or speech done for oneself becomes a karma, ie. The action will give back a reaction, either good or bad, depending on the action, the intention and the doer.Bg18.15,18.19. If one is able to learn the art of doing each action based on Scriptures(Dharma shastras) and for the pleasure of Lord without any personal motive ,then he is not bound in the karma even while doing the action, and thus becomes liberated from both good and bad effects of his acts. Until one has perfected this, he has to take birth again in this material world and the body which the soul may get varies according to ones attachments and previous acts done. It could be any one of the 84,00,000 species of life. Difference between Gaudiya Vaisnava school and the other 4 schools Gaudiya Vaisnava schools differs from the other 4 theistic schools of Vedanta in the following points -: 1. The concept of God(Shaktiman, Energetic) and His Energies(Shakti, Energy) 2. The concept of acintya(inconceivable): to explain the relation of God with His creations(souls and matter), and also between material objects and their energies . 3. Shakti parinama-vada creation of the world and souls by God 4. Priti(love): the goal of life and not Dharma, artha, kama, moksha as they are not the real desires of a soul. 5. The exclusive dependence on Gods holy names to develop ones relation with God.
1. God and His Energies (Shaktiman and Shakti) (Energetic and its Energies)

The scriptures describe God as both Savishesha(qualified) and Nirvishesha(unqualified). Sometimes Brahmans name, form, dress etc.. are described, and at other times it is told that Brahman does not have ears, nor speech, nor mouth, nor mind. These seemingly contradictory statements were solved by quoting Padma Purana shloka by Jiva goswami, which states that nirvishesha is used only to deny the wordly nature of the qualities in God and not to deny the qualities as such. All worldy qualities have atleast one blemish, that they are not eternal. God is free from three kinds of differences 1) Sajatiya-bheda - difference between objects of the same class. Even though two chairs may look the same, function the same, and belong to the same class, called chair, they still differ as individual chairs. A change in one will not directly affect the other. When Krishna expands into forms such as Ramacandra and Balarama, these sva-amsha (selfsame)

expansions remain nondifferent from the Lords original self. Still, while He is not dependent on Them, They are dependent on Him. 2) Vijatiya-bheda - difference between objects of different classes. A chair in its appearance and function is different from a table. Material nature, being inert, belongs to a class of existence different from that of the transcendental Personality of Godhead. Nevertheless, since material natures existence is not independent or separate from Him, there is ultimately no difference between Him and His material expansions. 3) Sva-gata-bheda - difference between an object and its parts. If all the parts of a chair are scattered, the chair will no longer exist. In this way the chair is not self-existent. But Krishnas body and His limbs are each fully conscious and potent and therefore non-different from Him. If any one of these three kinds of differences exist, it gives rise to duality which we observe throughout the material nature. They, however, do not exist on the absolute plane. Krishna takes different incarnations depending on the devotees desire to serve Him. But all the forms Krishna takes can be categorized into 3 definite grades 1. Brahman The effulgence of Krishnas body. 2. Paramatma The four handed form of Visnu present with each soul during its journey in the material world. He controls and regulates the Karmas of a soul. 3. Bhagavan- Personal form of God ie. krishna in His abode endowed with all auspicious qualities and beauty. The more service attitude one has, the higher a devotees realization is, highest being the Bhagavan(Personality) aspect. All energies can be categorized under three energies 1. Internal energy Krishna has innumerable internal energies out of with 16 are primary( mentioned in Bhagavat Sandarbha of Jiva Goswami). According to Gaudiya Vaishnavas out of these 16, three are of primary importance. a. Hladini the potency of bliss b. Samvit- the potency of all knowledge c. Sandhini- the potency that sustains the existence of reality
2. Marginal energy all the souls who have limited free will to choose either to serve

internal energy or the external energy. 3. External energy (Maya) This energy bounds the souls in ignorance and illusion. This products of Maya shakti are real but not permanent.

2. Relation of God with man(soul) and the material creation (Acintya bheda-abheda)

The problem of relation of God with man(soul) and the material world is directed on 2 main lines 1. Immanent-this emphasis the identity of God with soul and material world and regard God as immanent in the human spirit and the material world. 2. Transcendent-this emphasizes the distinction of God with soul and material world Choosing either one of the above has its problems 1. Immanent- If God is nothing but divine reason and beauty in the material world, then there is no meaning to revelation. God becomes identical to the world of experience. The world is regarded as the thought of God and the souls become the mode of action for an universal self-consciousness.Ultimately You and I become mini-Gods, and ultimately the definition of God,ie.the Supreme entity is violated. Also God is no more self-subsistent, but depends on the souls. The appearance of the soul is identical with the creation of God. Even if God has an independent existence, and is transcendental to our categories of thought and 'being', it would lead to pantheism, where God,world ,souls, all become one undifferentiated, all-pervading substance which is real and there is no illusion of the world and souls(opposed to Shankara's mayavad). But how to explain the different appearances of the world and souls from God. Shankara says the different appearances are due to illusion or upadhi. But now the problem of relation between God and the finite(world and souls) comes in another form ie. The problem of the relation between appearance and reality. 2. Transcendent- If God is completely transcendental, having no relation with the souls and the material world after having created them, as God is no more visible to the eyes, then God becomes a mechanical watch-maker, who being the first cause , does not interfere with it any more. This limits the absolute freedom and the infinite perfection of God. This gives rise to the incurable agnosticism in kant and also the world gets divided into two: the phenomena and the noumena , ie. the world within experience and the world beyond it, which is absolutely unknowable by human reason. If one considers the temple to be God's own house, then one would only behave morally inside the temple complex, but outside the temple, he is free to do any immoral act he wants. So the problem of the relation between God and the finite(souls and world) requires not just one of the above concepts but both. Lord Chaitanya gave the solution by reconciling both the concepts of immanence and transcendence(identity and difference). He added that God has inconceivable power (acintyashakti).The immanent aspect of God is Paramatma, who is the regulator and observer of the finite souls and the world. The transcendent aspect is Bhagavan, the blissful absolute person, beyond the world of the senses. It is possible for God to be both different from the world and identical with it, to create the world out of Himself and remain out of it. This cannot be explained by reasoning. Srila Krishna das Kaviraj goswami cites Bhagavad Gita 9.4-5 to support this view. Bhakti Vinod Thakur also cites Bhagavad Gita 8.9

The concept of acintya is found in numerous Sruti texts. The Mandukya upanishad Kaivalya upanishad and Subala upanishad describe God(Brahman) as acintya. Srila Jiva goswami in his Bhagavat Sandarbha has explained this seemingly contradictory concepts of identity and difference simultaneously by using arthapatti(logical implication). He shows how it is implied in the concept of Shakti(energy), inherent in the philosophy of the Lord Chaitanya's Gaudiya school(God and His energies). Shakti(energy)is different from the object which it inheres, because it cannot be conceived as identical with it. Also, Shakti(energy) is identical with it, as it cannot be conceived as different from it. Thus simultaneous existence of identity and difference is inconceivable(acintya). Similarly, there is neither absolute identity nor absolute difference between God and his Energies. The relation of acintya bheda-abheda is unlimited in scope. It applies not only to God(Shaktiman,energetic) and His energies(Shaktis), but also to the material objects and their energies. Jiva states this clearly in his commentary on Srimad Bhagavat Purana 11.3.37 This is also what Einstein proposed Duality of the nature of Light- Wave and particle both. Eg. Sri Jiva illustrates the relation of inconceivable identity-in-difference by referring to fire and its power. We could also explain it by a wire carrying current.We cannot think of current flowing without wire. Both are identical. At the same time they are not absolutely the same. If they were absolutely the same, there would be no sense in warning the child of a wire carrying current having power to give an electric shock. Besides, if there were no difference between wire and the current flowing in it, it would not be possible to stop the flowing current ever. Also the current is not produced from some input, but it the electrons in the wire itself. Thus, the statements of the Vedic literatures which were not explained properly, all their contradictions were resolved by Lord Chaitanyas teachings. 3. The theory of Causation Gaudiya Vaisnavas accept Sat-karyavad theory of causation (ie.the effect cannot be substantially different from the cause, the effect exists implicitly inside the cause prior to its creation.). Parinamavad is based on Satkaryavad. The theory of creation is called as Shakti Parinama-vad.It says that the world is a transformation(Parinama) of one of the Energies(shakti) of Krishna and not of Krishna Himself. It is not Vivarta-vad as Shankara says, that the world is only an illusiory appearance of Brahman.
4. Priti (love) as the 5th goal of life

Liberation(Moksha) itself is of 5 kinds. 1)Sayujya, absorption in the divine Brahman 2) Salokya, attainment of a spiritual planet 3)Sarupya, attainment of a form similar to that of the Deity worshipped and a place in His planet 4)Sarshti, attainment of power similar to that of the Deity 5)Samipya, attainment of proximity to the Deity. The aim of Gaudiya Vaishnavas is to become 100% selfless and ask nothing from Krishna, not even moksha. Their only desire is to give everything to Krishna to make Him happy. This Priti as the goal of life is above the selfish desire for Moksha(liberation from sufferings, birth-death cycle, or ignorance). Priti does not seek anything for itself. It implies a longing to contribute to the happiness of the beloved, even if it be at the cost of ones own happiness. It does not desire even

the object of love, if such a desire hinders, in any way, the happiness of the beloved.The basic element in Priti is selfless service to the Lord. It is called seva. It is an expression of the internal energy of Krishna and is transcendental. It is not something that springs from the heart of a devotee himself, but something that is placed in it by the Internal energy of Lord while Happiness(Sukh) is a function of Maya-shakti. A devotee may accept moksha if Krishna wants to give, only if he has opportunity to serve Krishna more and make Him happy. 5. Divine Holy Name of Lord The only way to attain Krishna is by Bhakti(devotional service). Karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhyana yoga all give result only due to the devotional element in them. Lord Chaitanya stressed a lot that the only way to attain Krishna is chanting His Holy Name purely. This is quoted in Kali Santarana Upanishad, also in Brahmanda Purana, Uttar Khanda 6.55 Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare As Krishna and His creation have an acintya bheda-abheda relation, same way Holy Name of lord is not a mundane sound or word. Its similarity with the mundane world is only apparent. It is in essence spiritual. Unlike the mundane word it is one with the person to whom it refers. The relation between it and the object of its reference is that of inconceivable identity-in-difference. The Lord Himself appears on the tongue of the devotee in the form of the Name. The devotee may not realize this in the beginning on account of his accumulated effects of sins commited by him in the past, which blurs his vision. But constant repetition of the name purifies his heart. Just as the object that comes in contact with fire is itself converted into fire, in the same way the chanter becomes pure, as the Lord is pure.

Unique contributions 1. Transcendental Aesthetics Previous writers like Bharat muni etc..had studied the material emotions in rasa shastras. But Rupa goswami was the first person to analyse transcendental emotions through rasa shastra. He thus showed the principle of yukta Vairagya, ie everything can be used in service of God. mundane mellows. He added from the Vedic scriptures that the infusion of Hladini shakti(Gods energy) is must for experiencing the rasa, which depends on Gods own will. 5 kinds of relations one can have with Krishna 1. Shanta rasa-service in neutrality 2. Dasya rasa-service as a servant 3. Sakhya rasa-service as a friend 4. Vatsalya rasa-service as a parent 5. Madhurya rasa-service as a conjugal lover The fundamental principle of awakening rasa is service(satisfying God) and not selfenjoyment(satisfying oneself). To understand this further, works of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta

Saraswati Thakur. Rasa is not material emotions, It is transcendental and it is revelation. It cannot be obtained by any amount of practice of devotional limbs. Jiva goswami has extensively anaysed Priti(love) in Priti sandarbha and Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur has analysed Raganuga(spontaneous attachment) bhakti in Raga-vartma -chandrika. Sanskrit Grammar of Jiva Goswami- Harinama amrita vyakarana Because the Paninian grammar is extremely concise, it required many commentaries of other geniuses. Jiva goswami followed Paninian standards and also gave special attention to clarity even at the sacrifice of being concise. The greatest feature of this grammar is that he enriched it with the holy names of Krishna, of which the Vaisnavas are very fond. Preaching- Jet age acharya Compassion is not just for the body, which has temporary results The seer and the seen Sp- Bhagavad gita is very different understanding but all based on the Vedic scriptures, a completely new outlook taking karma, jnana and Dhyana as stepping stone towards Bhakti(Devotion) to Lord Krishna.

Sadhana of Gaudia VaishnavismHearing about instructions and pastimes of Krishna and His devotees and Chanting the holy names(Hare Krishna mantra) on beads is the only Holyname-Science behind it- it matches with the Hindu tradition-kirtan (it is not about music but about glorifying Lord Krishna) Work of Jiva gosewami, Krishna das Kaviraj goswami, BVT Bhakti Vinod Thakur has analysed all the works of the six goswamis of Vrindavan and also previous Gaudiya Sampradaya acharyas and written his works. Bhaktivinod Vani Vaibhava book is one of the most systematic arrangement of the Sambandha, Abhidheya, prayojana(relation, process, goal).

References 1. Jaiva Dharma by Bhakti Vinod Thakur

4. The Philosophy and Religion of Sri Chaitanya- by O.B.L.Kapoor

5. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita of Krishna das kaviraj goswami translated by Srila A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 6. Srimad Bhagavatam by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
7. The Nectar of Devotion A summary study of Srila Rupa Goswamis Bhakti Rasamrita

Sindhu by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 8. Dasa Mula Tattva- by Bhakti Vinod Thakur 9. Sri Chaitanya: His life and Precepts by Bhakti Vinod Thakur