1. Saintly Steerers of The Ship of Brahmadvaita Of The Upanishads Anantanandendra Saraswati Venkateswar Unversity

SAINTLY STEERERS OF THE SHIP OF BRAHMADVAITA OR THE UPANISHADS

ANANTANANDENDRA SARASWATI (Disciple of Sri Ishta Siddhindra Saraswati of the Upanishad Brahmendra Mutt Kancheepuram)

PUBLISHED BY TIRUMALA-TIRUPATI DEVASTHANAMS, TIRUPATI 1957

INTRODUCTION

ॐ नमो ब्रह्मादिभ्यो ब्रह्मविद्यासंप्रदाय कर्तृभ्यो वंशऋषिभ्यो नमो गुरुभ्यः ।

(Sri Sankaracharya-Brihadaranyakopanishad Bhashya)

विश्वासततिश्व प्राण्यनुग्रहाय भवति नौरिव नदीन् तितीर्षोः

(Sri Sankaracharya's Upadesa Sahasri)

These utterances of Sri Sankarachar a emphasize the need to pay homage to those great luminaries of hoary antiquity, the Brahmavidyacharyas, who through their illimitable grace, have handed down the torch of Brahmavidya through the ages, through long line of earnest Acharyas, to humanity.

No better form of worship can ever be offered to these Brahmavidyacharyas than a contemplative remembrance of them all, and of all the incalculable blessings they have bestowed on us in the shape of their immense contributions to the cause of the dissemination of Brahmajnana.

During the time of Vyasa Puja on the Ashada Pournami, homage is paid to Guru, Paramaguru, Parameshti Guru, Parapara Guru and to all the Brahmavidyacharyas who are justly accorded an honoured place in the fifth sthana of the Guru Panchaka. Such homage is rendered to them so that their grace (अनुग्रह) may enable us to realise the Highest Truth in the form of the Advitiya Brahmanajnana—प्राण्यनुग्रहाय भवति । (Vide Supra)

It is primarily with a view to secure their lasting Anugraha that this humble work has been attempted.

This publication is humbly offered at the Lotus feet of His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya of the Kamakoti Peeta

*1. तैैरिमे गुरुाभि: पूर्वं पदपथाक्चप्रमाणत: । व्याख्यात: सर्ववेदान्ति: तान्त्रित्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥ Sri Sankara's Taittiriya Bhashya

*1. तैैरिमे गुरुाभि: पूर्वं पदपथाक्चप्रमाणत: । व्याख्यात: सर्ववेदान्ति: तान्त्रित्यं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥ Sri Sankara's Taittiriya Bhashya

2 अस्याश्र ब्रह्मविद्यासंप्रदायकर्तृपारम्पर्यैकलक्षणं सम्बन्ध आदाविवाह स्वयमेव स्तुत्यर्थम् । Sri Sankara–Mundakopanishad Bhashya

2 अस्याश्र ब्रह्मविद्यासंप्रदायकर्तृपारम्पर्यैकलक्षणं सम्बन्ध आदाविवाह स्वयमेव स्तुत्यर्थम् । Sri Sankara–Mundakopanishad Bhashya

3. सम्प्राप्ता ब्रह्मविद्या सा येभ्यो ब्रह्मादि:य: पारम्पर्य क्रमेण संप्राप्ता तेभ्यो नम: परमृशिभ्य: । (Ibid)

4. सम्प्राप्ता ब्रह्मविद्या सा येभ्यो ब्रह्मादि:य: पारम्पर्य क्रमेण संप्राप्ता तेभ्यो नम: परमृशिभ्य: । (Ibid)

5. परमार्षिभ्य: ब्रह्मविद्यासंप्रदाय कर्तॄभ्य: । Sri Sankara–Prasnopanishad Bhashyn.

6. परमार्षिभ्य: ब्रह्मविद्यासंप्रदाय कर्तॄभ्य: । Sri Sankara–Prasnopanishad Bhashyn.

7. तद्‌दोरेण प्रजापतये । ... इत्येव श्रुत्यर्थसंप्रदायपरम्परा आग उपनिषद्विज्ञां अचापि विद्वत्सु अवगम्यते । Sri Sankara–Chhandogyopanishad Bhashya.

8. तद्‌दोरेण प्रजापतये । ... इत्येव श्रुत्यर्थसंप्रदायपरम्परा आग उपनिषद्विज्ञां अचापि विद्वत्सु अवगम्यते । Sri Sankara–Chhandogyopanishad Bhashya.

6 संप्रदायमनुरुन्ध्र: । Sri Sankara's Chhand3yupanishad Bhashya.

6 संप्रदायमनुरुन्ध्र: । Sri Sankara's Chhand3yupanishad Bhashya.

7. तथा च संग्रदायविदो विदु: । Sri Sankara—Brahma Sutra Bhashya. I 4-14

8. तथा च संग्रदायविदो विदु: । Sri Sankara—Brahma Sutra Bhashya. I 4-14

8 अनुक्त वेदान्तार्थसंप्रदायविद्धि: आचार्यै । (Ibid II. 1-9.

8 अनुक्त वेदान्तार्थसंप्रदायविद्धि: आचार्यै । (Ibid II. 1-9.

9 तत्संप्रदायिभि तीरितम । Sri Sankara's Tattvopadesa Prakarana

9 तत्संप्रदायिभि तीरितम । Sri Sankara's Tattvopadesa Prakarana

Sri Jagadguru

Kamakotipectathinathi Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi SRI SANKARACHARYA SWAMIJI

Saintly Steerers of the ship

OF

Brahmadvaita of the Upanishads

ओँ नमो ब्रह्मादिमभ्यो ब्रह्मविद्यासमप्रदायकर्तृ+भ्यो वचसां ऋषभ्यो नमो गुरुंभ्य:। सर्वोपपदवरहित. मज्ञानघन: प्रत्यगर्थो ब्रह्मौवाहमस्म ।

Sri Sankaracharya, at the beginning of the Brhadaranyaka Bhashya pays homage to the Brahmavidyasampradaya Acharyas, beginning with Brahma He thus sets an example to all that, before beginning the study of Sastratc works, we should pay respect to all the Acharyas who have bequeathed the Sastras to us Following the example set up by Sri Sankaracharya, it has been the time-honoured practice that before beginning the study of Sri Sankaracharya's Bhashyas, Santi Mantras should be recited These Santi Mantias are a collection of ten Mantras each ending with 'Santi,' (peace to the whole universe) repeated thrice, culled from the various Upanishads After reciting the Santi Mantras it is customary to recite the Dakshi-namurthi Ashtaka and do prostration to Sri Dakshinamurti and also to the hierarchy of Gurus right from Sri Narayana down to our own Acharya In this Guruparampara we find that from Narayana to Suka, the parampara is from father to son From Gaudapada, the disciple of Suka, begins the Sanyasa Parampara Gaudapada's disciple was Govinda Bhagavat Pada and Sri Sankaracharya was the disciple of Sri Govinda Bhagavat Pada Padmapada, Hastamalaka, Totaka and Sureswaracharya were Sri Sankaracharya's disciples

The Paurnami (full-moon day) in the month of Ashada is called Guru Paurnami On that day, the Sanyasis of the Advaita school perform a puja called Vyasa Puja Though it is called Vyasa Puja it is, as a matter of fact, the worship of all the Brahmavidyacharyas On the Paurnami of the month of Sravana, the twice-born perform what is called Upakarma,

SAINTLY STEERERS OF THE SHIP OF

before resuming the study of the Vedas On that day, they offer worship to Rishis who were the seers of the Vedas ( ऋषयः तु द्रष्टारः ) or to whom the Vedas were revealed The study of the Vedas, is there-after taken up Similarly the Sanyasis perform the worship of the Brahma Vidya Acharyas on the Vyasa Puja Day before commencing Brahmavichara, during the Chaturmasya The Naradapanvrajakopanishad, which codifies the conduct of the Sanyasis, lays down that the Sanyasis must be moving from place to place, that they can stay in a village for one day only and that they can stay in a town (Nagara) for five days only This is so because, if they continue to stay in a place for more than five days, they are likely to entangle themselves with the dealings with the people around them

आश्वलायन

एकरात्रं वसेद्रामे नगरे पञ्चरात्रकम् । वर्षास्वेकं तु तिष्ठेत् स्थाने पुण्यजलावृते ॥

The exception however to this rule is that during the rainy season, they must halt at one place for a period of 4 months This period is called Chaturmasya If during the rainy season they move from place to place, they may cause injury to the many insects and worms that breed and move about on the ground during that season But, since the Sanyasis have taken the vow of non-injury to all creatures ( अहिंसा ) they should refrain from causing harm to any being Further, while moving from place to place the Sanyasis cannot have any time for Brahma Vichara During these 4 months they can stay at one place in the company of other Sanyasis, preferably their Gurus or elders, and engage themselves in Brahma Vichara, clearing their doubts with their help During all the other seasons they should travel alone unattended

In this connection, attention is drawn to Sri Bhagavata (first Skanda, fifth Adhyaya) where Sri Narada relates to Sri Vyasa how in his previous birth he had been rendering services to Yogis who were staying at a certain place during the rainy season, how they had allowed him to partake of the remnants

of their food which cleansed him of all his sins and how when they were departing from that place after four months (rain and autumn seasons) they had initiated him into divine knowledge

(अथ)

निरुपिते वारक एव येऽङ्गिनां

शुश्रूषण प्राप्तु गुरौ विनिक्षिप्ताम् ।

उचित्यऐलेपनतुमोदिनो द्विजे

सकृत्सम भुञ्जे तदपास्व कि ल्वप ॥

ज्ञानं गुहातम यत्तत्साक्षाद्द्रगवरोदितम् ।

अन्वयोचमनं गमिष्यन्त कृपया दीनवत्सला ॥

Hence before thus engaging themselves in Brahmavichara, the Sanyasis perform Vyasa Puja as already indicated

In the course of this Puja of Brahmavidyacharyas, worship is offered to six sets of Acharyas, each set consisting of five Acharyas These six sets are respectively (1) Krishna Panchaka consisting of Sri Krishna and his four vyuhas i e Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, Sri Krishna being placed in the centre and the others to the east, south, west and north of Krishna, (2) Sanakadi Panchaka consisting of Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanathsujata, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara, Sanaka being placed in the centre and the other four, as stated before, to the east, south, west and north of Sanaka, (3) Vyasa Panchaka consisting of Vyasa, Sumanthu, Jaimini, Vaisampayana, and Paila, Vyasa, being placed in the centre, and the other four in the four quarters as mentioned already, (4) Sankaracharya Panchaka, consisting of Sri Sankaracharya, Sri Padmapadacharya, Sri Hastamalakacharya, Sri Totakacharya and Sri Sureswaracharya, Sri Sankaracharya being placed at the centre and the other four in the four directions, (5) Dravidacharya Panchaka, consisting of Dravidacharya, Gauda-padacharya, Govindabhagavatpadacharya, Sankshepa Sarraka-charya, and Vivaranacharya, Dravidacharya being placed in the centre, and the other four in the four directions, and (6) Guru Panchaka, consisting of Guru, Parama Guru, Parameshti Guru

and Parapara Guru, and other Brahmavidyacharyas, the Guru being placed in the centre and the other four in the four directions as above mentioned Of these six Panchakas, it should be seen that in the Vyasa Panchaka, Sankaracharya Panchaka, and Guru Panchaka, the Guru is worshipped at the centre, whereas in the other Panchakas i.e. Krishna Panchaka, Sanakadi Panchaka and Dravidacharya Panchaka, it is the important one among them that is worshipped at the centre Dravidacharya is worshipped at the centre of the Dravidacharya Panchaka because he is regarded as the most important in that Pentad, probably belonging to a period anterior to the others in the Panchaka The order of seniority in this Panchaka is Dravidacharya, Gaudapadacharya, Govindabhagavat Padacharya, Sankshepa Sarirakacharya and Vivarancharya Of these Dravidacharya, Gaudapadacharya and Govindabhagavat Padacharya belonged to a period earlier than that of Sri Sankaracharya, and Sankshepa Sarirakacharya and Vivarancharya to a period posterior to Sri Sankaracharya All these have written tomes on Advaita Philosophy Of the Acharyas who are known to us as having been authors of Advaitic Sastric works prior to Sri Sankaracharya in addition to the authors above mentioned namely, Dravidacharya, Gaudapadacharya and Govinda Bhagavatpadacharya, we have the names of two other authors, namely Brahmanandi and Acharya Sundarapandya The works on Advaita Philosophy by these Acharyas and their successors merely expound Advaitic Ideas that are profusely found in the Vedas, the Agamas, the Itihasas, the Puranas etc

PROMINENT WRITERS OF ADVAITA VEDANTA

Sri Brahma Nandi The earliest writer hitherto known from references in later works is Brahmanandi No work of his as such has come to us now But it is believed that he wrote a Vartika on Chhandogya Upanishad on which Dravidacharya has written a commentary In his commentary on Mandukya Kaika (II 32) Sri Sankaracharya says 'सुतु नु 'नचनकृत्स्नं'-गाथामात्रदृशौ ।' This Sutra is said to be a Sutra of Brahmanandi and is quoted in many other works Sarvajatma in his Sankshepa Sariraka, 3rd

सुतु नु 'नचनकृत्स्नं'-गाथामात्रदृशौ ।

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

Pariccheda, (verses 217 to 221) refers to two Advaita teachers One is referred to as Atreya or Atri Vamsiya Vakyakara and the other as Bhashyakara Madhusudana Saraswathi in his commentary on Sankshepa Sariraka, identifies the Vakyakara as Brahmanandi and the Bhashyakara as Dravidacharya He says, " Chhandogya Vakyakarena Brahmanandina " and " Brahmanandi Vrachutha Vakya Rupanam Bhashya Kaitha Dravidacharya "

Brahma Nandi's opinions are quoted in Jnanottama's Ishta Siddhi Vivarana, where commenting on Vimuktathma's " मुक्त्व निर्विकल्पं चेत्कं वाक्यमार्ये " he says " मुक्त्वा तत्त्वमस्यादि शास्त्रस्य प्रामाण्य न जात्यैकत्वादिना च दृढयितुं शक्यमिति न्यायात्कार्यादित्यनेक अर्थ "

मुक्त्वा निर्विकल्पं चेत्कं वाक्यमार्ये । मुक्त्वा तत्त्वमस्यादि शास्त्रस्य प्रामाण्य न जात्यैकत्वादिना च दृढयितुं शक्यमिति न्यायात्कार्यादित्यनेक अर्थ

Nrsimhasrami, another commentator of Sankshepa Sariraka, says " ब्रह्मानन्दनन्दनापि च श्रोतव्यप्रतिपत्तव्याभ्यामह्यानातस्यैवोक्तम " Ramatirtha, yet another commentator of Sankshepa Sariraka, also says ' ब्रह्मानन्दनन्दनैव चाश्रेण ब्रह्माद्वये उक्तम.' Nrsimhasrami says " श्रुत्यादुदृष्टे नान्यथासिद्धिरर्थवचनात " and Ramatirtha says ' नैकदृप्रन्थकार श्रुति दूषयितुं प्रवृत्तो न तु सरदारोपादिति सदसम्यक्प्रतिपाद्येपण पूँरपक्षंमदूष्य, न मङ्गल्यादि मातृगादितोऽनवस्थितना, अत गृहीत मतिरिति मिथ्याप्रतिपादन मिथ्यादौ प्रथम, सूत्र चैनेदभिप्रायमेल्यार्थे '।

ब्रह्मानन्दनन्दनापि च श्रोतव्यप्रतिपत्तव्याभ्यामह्यानातस्यैवोक्तम । ब्रह्मानन्दनन्दनैव चाश्रेण ब्रह्माद्वये उक्तम । श्रुत्यादुदृष्टे नान्यथासिद्धिरर्थवचनात । नैकदृप्रन्थकार श्रुति दूषयितुं प्रवृत्तो न तु सरदारोपादिति सदसम्यक्प्रतिपाद्येपण पूँरपक्षंमदूष्य, न मङ्गल्यादि मातृगादितोऽनवस्थितना, अत गृहीत मतिरिति मिथ्याप्रतिपादन मिथ्यादौ प्रथम, सूत्र चैनेदभिप्रायमेल्यार्थे

Brahmanandi is said to be a supporter of Vivarta Vada (Vide Kalpataru)

Sri Dravidacharya :

Sri Dravidacharya, who has been mentioned in the foregoing section, is also a forerunner of Sri Sankaracharya Anandagiri, in his tika on Sri Sankaracharya's Chhandogya

6 SAINTLY STEERLERS OF THE SHIP OF

Bhashya, commenting on "अ +ितस+िदमार+ित" says "दािवड मFप्रण'त त'रमन्त इत्याह शाङि+ि-रपि" thereby indicating that previous to Acharya's Bhashya, there was a commentary on Chhandogya by Dravidacharya This probably refers to his commentary on Brahmanandi's Varthika on Chhandogya Upanishad mentioned in the previous section The complete work of Dravidacharya is not available now The story of the king's son being brought up by the hunters which is referred to by Sri Sankaracharaya in his Brhadaranyaka Bhashya is attributed to Dravidacharya Sri Sankaracharaya has referred to many sayings of Dravidacharya when explaining Madhu Vidya in his Chhandogya Bhashya He is referred to in Sri Acharya's Brahma Sutra Bhashya also though not by name when commenting on Jyothischaranadhikarana

अ +ितस+िदमार+ित दािवड मFप्रण'त त'रमन्त इत्याह शाङि+ि-रपि

अथ 'त्रiत्दमत इiच?न ,iत गा+च? 'fह नदिग र्घटचा्शi ।

Vachaspathi Misra in his Bhamathi Samanyaya Adhikarana says

" यथा हद्र्घावड 'चार्मा म;स?मfत टरशा ला ता्शीFमत दमुफजि ' इति "

As has been already stated he is referred to in Sankshepa Sariraka and its commentaries Dravidacharyau is one of the Acharyas worshipped by the Sanyasis of the Advaita School at the time of Vyasa Puja Balakrishnananda, otherwise known as Abhinava Dravidacharya, the author of Sloka Varthika on Sri Sankaracharya's Sutra Bhashya says that the three verses

"गौणमध्यात्मनोडसरवे पुत्रदेहादिवायनात् । सद्रक्षात्माहमित्येव बोधे कार्य कथं भवेत् ॥ अन्वेष्टव्यात्मविज्ञानात्साकृ प्रमातृस्वमारमनः । अनिष्टस्यान्नैनैव पाप्मदोषादिवर्जित॥ देहात्मप्रत्ययो यद्रृपणत्वेन कiल्पत । लौकिक तद्रदवेद प्रभाणन्वाडडत्मनिiर्रयात"॥

quoted at the end of the Samanyayadhikarana by Sri Sankaracharya are the verses of Dravidacharya

Sri Gowdapadacharya

Sri Gowdapadacharya, the Paramaguru of Sri Sankaracharya is so far as we know the earliest writer on Advaita whose works are now available. In his commentary on Sri Sankaracharya's Bhashya on the Mandukya Karikas, Anandagiri says that Gowdapadacharya spent his time at Badari meditating on Sri Narayana.

Balakrishnananda Saraswathi says that Gowdapada belonged to a place near Kurukshetra,

"गौडपादाः कुरुश्रेष्ठगतहीरावतीनदीतीरभवगौडजातिस्थेषा। देशविशेषभवजातिनामैव प्रसिद्धा। द्वापरयुगमारभैव समाधिनिष्ठत्वेन आद्युनिकैर्जनैरपरिज्ञात विशेषाभिधानाः सामान्यानैव लोके विख्याताः "

The statement that Gowdapada remained in Samadhi from Dwaparayuga corroborates the fact that he was the disciple of Sri Suka as is stated in the Guruparampara. It is likely that he left his place of birth and lived at some other distant place.

Gowdapada's important work is his Karikas on the Mandukya Upanishad, generally called Mandukya Karikas. The work consists of four Prakaranas, Agama Prakarana, Vaitathya Prakarana, Advaita Prakarana, and Alatha Santi Prakarana.

Other works ascribed to him are Bhashyas on Uttaratika, Sankhyakarikas, Nrsimha Tapini Upanishad and Durga Saptha Sathi and two independent works namely Sri Vidya Ratna Sutras and Subhagodaya on Sri Vidya. He is regarded as the earliest systematic writer on Advaita.

Sri Bartrhari :

Bhartrhari is also regarded as an Advaitic writer prior to Sri Sankaracharya. He has written a work called Vakya Padiya, dealing with grammar. In this Vyakarana work he deals with Advaita more lucidly than any Advaitic work worth the name.

He says that Brahman is the only truth and that the world of phenomena is only a Vivarta mode of Brahman. The sloka,

उपायैरिक्षमाणानां वात्यनमुपलालनाः । असत्ये वर्त्मनि स्थित्वा तत्सत्यं समुपैहि येत् ॥

is believed to have come down from him.

SAINTLY STEERERS OF THE SHIP OF

Sri Acharya Sundara Pandya : Acharya Sundara Pandya is the name of an ancient writer on Advaita prior to Sri Sankaracharya None of his Advaita works is available to-day At the end of the Samanvayadhikarana of His Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras Sri Sankaracharya says ' iti vrittam ' and quotes the following three verses which are attributed to Sri Acharya Sundara Pandya

गौरीमिथ्यात्वमात्रोडनडसच्चे पुत्रदेहेऽदिवाधनात् । सद्रह्मात्मादिमिर्येवं बोधे कार्य कथ भवेत् ।। अन्वेष्टव्यात्मविज्ञानात्मैकः प्रमाणत्वमात्मनः । अन्वेष्टव्यात्ममात्रैव पाप्मद्रोहादिवर्जितः ।। देहेऽत्मभावो यदृश्यमाणत्वेन कल्पितः । लौकिके तद्वेदवेद प्रमागं त्वांहडं न निश्चयात् ।।

Acharya Sundara Pandya says that when one realises the Supreme Brahman, all scriptural Pramanas cease to exist Padmapada, referring to these three verses says ' शुद्ध मि द्र म हाविदारमो यर्‌-अन् = नत मज्ञे न अार-मगुंह्‌7न - गंगा म4 र.सन इनि '. Atmaswarupacharya, in his Prabodha Parisodhini, a commentary on Padmapada's Panchapadika, says ' श्लोकत्र सु दर्‌(पद्य ग णोन प्रमाणयतो-लह - " मि नं मोनो " .

Madhava Mantri in his commentary, Tatparya Dipika, on Suta Samhita says ' रि. सुंदर पुवच्य रति कमाव ' and quotes the last of the verses cited above (Vide page 284 of Suta Samhita Mukthi Kanda, Chapter 4 verse 12 Madras Sarada Mandira Edition) In his commentary on the Bhamati of Vachaspati Misra, Amalananda quotes the following verses of Acharya Sundara Pandya,

" निश्च्रेण्यारोहणमात्रं मातिमात्रोपपादि च । एकमेव कल प्राप्तुमुभावारोहतो यदा ।। एकसोपानवस्त्रयेको भूमिष्ठेऽध्यापरस्तयोः । उमयोर्द्ध जस्तुल्यः प्रतिबन्धध्व नान्तरा ।।

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

विरोऽविनोऽस्तथैको हि तत्कलं प्रानुयात्तयोः ।

विरोऽविनोऽस्तथैको हि तत्कलं प्रानुयात्तयोः ।

प्रथमेन गृहीते डस्मिन् पद्रिमोडवतरेऽनुसृथा ॥

प्रथमेन गृहीते डस्मिन् पद्रिमोडवतरेऽनुसृथा ॥

under the Vedadyadkarana (III 3-25) Kumarila Bhatta, in his Tantra Vartika (Balabala Adhikarana), quotes the same verses as Amalanada instances in his Kalpataru along with two other verses

‘तेन यदापि सामर्थ्ये प्रत्येक सिद्धमन्यदा ।

‘तेन यदापि सामर्थ्ये प्रत्येक सिद्धमन्यदा ।

तथापि युगपद्रावे जगन्यस्य निराक्रिया ॥

तथापि युगपद्रावे जगन्यस्य निराक्रिया ॥

अन्यथैव हि शून्येपु दुर्वैलैरपि चर्यते ।

अन्यथैव हि शून्येपु दुर्वैलैरपि चर्यते ।

अन्यथा चलवद्ग्रस्तैः सर्वशक्तिक्षये सति ॥’

अन्यथा चलवद्ग्रस्तैः सर्वशक्तिक्षये सति ॥’

Bhatta Someswara, the author of Nyayasudha, an authoritative commentator on Tantra Vartika, refers to these verses as ‘वृद्धा न खलु कम्’ (Vriddha here is understood as conveying a reference to Acharya Sundarapandya)

Acharya Sundarapandya seems to have been one of the carliest writers on Mimamsa, (Purva and Uttara) of the pre-Kumarila period Both Kumarila Bhatta and Sri Sankaracharya seem to have derived much valuable material and help from his woik The Adyar Library contains a work Niti Dwisashtika attributed to Acharya Sundara Pandya

Sri Govinda Bhagavath Pada

Sri Govinda Bhagavath Pada is the Guru of Sri Sankaracharya. In his Purvasrama he is said to have been known as Chandrasarma The preservation of Patanjali’s Mahabhashya in its present form is attributed to him The history of Chandrasarma prior to his entering into the Sanyasasrama is given in detail in Patanjali Vijaya by Ramabhadra Dikshita.

“गोविन्ददेशिकमुपास्य विराय भक्त्या

“गोविन्ददेशिकमुपास्य विराय भक्त्या

तस्मिन् निस्थते निजमहिम्नि विदेहमुक्त्या ।

तस्मिन् निस्थते निजमहिम्नि विदेहमुक्त्या ।

अद्वैतभाप्यमुपकल्प्य दिशो विजित्य

अद्वैतभाप्यमुपकल्प्य दिशो विजित्य

काच्चीपुने स्थितिमवाप स शङ्करार्यः ॥”

काच्चीपुने स्थितिमवाप स शङ्करार्यः ॥”

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It was Bhagavatpada was approached by Sri Sankaracharya in the course of his quest after a proper Guru Sri Govinda Bhagavat Pada initiated Sri Sankaracharya into Sanyasa and initiated him to write Bhashyas on the Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, and Bhagavadgita It is said that he is the author of Yataravalli and Advaitanubhuti which is also known as Sarvata Gita These books are now generally attributed to Sri Sankaracharya himself In the first sloka of his Vivekachudamani Sri Sankaracharya offers obeisance to Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada, in the words “ Govindam Paramanandam Madhuram Pranatosmyaham ” Govinda Bhagavatpada is also said to have written a commentary on Atma Bodha (said to have been printed at the Vidya Kalpataru Press, Madras)

Sri Sankaracharya :

Sri Sankaracharya :

Sri Sankaracharya was the foremost among the teachers of Advaita Without any exaggeration, nor even a fear of contradiction, he may be said to be the very founder of Advaitic philosophy Though Sri Gaudapada and others before him had written about Advaita on a philosophic basis, it was Sri Sankaracharya alone who dedicated his almost tireless energies to the cause, rearing thus a lofty edifice on the unassailable foundations of the Upanishadic texts encompassed with defence works of invulnerable logic In short, he has succeeded in demonstrating that the Advaitic doctrine bears the closest fidelity to the message propagated by the Upanishads Uma-maheswari, the author of a work called Tattva Chandrika, says that there were about 99 commentaries on the Brahma Sutras at the time of Sri Sankaracharya and that all of them were so eclipsed by Sri Sankaracharya's Bhashya that none of the earlier commentaries is extant now

Besides his Bhashyas on the major Upanishads, namely, Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chhandogya, and the Brhadaranyaka, the Bhagavadgita, and the Brahma Sutras, he has written Bhashyas on Nrsimha Tapini Upanishad, Svetaswatara Upanishad, Hastamalakiyam, Sanatsujatiyam, Visnu Sahasranamam and Lalita Trisati Besides, he is also the author of about thirty-five

Prakarana Granthas among which the important are (1) Vivekachudamani, (2) Upadesa Sahasri, (3) Aparokshanubhuti, (4) Atmabodha, (5) Prabodha Sudhakaram, (6) Satasloki, (7) Sopanapanchakam, (8) Advaitanubhuti, (9) Dasasloki, (10) Praudhanubhuti, and (11) Vakyavritti He has also written about 67 stotras among which the important are (1) Sivananda Lahari, (2) Sivapadadi Kesantasthava, (3) Siva Kesadi Padantasthava, (4) Dakshinamurthy Stotra, (5) Soundarya Lahari, (6) Ananda Lahari, (7) Tripurasundari Manasa Puja Stotram, (8) Annapurnashtakam, (9) Minakshi Pancharatnam, (10) Dwadasa Linga Stotram, (11) Satpadi, (12) Mohamudgaram, (13) Harimide, (14) Lakshmi Nrsimha Karavalamba Stotra, and (15) Vishnu padadi Kesantha Stotra A work called Prapanchasara dealing with Mantra Sastra is also attributed to him He is also said to have written a commentary on Sri Vyasa's Bhashya on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (published by the Government Oriental Manuscript Library, Madras). He is again credited with the authorship of an astrological work called Sankaracharyam

The Government Oriental Manuscript Library, Madras, has recently published a short work of Yoga in Tamil called " Sankarachariyar Ula " There are various commentaries on Sri Sankaracharya's Upadesa Sahasri, Mannsha panchaka, Atmabodha and Vakyavritti

His Prakaranas show us the easy way to comprehend the tenets of the Advaita as being the highest Tattva and point to us how we might attain the state of Advaitic bliss through the meticulous observance of such precepts as he expounds and inculcates therein

Besides Sivarahasya and other Puranic works which say that Sri Sankaracharya was an avatar of Siva, we have evidence that even in his own time he was regarded as an Avatar of Siva Sri Totakacharya, one of his disciples, in his Totakashtaka refers to Sri Acharya as Pungava Ketana (one who has the bull on his banner) and Bhava Eva Bhavan " You are Bhava (Siva) " Sri Padmapadacharya, Sri Acharya's Disciple, praises his Guru as Abhinava Sankara (a new Sankara) He also says " Sankara is Sankara himself " (Sankarassankarassakshat) While Vyasa is regarded as Brahma without his four faces, Vishnu with two

12 SAINTLY STEERERS OF THE SHIP

hands and Siva without an eye on his forehead, ( अचतुत्रैननो द्द्याहुरसरो हरिः । अजालन्धोचनतत्·ःभु ) i e, all the Trimurthis in form, Sri Acharya is regarded as the Avatar of Siva alone

अचतुत्रैननो द्द्याहुरसरो हरिः । अजालन्धोचनतत्·ःभु

Not merely in India, but all the world over, discern savants have hailed him as one of the foremost teachers & intellectuals whom the world has produced

Here, in India, the foremost citizen of the Indian Union, Sri Rajendra Prasad, the President of the Union, says, " The name of Sankara is a name to conjure with not only in India but in other parts of the world We all admire the wonderful way in which within a short span of 31 years he managed not only to study almost all philosophy, but also write a tremendous lot and tour all over the country from Cape Comorin right upto Himalayas "

Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, says, " Born in Malabar in the far South of India, he travelled incessantly all over India, meeting innumerable people, arguing, debating, reasoning, convincing and filling them with a passion of his own passion and tremendous vitality He was evidently a man who was intensely conscious of his mission, a man who looked upon the whole of India from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas as his field of action and as something that he together culturally and was infused by the same spirit though this might take many external forms He strove hard to synthesise the diverse currents that were troubling the mind of India of his day and to build a unity of outlook out of the diversity In a brief life of thirty-two years he did the work of many long lives and left such an impress of his powerful mind and rich personality on India that it is very evident to-day "

Beyond the frontiers of India, we find laudatory references to Sri Sankaracharya An inscription of the reign of Indra Varma, found in a dilapidated temple in the jungles of Kam bodia reads :-

" येनाधीतानि शास्त्राणि भगवान् चंकराहयात् । नि·शेषसूरिसमूर्धोलिमालालोकाडंबरिपड्जजात् ॥"

येनाधीतानि शास्त्राणि भगवान् चंकराहयात् । नि·शेषसूरिसमूर्धोलिमालालोकाडंबरिपड्जजात् ॥

ஶ்ரீ வரதராஜஸ்வாமி கோவில் தாயார் சந்நிதி மணடபததில் இருககும் வியாஸ பகவானும் ஶ்ரீ ஆசாரியாளும்

consummate form by the Great Sankara (exactly one thousand years before his spiritualkinsman Scophenhaur) Even to this day Sankara's system represents the common belief of nearly all thoughtful Hindus and deserves to be widely studied in the original

Colonel Jacob says, "It may be admitted that if the impossible task of reconciling the contradictions of the Upanishads and rendering them to a harmonious and consistant whole is to be attempted at all, Sankara's system is about the only one that could do it "

Dr Thibaut, certainly not a partisan of Advaita, says, "Sankara's methods enable him to recognise existing differences which other systematısers are intent on obliterating And there has yet to be made a more important admission in favour of his system It is not only more pliable, more capable of amalgamating heterogenous materials than other systems, but its fundamental doctrines are manifestly in greater harmony with the essential teachings of the Upanishads than those other systems The Advaitic doctrine marks a strictly orthodox reaction against the combinations of non-vedic elements of beliefs and doctrines with the teachings of the Upanishads The teaching of the Upanishads, than the Sutras of Badarayna.

The task of reducing the teaching of the whole of the Upanishads to a system consistent and free from contradiction is an intrinsically impossible one But the task being given, we are quite ready to admit that Sankara's system is most probably the best that can be devised We must admit without hesitation that Sankara's doctrine faithfully represents the prevailing teachings of the Upanishads in one point at least, viz that the soul or the self of the sage, whatever its original relation to Brahman may be, is in the end completely merged and undistinguishably lost in the Universal Self "

Rene Guenon of France says

"As a matter of fact the Brahma Sutras being based directly and exclusively on the Upanishads can in no way be divergent from them, only their brevity, rendering them a trifle obscure

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

when they are isolated from any commentary, might provide some excuse for those who maintain that they find in them something besides an authoritative and competent interpretation of the traditional doctrine Sankaracharya has deduced and developed more completely the essential contents of the Upanishads His authority can only be questioned by those who are ignorant of the true spirit of the orthodox Hindu tradition and whose opinion is consequently valueless In a general way therefore, it is his commentary that we shall follow in preference to others

Sir John woodroffe (Arthur Avalon) writes —

"Others have written commentaries and books on Vedanta Sutras and the Upanishads, but there is none who is venerated as Sankara is, all over the sacred land It may be noted that even a Roman Catholic Missionary has discovered the harmony of the Vedanta with Christian Philosophy (Vedanta Vindicated by Rev J F Pessein) and has so far as his dogmas have permitted him, accepted Sankara's exposition The Prapancha-sara, as has already been said, is the first book of its kind and has shown that all the different forms of sadhana which these days go under the general name of Hinduism are in harmony with Vedanta and that all mantras are meant for the realisation of the Supreme Brahman

The Hindu does not worship many gods, what he does is that he has the same respect for the faith of others as he has for his own (Post-script to the introduction to Prapanchasara, Vol XVIII of the Tantrīk Tests, edited by Arthur Valon)

Rev J F Pessein writes "Great credit is due to Sankara and his school for having fought strenuously against the up-holders of self-existence of the material world and brought the whole universe under the sway of God to whom it owes not only its origination but also its very being Sankara understood that the independent existence of another being would imply limitation of God (Vedanta Vindicated by J F Pessein Page 8)

Many commentaries have been written on Sri Sankara-charya's Brahma Sutra Bhashya, the best known among them

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Sri Padmapadacharya

Sri Padmapadacharya was the earliest disciple of Sri Sankaracharya. He appears to have belonged to the south. His place of birth is said to be Chidambaram. He is regarded as an Avatara of Vishnu. His original name was Sanandana. He was initiated into the Sanyasasrama by Sri Sankaracharya and became a favourite disciple of the Acharya. After a time this partiality of the Acharya for Padmapada roused the jealousy of his co-disciples. To prove the depth of Padmapada's Gurubhakti, the Acharya who was bathing on one bank of the Ganga asked Sanandana who was on the other bank to bring him his clothes. Unmindful of the depth of the river and relying solely on his Guru's Grace, Sanandana began unhesitatingly to walk over the waters of the Ganges, his only object being that he should implicitly obey his Guru's order.

Pleased with his devotion Ganga Devi put forth Lotuses whereever he set his foot. It is this incident that gave him the name of Padmapada. He refers to his Guru Sri Sankaracharya as Sisytagrani (the foremost among those who follow the righteous path). He is the author of Panchapadika, the earliest commentary on Sri Acharya's Brahma Sutra Bhashya.

It is said that once on his way to Rameswaram he halted in Srırangam at the house of his uncle. He left Panchapadika in the care of his uncle and went to Rameswaram; during his absence, his uncle who was a fanatical Purva Mimamsaka read the Panchapadika and finding that it went against the tenets of his school set fire to his house so that along with the other articles in the house, Panchapadika also might be destroyed.

Padmapada returned from Rameswaram and found that his Magnum opus had been destroyed. He was completely broken-hearted. He returned to Sri Sankaracharya and related to him what all had happened. The Acharya consoled him saying that he remembered some portions which had been once read over to him by Padmapada himself and graciously assured

the latter that he would reproduce them from memory The

portion thus dictated by the Acharya related to the first five

padas of the Brahma Sutras and hence it is that it came to be

called Panchapadika. Even this portion is not now available

and what all is now extant is only the commentary relating to

the first four sutras A special feature of Sri Padmapada's

Panchapadika is that he has explained very elaborately the

theory of Adhyasa formulated by the Acharya in the beginning

of his Brahma Sutra Bhashya There are several commentaries

on the Panchapadika, the most important of them being

Prakasatma's Panchapadika Vivarana Besides Panchapadika,

Padmapada has written a commentary on Sri Acharya's Pra-

pancha Sara and Atmabodha, an indepedent work called

Swarupanubhava and a work called Siva Panchakshari Bhashya

wherein he expounds the real meaning of Panchakshara as

being the quintessence of Advaita

Sri Sureswaracharya

Śrī Sureśvarācārya

Sri Sureswaracharya was the foremost of the disciples of

Śrī Sureśvarācārya

Sri Sankaracharya Before he was initiated into Sanyasa he

Śrī Śaṅkarācārya

was known as Mandana Misra or Viswa Rupa He was a

native of Mahishmati and was a staunch follower of Karma

Kanda He is regarded as the Avatar of Brahma He was the

disciple of Kumarila Bhatta, the author of Tantra Vartika, a

Purva Mimamsa work of great authority Having been defeated

by Sri Sankaracharya in the course of a debate, Mandana Misra,

Śrī Śaṅkarācārya

in pursuance of the pledge undertaken by him before the

commencement of the debate, embraced Sanyasa He was

initiated by Sri Sankaracharya into the Turiyasrama and was

Śrī Śaṅkarācārya

given the name of Sureswaracharya Tradition has it that Sri

Sureśvarācārya

Sankaracharya originally directed him to write a sub-commen-

Śaṅkarācārya

tary on his Brahma Sutra Bhashya But the other disciples of

the Acharya being suspicious of Sureswara's fealty to the

Sureśvara

Advaita doctrine, in as much as he had been a staunch Purva-

mimamsaka prior to his conversion to Advaita, represented to

the Acharya the impropriety of commissioning Sureswara with

Sureśvara

the task of writing a sub-commentary on the Sutra Bhashya, lest

the latter should deliberately misrepresent the message of the

Bhashya The Acharya thereupon directed Sri Sureswaracharya

Śrī Sureśvarācārya

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to write Vartikas on his Taittiriya and Bhadaranyaka Bhashyas Sureswaracharya's accordingly wrote the Taittiriya Vartika and the Bhadaranyaka Vartika Besides these two Vartikas he has written another Vartika called Manasollasa on Sri Acharya's Dakshinamurthi Ashlakam, and also another commentary on Acharya's Panchikaranam It was Sureswara who put forward and developed the theory of Abhasa Vada He is referred to in many other later Advaitic works as the Vartika Kara Sri Anandagiri has written sub-commentaries on the Taittiriya, Bhadaranyaka and the Panchikarana Vartikas Sri Vidyaranya has written a work called Bhadaranya Varthika Sara on Sureswara's Bhadaranyaka Varthika Besides the four Varthikas mentioned above, Sureswaracharya has written Naishkarmya Siddhi, Maha Vakyartha Panchikaranam and Moksha Nirnaya Before taking Sanyasa he had, as Mandana Misra, the staunch Purva Mimamsaka, written Brahma Siddhi, Vibhrama Viveka and Bhavana Viveka

Sri Totakacharya . Sri Totakacharya was another disciple of Sri Sankaracharya. His original name was Giri He does not appear to have been very erudite But what he lacked in scholarship he amply made up with his intense devotion to his Guru The Guru always desired that he should be present at the time of the daily lessons to the Sishyas and often delayed the lessons till Giri should arrive Once during such a delay, his co-disciples represented to the Guru that there was no reason to wait for Giri since he was not quite so alert at understanding them and that therefore the lessons might be proceeded with Sri Acharya was a little pained at this attitude of the other disciples He therefore mentally blessed Giri who had gone on some errand Giri came hurrying to the Acharya dancing with joy and reciting 8 slokas beginning with " Viditakhila Sastra Sudha Jaladhi " All these slokas were in Totaka metre and so he later on came to be known as Totakacharya In addition to this set of 8 slokas which came to be known as Totakashtakam, he has written a work called Sruthi Sara Samuddharanam in the same Totaka metre, in which he refers to Dravidacharya as "Dravidopi" One Sachchidananda has written a commentary on this Sruti Sara Samuddharanam There is also another commentary called Sambandhoki the name whose author is not known

Sri Hastamalakacharya

Sri Hastamalakacharya was another disciple of Sri Sankaracharya. He is said to have been the son of Prabhakara, the founder of what is called the Gurumata of the Purva Mimamsa. He was a mute from his birth. When Sri Acharya visited Sri Valli, the native place of Hastamalaka, in the course of his peregrinations, Prabhakara brought his mute son before the Acharya and implored him to bless his son. The Acharya immediately understood that the boy was no ordinary mute but a Yogi. He therefore asked him who he was. The boy who had till then been considered a mute, burst forth in reply with a poem in thirteen verses wherein he answered that he was neither a human being nor a Deva, neither a Brahman nor a Kshatriya but that he was Pure Consciousness "Nija Bodha Rupa". The verses thus constitute such an invaluable mine of Advaitic truths that Sri Acharya himself has deigned to write a commentary on the same, a rare instance of a Guru writing a commentary on his Sishya's works. Besides Sri Sankara, Anand Prakasa and Swayamprakasa have also written commentaries on Hastamalakiyam. Two other commentaries by two anonymous authors are also found in the Government Oriental Manuscript Library, Madras.

We have thus seen how the Advaitic tradition was conserved by the great Acharya and his immediate disciples, Sri Sureswara, Sri Padmapada, Sri Hastamalaka and Sri Totaka, all Master-Architects of Philosophy. This lofty philosophic edifice, reared up by these master-minds, was later adorned and fortified with invulnerable works by the intellectual Titans of the Gauda or Uttaradesa and of the Dravida or Dakshinadesa. It is curious to note that Sri Sureswaracharya, the foremost among the disciples of Bhagavatpada Sankara, has remarked in his Naishkarmya Siddhi that the beacon-light of Advaita was lighted by the Gaudas and Dravidas.

एव गौडद्रविडेर्नः पूज्यैरर्थः प्रभाषित।

एव गौडद्रविडेर्नः पूज्यैरर्थः प्रभाषित॥

Probably, Sureswaracharya is here referring to that great Gauda, Gaudapadacharya and to that celebrated Dravida, the great Bhagavat Pada Sankara, the plural being used as a mark of respect.

20 SAINTLY STEERERS OF THE SHIP OF

of respect But there is, in this passage, a significance, almost prophetic, a significance which perhaps even Sureswara did not suspect For in the succeeding ages, it was the Gaudas and the Dravidas that have been maintaining the blaze of Advaita at its highest splendour

Such luminaries as the great Vachaspati Misra of Mithila, Madhusudana Saraswathi and Brahmananda Saraswathi of Vanga Desa (Bengal), Sri Harsha of Kanya Kubja (Kanouj), Sadananda Vyasa of Kashmir and Krishna Misra of Madhya Bharata adorned the Advaitic firmament in the North In the South arose stars of the first magnitude-splendid geniuses like Sri Anandagiri of Cheradesa, Sri Vidyaranya of Karnataka desa, Avialananda of the Rashtrakuta desa, Sarvajnatmamuni of the extreme south, Dharmarajadhwari, Nrsimhasrami and Sadasiva Brahmendra of Choladesa, Appayya Dikshita of Kanchi Mandala, Bhattoji Dikshita and Raghunatha Suri of the Maharastra desa, Bellamkonda Rama Raya of the Andhra Desa and a host of others And thus arose, after the sun of the great Acharya had set in the philosophic horizon, this scintillating galaxy in the firmament, maintaining through its blazing splendour, the Light of Advaita at its very best Even the present age has produced scholars who have largely contributed and are still contributing to the maintenance of the glory of Advaitic Beacon Thyagaraja Sastri of Mannargudi, Panchapakesa Sastri of Pazhamarneri, Hari Hara Sastri of Chidambaram, Bellamkonda Ramaraya of Andhra Desa, Subrahmanya Sastri of Karur, and Anantakrislina Sastri of Nurani have written many works on Advaita In short, wherever the Vedas have been current, being handed down in Guru Sishya Parampara, we find authors of works on Advaita philosophy

Sri Vimuktatman

Sri Vimuktatman is an important writer on Advaita Sarvajnatma refers to " Mukti Kovida " in verse 14 of Chapter IV of his Sankshepa Sariraka Madhusudana Saraswathi in his commentary on the Sankshepa Saririka, Sara Sangraha, says that the Mukti Kovida mentioned in verse 14 is the author of Ishta Siddhi (Ishtasiddhīkara) Nrsimhasrami and Ramatirtha,

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two other commentators on Sankshepa Sariraka, also say that Mukti Kovida refers to the Ishta Siddhi Kara Ishta Siddhi is the work of Sri Vimuktatman He should therefore be placed earlier than Sarvajnatman Chitsukhacharya also refers to him in his Tatwapradipika Besides Ishta Siddhi, Vimuktatman has written another work called “Pramana Vada Nirnaya”

Sri Sarvajnatma Muni:

Sri Sarvajnatma Muni is said to be a disciple of Sri Sankaracharya and his immediate successor to the Kamakoti Pitha In his Sankshepa Sariraka Sarvajnatma says he wrote the work during the reign of Manukuladitya His Magnum Opus, the Sankshepa Sariraka, as its name itself implies, is an abridges ment of Sri Sankaracharya's Brahma Sutra Bhashya. He has got an individuality of his own, and discusses many topics germane to the issues not previously discussed by the Acharya. There are about eight commentaries on Sankshepa Sariraka, of which those by Madhusudana Saraswathi and Nrsimhasrami, are the most important Sarvajnatma is one of the Hierarchy of Advaita Acharyas worshipped at the time of Vyasa Puja Besides Sankshepa Sariraka he has written two other works i e Pancha Prakriya and Pramana Lakshana

Sri Vachaspati Misra:

Vachaspati Misra seems to have been a native of Mithila He was a versatile scholar and a writer of vast distinction who has written authoritative tomes on all the Darshanas of his times Bhamati, his masterly commentary on Sri Sankaracharya's Brahma Sutra Bhashya is the most famous scholiast that is alway read by scholars

According to a tradition current among scholars (vide page X, line 6 to 26, Bhamati Chatussutri-Suryanarayan Sastri and Kunham Raja T P H) Vachaspati Misra named his sub-commentary on the Brahma Sutra Sankara Bhashya after his wife, whose dutifulness and uncomplaining submission to his will earned for her this unique celebrity From the very day of his marriage with Bhamati when he had to listen to scholarly discussions, Vachaspati was impelled to devote himself heart

22

and soul, to writing tomes on all the Darśanas, expounding therein dialectics of a brilliant order But more than the composition of all these works, his labours in the cause of Brahma Vidya, that took the form of his masterly Scholast, his magnum opus, on the Brahma Sutra Sankara Bhashya, so much engrossed his attentions and his energies that he entirely forgot the existence of his wife, who, however, during all his years of unremitting scholarly labours, waited on him with the exemplary wifely devotion such as could be met with only among Hindu Wives When, however, Vachaspati had finished his Sastric labours, he was far past the meridian of life Almost suddenly he seemed to awake to the existence of his wife Bhamati on whom he had not bestowed a single conjugal attention Deeply touched by her uncomplaining devotion, and sorely troubled by qualms, he begged her forgiveness for having so callously neglected her Bhamati assured him that she was supremely happy to have served her Lord With becoming modesty, however, she submitted that her only regret was that she was not blessed with progeny to perpetuate their race Vachaspati, who was now on the wrong side of sixty, assured her that she need not rue the absence of progeny He said he would immortalise her and her exemplary wifely devotion by naming his masterly commentary on the Sankara Bhashya after her Hence it was that this Commentary came to be called Bhamati Thus was a tardy but sincere reparation meted out to a neglected wife

This work says Vachaspati, was written during the reign of King Nṛga The name Bhamati is associated with one of the two main schisms of Sri Acharya's interpretation of the Brahma Sutras called the Bhamati Prasthana, the other being Vivarana Prasthana after Prakasatma's Panchapadika Vivarana There are about six commentaries on Bhamati, the best known of them being the Kalpataru by Sri Amalananda Besides the Bhamati, Vachaspati Misra has written (1) Brahma Tattva Samiksha, a commentary on Mandana Misra's Brahma Siddhi (2) Nyaya Kanika, a commentary on Mandana Misra's Vidhividhi Viveka, (3) Tattva Bindu, an independent work on the Purva Mimamsa of the Bhatta School, (4) Sankhya Tattva Kaumudi, an independent work on the Sankhya Darsana, (5) Nyaya Kanika

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

Tatparya and (6) Nyaya Suchi Nibandhana, a supplement to No 5

Vachaspati is said to be the originator of what is called the Avachchheda Vada He is always appealed to in many later works, whenever weighty support is sought for establishing a particular philosophic stand

Sri Prakasatman :

It was Prakasatma, who brought Padmapada's Panchapadika into greater popularity, through his learned commentary thereon called the Panchapadika Vivarana As has been already said, he was the orginator of the Vivarana Prasthana Later writers refer to him as the 'Vivaranakara' He is one of the Brahma Vidyacharya's worshipped at the time of the Vyasa Puja Several sub-commentaries have been written on the Panchapadika Vivarana, the most important of them being Tattva Dipana by Akhandananda Muni Prakasatma has written three other works, namely, Sariraka Nyaya Sangraha, Sabdanirnaya and Laukika Nyaya Sangraha

Sri Amalananda :

Sri Amalananda is the author of Kalpataru, a sub-commentary on Vachaspati Misra's Bhamati Amalananda was also called Vyasasrami He belonged to the Maharashtra Desa Besides the Kalpataru, he has written an independent work on the Brahma Sutras called Sastra Darpana The tenets of Advaita Vedanta as embodied in the Brahma Sutras are very faithfully reflected in this Darpana (Mirror) It is in the form of lectures on each Adhikarana of the Brahma Sutras Amalananda has written a commentary on Padmapada's Panchapadika also, called Panchapadika Darpana He has been referred to by Madhusudana Saraswathi in his Advaita Siddhi and by Appayya Dikshita in his Siddhanta Lesa Sangraha. Appayya Dikshita has written Parimala, a commentary on Kalpataru Lakshmi Nrisimha has also written a commentary on Kalpataru called Abhoga There are other commentares also on Kalpataru

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Sri Harsha

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Sri Harsha is another important writer on Advaita He the author of Khandana Khanda Khadya This is said to one of the important works on Advaita Dialectics It has be composed mainly for refuting the doctrines of the Sunyana vac and Naiyayikas Sri Vidyaranya and Madhusudana Sarasw refer to this work in their own works Sri Harsha was the sc of Hira-panditha and Mamalla Devi He seems to have be the native of Kanouj (Kanya Kubja) and to have lived duir the 11th century Chitsukhacharya has written a commental on Khandana Khanda Khadya Besides Chitsukha's ther are about 11 more commentaries on this work Sri Harsha he written nine other works

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Sri Ananda Bodha .

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Sri Ananda Bodha is another well-known ex-ponent o Advaita He is the disciple of Vimuktatman, the author o Ishta Siddhi One of the five interpretations of Mithyatva i attributed to him He quotes from the Ishtasiddhi of Vimuk tatman In one context he says, " This has been said by thi guru , (Eadevoktam Gurubhihi)" He is the author of Nyay Dipavali, Nyaya Makaranda, also called Nyayapadesa Maka randa, Pramanamala and Sabda Nirnaya Vyakhya His Nyay Makaranda is intended to demolish the arguments of the Naiyayikas He frequently refers to Vachaspathi Misra, and is himself referred to by Madhusudana Saraswati Chitsukha ha written commentaries on Nyaya Makaranda and Pramanamala Sri Sukaprakasa, a disciple of Chitsukha has also written commentary on Pramanamala. His Nyaya Dipavali has been commented upon by Amritananda Yogi and Sukaprakasa also

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Sri Anandanubhava :

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Sri Anandanubhava is a writer of great antiquity He is known to have composed Nyayaratna Dipavali and Padartha Nirnaya The former refutes the views of Naiyayikas and the latter those of the Vaiseshikas Both of these works have been commented upon by Anandagiri and the later alone has been commented upon by Atmaswarupa Bhagavan

Sri Chitsukhacharya

Sri Chitsukhacharya is another important and authoritative writer on Advaita. He was the disciple of Jnanottama and the Guru of Suka Prakasamuni. He has written several works, the most important of them being Tattva Pradipika, also known as Tattva Dipika. This work refutes the objections raised against the Advaitic Doctrines by the dualists, such as the Tarkikas. The arguments raised herein provoked a reply from the Mdhwas V yasaray a wiote Nyayamrta refuting the arguments advanced in the Tatwa Pradipika. Besides the Tatwa Pradipika, Chitsukha has written thirteen other works.

Sri Sankarananda

Sri Sankarananda was the disciple of Anantatman and Vidyatirtha and was the Guru of Bharati Krishna Tirtha and Vidyaranya. He seems to have been a native of Madhyarjun a, also known as Tiruvidaimarudur in Tanjore District. He was the son of Vanchesa and Venkatasubbamma. He was associated with Vidyaranya in the establishment of some new Mathas affiliated to the Sringeri Matha. His important work is Atmapurana, known as Upanishad Ratna, containing the essence of the Upanishads in verse in the form of anecdotes. Besides Atmapurana he has written dipikas on about 27 Upanishads.

Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha.

Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha was the disciple of Sri Sankarananda and of Sri Vidyatirtha. In his Purvasrama he was the brother of Madhava, who afterwards became Sri Vidyaranya. His works are (1) Vaiyasika Nyayamala (probably in collaboration with Sri Vidyaranya), (2) Vakya Sudha Vyakhya and (3) Vratakala Nirnaya.

Sri Vidyaranya

Sri Vidyaranya was the name assumed by Madhavacharya when he entered Sanyasasrama. He was the son of Mayana and Srimati and the brother of Sayana and Bhoganadha. He belonged to a family of Karnataka Brahmins. In medieval Sanskrit literature Sri Vidyaranya occupies a unique place. He stands second only to Sri Sankaracharya. He became the

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of the Sringeri Matha and was in a sense the

render of the kingdom of Vijayanagar He was the Minı

and Counseller of three kings of the Vijayanagar Empire.

was called Karnatakı Simhasana Sthapanacharya He w

versatule genius His Bhashyas on the four Vedas, his Panc

dıka and Jivanmuktı Viveka are well known Among

other works are (1) Anubhutı Prakasıkı, (2) Panchak

Vıttarı, (3) Brahmavid Asııvadapaddhatı, (4) Mahaval

Vıvaranım, (5) Vakya Sudha, (6) Vivaranaprameya Sangra

(7) Brhadaranya Varıkı Sara, (8) Nrsimha Tapını Upanısh

Dıpıkı, (9) Altareya Upanıshad Dıpıkı and (10) Paras

Madhavıya

Sri Nrsimhasramı

श्री नरसिंहसरमः

Sri Nrsimhasramı is another important writer on Advait

He lived in the IIth century and was the disciple of Sri Girv

nendra Saraswathı and Jagannadhasramı Appayya Dıkshı

refers to him in his Siddhanta Lesa Sangraha His works are

(1) Advaita Dıpıkı, (2) Vedanta Tattva Viveka, (3) Tattı

Viveka Dıpanı also called Advaita Ratna Kosa, a commentar

on his own work Vedanta Tattva Viveka, (4) Advaita Siddhant

Vaiıyanthı, (5) Tattvam Padartha Prakasa, (6) Vedanta Ratn

kosa being a commentary on Padmapada's Panchapadıkı

(7) Bhavaprakasıkı, being a commentary on Prakasatman's

Panchıpadıkı Vivırana, (8) Bhedadhıkkara and six othe

works Nrsimhasramı was the Guru of Dharmaraja Adhwarı

the author of Vedanta Parıbhasha There are about eighı

commentaries on Tattva Viveka and six commentaries on

Bhedadhıkkara

Sri Dharmaraja Adhwarı :

श्री धर्मराज अध्वरी

Sri Dharmaraja Adhwarı is also a well-known Advaitıc

writer His Vedanta Parıbhasha is a standard work on Advaita

Vedanta, and all students of Advaita Philosophy are expected

to read it before studying other books on Advaita It deals

with the technique of Advaita Vedanta expounded in the

manıkkam in the Tanıore District and was a contemporary of

Appayya Dıkshıta Ramakrishna, the son of Dharmaraja

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

Adhwari has written a commentary on his father's Vedanta Paribhasha called Sikhmani. Anantha Krishna Sastri of the Calcutta University has also written a commentary on the same. There are six other commentaries on the Vedanta Paribhasha. Besides Vedanta Paribhasha Dharmaraja Adhwari has written (1) a commentary on Padmapada's Panchapadika and (2) Tarka Chudamani, a commentary on Gangesopadhyaya's Tattwa Chudamani. He is also reported to have written a commentary on a work of Sasadhar Appayya Dikshita.

Appayya Dikshita

Appayya Dikshita occupies a place among the few top-ranking writers on Advaita. He was proficient in all branches of learning and so versatile was his genius that he, like Vachaspati Misra, adorned whatever he touched. There is hardly any important branch of Sanskrit literature which Appayya Dikshita has not embellished with the flashes of his brilliant intellect. He was born in Adayapalam, a village near Kanchi. He was the son of Rangarajadhwari, the author of Advaita Mukura also called Advaita Vidya Mukura. Appayya Dikshita describes himself as the son of Rangarajadhwari, 'Advaita Vidyacharya'. He lived at Vellore under the patronage of Chinna Bomma. He was the teacher of Bhattoji Dikshita, the author of Siddhanta Kaumudi, the standard work on Grammar. Appayya Dikshita lived to a very old age. He shuffled off his mortal coil at Chidambaram in his 72nd year. He is the reputed author of 104 works covering all branches of learning. He has written a commentary called Parimala on Amalananda's Kalpataru (itself a commentary on Vachaspati Misra's Bhamati) and has also written an independent work on Brahma Sutra called Nyayarakshamani. He has also written a commentary called Sivarkamani Dipika on Srikanta Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras according to Saiva Visishtadvaita. Among his other works are (1) Kuvalayananda (2) and Chitramimamsa, (both Alankara Granthas), (3) Yadavabhyudaya Vyakhya (commentary on Vedanta Desika's Yadavabhyudaya), (4) Mayukhavali (a commentary on Sastra Dipika), (5) Nyayamuktavali, a vrtti on Brahma Sutras according to the Madhva School, (6) Naya Mayu-

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Malika, a vrtti on Brahma Sutras according to the Ramanuja School) (7) Naya Mani Mala, (a vrtti on Brahma Sutras according

to Srikantha School), (8) Naya Manjari, (a vrtti on Brahma Sutras according to the Advaita School), (9) Siddhanta Lakṣaṇaḥ, discussing the doctrines of the various sub-schools

Advaita, (10) Andalaharī, explaining the real meaning of Srikanṭha's Bhashya with a commentary on the same, (11) Ratna Prakaṣha with commentary, (12) Śivadvaita Nirṇaya,

(13) Sikharin Mala and its commentary (14) Sivatattva Viveka (15 & 16) Brahma Tarka-stava and its Vivarana, (17) Vidvanmaṇḍana and (18) Upakrama Upasamhara He has written

some works criticising the Ramanuja and Madhva Schools, a number of Stotras and miscellaneous works on Mimamsa Dharmasastra, Lexicon and Saivavisishtadvaita. He is said

to have written in all 104 works

Sri Bhattoji Dikshita :

Sri Bhattoji Dikshita, the great Grammarian, was the son of Lakshmidhara and brother of Rangoji Dikshita. He belonged to the Maharashtra country He was initiated into

Mimamsa and Vedanta by Appayya Dikshita, and as such is a direct disciple of Appayya Dikshita His work Tatwa Kaustubha is directed against the arguments of the Dwaitis He has

written several works on Advaita, Mimamsa, Dharma Sastras etc His works on Advaita are (1) Tatva Kaustubha (2) Advaita Kaustubha and (3) Tatva Viveka Dipana Vyakhyana

Among his works are 6 works on Grammar and 18 works on Dharma Sastras

Sri Anandagiri :

Anandagiri, also known as Anandajnana, was a native of the Chera Country He was the son of Suryanarayana He generally offers his obeisance to Vishnu in all his works

In his purvasrama he was known as Janardana and wrote a work called Tatwaloka under the guidance of Anubhutiswarupa. He later became the disciple of Suddhananda

the 14th century He was a prolific writer As a commentator par excellence, he has acquired a very great reputation He

BRAHMADVAITA Qr THF. UPANISHADS

has written commentaries on all the Bhashyas of Sri Sankara-charya besides commentaries on the works of some other authors also In addition he has written many independent works He is referred to by Prajnananda in his commentary on Tatwaloka, by Mahadeva Yatindra the Naiyayika, by Sesha-saranga Dhara, the commentator of Udayana's Lakshanavritti and by Sivaditya in his Saptapadarthi, Ramananda Saraswati and Sadananda Vyasa Besides his commentaries on Sri Acharya's Bhashyas he has written commentaries on Sureswara's Brhadaranyaka and Taittiriya Varthikas, Panchikarana Varthika, Atma Jnana Upadesa Vridhi, Upadesa Sahasri and Vakya Vritti of Sri Sankaracharya, Padartha Tatva Nirnaya, Nyaya Ratna Dipavali, Swarupa Vivarana and Upasadana.

Besides these commentaries he has written independent works namely Tarkasangraha, Tatwaloka (written in his Purvasrama), and Mitabhashini Sankaravijaya, Satasloki Tika and Harimide-stotra Tika, are also attributed to him He has also written a commentary on Sarvajnathma's Pancha Prakriya

His work runs to about 75000 Granthas

Sri Akhandananda Muni :

Sri Akhandananda Muni was the disciple of Sri Akhanda-rubhuti He was the author of Tatvadipana, a commentary on Prakasatma's Panchapadika Vivarana and of Rju Prakasika, a commentary on Vachaspati Misra's Bhamati Besides these two works he has also written a commentary on Govardhana's Tarka Bhashya of Kesava Misra and Mahavishnu Puja Paddhati

Sri Madhusudana Saraswati

Sri Madhusudana Saraswati is an important author of Advaita works He is said to belong to the village of Kotali-palli in the Faridpur District in Bengal His original name was Kamala Nayana After studying Nyaya under one Sri Rama who is one of the three Gurus mentioned by him in his Advaita Siddhi and Gudarsha Dipika, he went to Varanasi where he was initiated into Sanyasa by Visweswara under the name of Madhusudana Saraswati The famous Hindi Poet

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Thulasidas was one of his intimate friends It was while he was staying at Varanasi that he wrote most of his works He sincerely believed that the Advaita Philosophy as propounded by Sri Sankaracharya, and developed by later writers like Sureswaracharya, Vachaspati Misra, Chitsukha, and other writers was the only legitimate message of the Upanishads He has also tried his best to establish that doctrine in his Advaita Siddhi and Siddhanta Bindu He attained Siddhi at the advanced age of 105 at Haridwar. His most important works are Advaita Siddhi and Siddhanta Bindu In his Advaita Siddhi he refutes the argument of the Dwaita writer, Vyasaraya in his Nyayamritha which itself was written in refutation of the arguments advanced by Chitsukha in favour of Advaita in his Tatva Dipika Tatva Dipika itself is a rejoinder to an attack on Sri Harsha's Khandana Khanda Khadya One Rama Tirtha wrote a work called Tarangini attacking Advaita Siddhi. Sri Brahmananda Saraswati, in his Nyaya Ratna Mala, a commentary on Advaita Siddhi has very ably and logically refuted all the arguments against the Advaita doctrine in Ramatirtha's Tarangini There are several commentaries on Advaita Siddhi It is one of the works which have to be studied by all advanced students of Advaita Philosophy His Siddhanta Bindu is a commentary on the Dasasloki of Sri Sankaracharya This contains a digest of all the views of the leading luminaries of Advaita school on several important aspects of this Philosophy There are several commentaries on Siddhanta Bindu also Besides (1) Advaita Siddhi and (2) Siddhanta Bindu Madhusudana Saraswati has written about 17 other works of which the important are (1) Advaita Ratna Rakshana (2) Sarasangraha, a commentary on Sankshepa-sariraka (3) Gudarha Dipika, a commentary on Bhagavad Gita (4) Bhagavad Bhakthi Rasayana (5) A Tika on Pushpadanta's Siva Mahimnastotra (9) Prasthana Bheda.

With all his unshakable conviction in Advaita Philosophy, he was nevertheless a great devotee of Sri Krishna of Brindavana and he realised the absolute Brahman of Advaita in that Blue Effulgence (Nilam Mahaha) that sports on the banks of the Yamuna

'ध्यानावस्थिततद्गतेन मनसा यत्नितरामण निष्क्रयं ज्योति: किंचन योगिनो यदि परं पश्यन्ति पद्मान्तु ते। अथाकन्तु तदेव लोचनचमत्काराय भूयाचिरं कालिन्दीपुलिनोदरे विमपि यद्वील महो धावति ॥'

Sri Brahmananda Saraswathi

Sri Brahmananda Saraswathi was also an important writer on Advaita Philosophy He is popularly known as Gauda Brahmananda He was the disciple of Sri Narayana Tirta A versatile writer, he has written important and authoritative works on Advaita No study of Advaita Philosophy is regarded as complete until one has studied Brahmanandiyam, his brilliant commentary on Madhusudana Saraswati's Advaita Siddhi As has been mentioned already (Vide supra) one Ramatirtha, a Dwaitin, wrote Tarangini attacking Madhusudana Saraswati's Advaita Siddhi Brahmananda effectively refuted all the arguments of Ramatirtha in his Laghu Chandrika, and Guruchandrika, both commentaries on Advaita Siddhi and defended the unassailability of Advaita Besides the two works above mentioned he has written (3) Bindu Tika, being a commentary on Madhusudana Saraswati's Siddhanta Bindu, (4) Vedanta Sutra Mukta-vali, a treatise on the Brahma Sutras (5) Isavasya Slokartha (6) Isavasya Upanishad Rahasya (7) Mundakopanishad Rahasya and (8) Mimamsa Rahasya It appears that Brahmananda studied Vedanta under Svaramendra Saraswati in Kanchi Mandala That is why he is generally known as 'Gouda Brahmananda in the South to mark him as one hailing from Gauda Desa It is not usual to refer to a person belonging to a particular part of the country with the name of that country appended to his name unless he is a stranger in the country

Sri Achyuta Krishna Tirtha.

Sri Achyuta Krishna Tirthawas the disciple of Swayam-prakasananda Saraswati He is the author of (1) a commentary on Appayya Dikshita's Siddhantalesa Sangraha called Krishna-lankara, (2) a commentary on Bhashya Ratna Prabha and

(3) a commentary called Vanamala on Sri Sankaracharya Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashya He has also written an indepe

Sri Advaitananda Saraswati

Sri Advaitananda Saraswati was the author of a goo commentary on Sri Sankaracharyaj's Brahma Sutra Bhashy called Brahma Vidyabharana This is a commentary which iegarded next in importance only Bhamati, Nyayanirnayc and Ratnaprabha Advaitananda was the disciple of Rama nanda Tirtha and Bhumananda Saraswathi He says his wor is only an abridgment of a more elaborate commentary by hi teacher Ramananda Tirtha His other works are Adhyatm Chandrika and Atmabodha Tika

Sri Anubhutiswarupacharya.

Sri Anubhutiswarupacharya is the author of many Advaiti works Sri V Raghavan of the Madras University opines tha he is the same as the author of Prakatartha Vivarana, . commentary on Sri Sankaracharya's Brahma Sutra Bhashya The author of Prakatartha Vivarana is said to have commenter on all the Upanishads But only some of them are availabli now Anubhutiswarupa's works are (1) Prakatartha Vivarana (2) Pramana Ratnamala Vyakhya, (3) Gowdapadiya Bhashyi Tippani, (4) Gaudapadiya Viveka, (5) Chandrika, a commentary on Nyaya Dipavali, (6) Nyaya Makaranda Vyakhya, (7) Bhagava Gita Bhashya Tippanam and (8) Saraswata Prakriya (Grammar) He is the Guru of Janardana, who afterwards became Ananda giri. He seems to belong to the south

Sri Amareswara Sastri.

Sri Amareswara Sastri states in the colophon to his work Bimba Drishti that he belonged to the Khambampatti family and to Bharadwaja Gotram He quotes in his work Vachaspati Misra. Nothing further is known about him His works are (1) Ajnana.dwanta Chanda Bhaskaram (2) Advaita Ratna-prakasa, (3) Avidya Pisachi Khandanam (Bhanjana) (4) Jivaraja Vijaya, (5) Proudhanubhava (6) Bimba Drishti Vichara, (7) Vasana Pratiharadasaka, (8) Atmatirtha, (9) Dakshinamurthi

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

Vilasa, (10) Maha vakyartha Vichara, (11) Vichitrasataka and (12) Vedanta Bheri Bhankara

Sri Krishna Misra

Sri Krishna Misra

Krishna Misra is the author of Prabodha Chandrodaya. He seems to belong to Khajuraho in the Chandella Principality in Rajastan which was also known as Jajbhukti The Prabodha-chandrodaya is an allegorical drama written at the instance of one Gopala Krishnamisra seems to have been a contemporary of Kirtivarman (1060 -1100 A D.) It is said that he wrote this work to inculcate Vedantic ideas into the mind of one of his disciples who was rather worldly-minded

Sri Anandapurna Vidyasagara

Sri Anandapurna Vidyasagara

Sri Anandapurna Saraswati, is a disciple of Abhayananda Saraswati His name in his Purvasrama seems to have been Vidya Sagara He has written commentaries on (1) Khandana Khanda Khadya, (2) Panchapadika, (3) Brahma Siddhi, (4) Panchapadika Vivarana, (5) Mahavidya Vidambana (Nyaya) (6) Moksha Dharma of Maha Bharata and (7) Nyaya Chandrika, and an independent treatise on Vaiseshika system. He is the author of an unknown work Brihadaranyavartika-tika, referred to by Nandi Gopa in his commentary on Prabodha Chandrodaya Nataka (p 204 N S Edn )

Sri Upanishad Brahmendra Saraswathi

Sri Upanishad Brahmendra Saraswathi

Sri Upanishad Brahmendra Saraswathi, generally known as Upanishad Brahmendra was the disciple of Sri Vasudevendra Saraswathi He was one of the pontiffs of the Upanishad Brahmendra Mutt at Kancheepuram He is a prolific writer He has written commentaries on all the 108 Upanishads. Probably that is the reason why he is commonly known as Upanishad Brahmendra His original name seems to have been Ramachandrendra Saraswati At the end of his Muktiko-panishad Vyakhya he says that his father Sivakameswara wanted to write commentaries on the 108 Upanishads, that as he was not able to do so, Upanishad Brahmendra wrote the Vyakhyas, that he was only the writer of the Vyakhyas and that Sri Rama had

3

SAINTLY STEERERS OF THE SHIP OF

them written by him He refers to three persons as having been instrumental in writing them Besides these commentaries he has written many other independent works Among them are (1) Mahavakya Ratnavali Vyakhyana Tattva Siddhanta Vritti (Kiranavali) (2) Paramadvaita Siddhanta Paribhasha, (3) Brahma Sutra Brahma Tattva Siddhanta Vritti, (4) Maha-vakya Ratnavali Prabhalochanam, (6) Linga Bhanga Mukti Sataka, (6) Bhagavatgita Vyakhya and (7) Tripat Tatwadi Saptha Prakarana

He enumerates, at the end of each of his works, the number of Granthas contained in it, probably to prevent interpolation From this enumeration it is found that his contribution to Advaita is astonishingly voluminous His writings come to about 45,000 Granthas

Sri Umamaheswara Sastri

Śrī Umāmaheswara Sastri

Sri Umamaheswara Sastri appears to hail from South India He belonged to the Vellala Family He says he was the disciple of one Appayya Sastri His works are (1) Tattva Chandrika also called Nirguna Brahma Mimamsa, a polemic work criticising the Ramanuja and Madhwa schools, (2) Virodhavarudhini, a similar polemical work, (3) Advaita Kamadhenu, and (4) Vedanta Siddhanta Sara

Sri Krishnananda Yati

Śrī Krṣṇānanda Yati

Sri Krishnananda Yati was the disciple of Ramabhadra Yati He was a great Advaita scholar He seems to have lived during the 17th century The most important of his work is Siddhanta Siddhanjanam wherein he discusses the various Siddhantas of the Advaita Teachers who preceded him Bhaskara Dikshita, one of his disciples, has written a commentary called Ratnathulika on Siddhanta Siddhanjanam His other works are (2) Vedanta Vadaratha (3) Brahma Tattva Subodhini (4) Sivatatva Ratna Malika and a commentary thereon (5) Anushana Paddhati

Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati

Śrī Gangādharendra Saraswati

Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati was the author of some important works on Advaita Not much is known about him

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

He has written (1) Swarajya Siddhi, (2) Kaivalya Kalpadruma, a commentaiy on his own Swarajya Siddhi, (3) Vedanta Siddhanta Sukti Manjari, (4) a commentary on Appayya Dikshita's Siddhanta Lesa Sangraha, (5) Pranavakalpa Vyakhya and (6) Siddhanta Chandrika Vyakhya

Sri Tryambaka Sastri

Sri Tryambaka Sastri

श्री त्र्यम्बक साष्ट्री

Sri Tryambaka Sastri is the disciple of Brahmananda Saraswati It is not clear if this is the same Brahmananda Saraswati as the author of Nyayaratnamala. He has written many Advaitic works His works are (1) Drigdrisya Pranidhanupatti Prakasa, (2) Prakrityadhikarana Vichara, (3) Pramana Tatwa, (4) Basavabadha, (5) Bhashyabhanu Prabha, a commentary on the Sariraka Bhashya of Sri Sankaracharya, (5) Sastrarambhasamarthanam, (6) Srutimataprakasa, (7) Srutimatanumanopapatti, (8) Srutimatodyota, (9) (Advaita) Siddhanta-vaijayanti and (10) Avidyalakshanahanupatti

Sri Narayana Tirtha (Saraswati)

Sri Narayana Tirtha (Saraswati)

श्री नारायण तीर्थ (सरस्वती)

Sri Narayana Tirtha was the disciple of Ramagovinda Tirtha He has written 2 works on Advaita namely (1) Vedanta Vibhavana Tika and (2) Siddhanta Bindu Tika His other works are commentaries on (3) Udayana's Kusumanjali, (4) Raghunatha's Didhiti, (5) Viswanatha's Bhshaparichcheda, (6) Sankhyatatwa Kaumudi, (7) Sankhya Karika, (8) Yoga Chandrika, (9) Yoga Sutra Vritti, (10) Bhakti Chandrika, a commentary on Sandilya's Bhakti Sutras, (11) Bhakthyadhikarana with commentary and (12) Vedastuti Tika This Narayana Tirtha is different from Narayana Tirtha, the author of Krishna Lila Tarangini and Bhattapribhasha He was initiated into Sanyasa by Sivaramatirtha He seems to have lived during the 18th century He was also the author of a Vartika on Brahma Sutra Sankara Bhashya He was also the Guru of Brahmananda Saraswati

Sri Govindananda Saraswati

Sri Govindananda Saraswati

श्री गोविंदानंद सरस्वती

Sri Govindananda Saraswati was the disciple of Sri Gopalananda Saraswati, himself the disciple of Sivarananda Saraswati He seems to have belonged to the Kanchi Mandala He is said to be the author of Ratna Prabha, the popular com-

mentory on Sri Sankaracharya's Brahma Sutra Bhrshya Vivaranopanyasa Ratnaprabha is one of the impor

commentaries on Sri Acharya's Brahma Sutra Bhashya an most widly read by students of Advaita all over India

the beginning of Ratna Prabha the author says that he belc to a Brahma Vidya Prampara which was blessed with Pay

by Sri Kamakshi Devı herself

कामाक्षीदत्तदुग्धप्रचुरमुनुतमप्राज्यभोज्याधिपूज्य-

शृङ्गौरिनायकाभिप्रणतनशिवरामार्यलब्धातमगोधैः ।

श्रीमद्गोपालगीर्भिः प्रकटितपरमाद्वैतभासासमित्तासु

श्रीमद्वाचस्पतिचिन्तामणिचरणकमलगोनिर्वृतोऽह यथालिः ॥

Here the author says that he is the disciple of Govindanan a disciple of Gopalananda, himself a disciple of Sıvaramanar

who drank the Divine Payasa given to him by Sri D Kamakshı Though it is said in the colophon to Ratna Prab

that Govindananda is the author of Ratna Prabha, it cannot his work because the author says that he is the disciple

Govindananda The work is generally spoken of as Ran nandıya and the author of the work says at the beginning

his commentary on the 4th Adhyaya, ' Ramanamasmi (Rat is my name)' Further Ramananda is the author of Vivaran

panyasa, a treatise on the Brahma Sutras In the beginning that work also he repeats the sloka ' Kamakshı Dugdha ' t

same that we find in Ratnaprabha and in the colophon also it saıd ' by Ramananda, the disciple of Govindananda ' Bal

krishnananda, the author of Sarıraka Mimamsa Bhash Varlhika, a disciple of Sridharananda, whose Paramaguru w

Sıvaramananda already mentioned, also refers in his Vartika the fact that Sıvaramananda was blessed with Paramanna

Payasa by Sri Kamakshı Devı herself

पुरः काञ्चीनाम्या विमलमणिदीपायितवपु।

पुरा मोजमोजं परमपरमान्नं प्राणिहितम् ।

परस्या ध्रुवचिच्छक्तिकेतुलदयया तुन्दिलतरः

पुरस्तान्मे नित्यं स्फुरतु शिवरामो यतिपतिः ॥

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

Kanchipura, the Kamakotipuri of the Bhagavata, is, as everyone knows, the place of Kamakshi, the Brahma Vidya Swarupini It is stated in the Kenopanishad that Uma Haimavati appeared before Indra and taught him Brahma Vidya It was at Kanchi that Sri Sankaracharya inscribed and consecrated Sri Chakra in the Kamkshi Temple, and thus established the Kamakoti Peeta, for the propogation of Brahma Vidya The important tenet of Brahma Vidya is the realization of the identity of all individual souls with the Supreme Atma or Paramatma Sri Mukakavi, in his out-pourings of Panchasati (500) eulogising Kamakshi expresses this idea clearly in his verse,

पेश्योमिन्दुमौलेरेकात्म्यप्रकृतिकाष्ठिमःयगतम् । एन्दवकिशोरशेखरमेदमप्यं चक्राक्षि निंगमानाम् ॥

Here he clearly says that the original source of Brahma Vidya Aikathmya (ईकृत्म्य), the idea of the identity of the Jivatma and Paramatma, resides in the centre of Kanchi The seed of Advaita thus sown in Kanchi has born excellent fruits in that we see Kanchi and its neighbourhood have produced many prominent writers on Advaita whose works are the most outstanding works on Advaita even to this day We have already mentioned the names of Govindananda and Balakrishnananda Balakrishnananda, also called Abhinava Dravidacharya, says that he belongs to Srutinagara, which is probably the same as Vedapuri (Vedapura), the modern Tiru-ottu-oor, the headquarters of the Cheyyar taluk in the North Arcot District. We find that Purnananda Saraswati, also called Anandapurna, the author of a commentary on Sri Harsha's Khandana Khanda Khadya and Mandana Misra's Brahma Siddhi and other important Advaitic works, Svaramananda Saraswati (mentioned in the two verses quoted in the beginning of this section,) who is reputed to be the author of a commentary on Madhusudana Saraswati's Advaita Siddhi, Narayananandi Saraswati also known as Narayana Tirtha, the disciple of Govindananda Saraswati and the author of the Prose-varthika on the Brahma Sutras, Krishnananda Saraswati (Senior), disciple of Rama-nanda Saraswati and the author of a commentary on Ratna Prabha, Brahmananda Saraswati (Gauda) generally known as

Gauda Brahmananda, author of Laghuchandrika and chandrika, the most authoritative commentaries on N sudana Saraswati's Advaita Siddhi, Nyayaratnamala, F Sutra Muktawali, Advaita Siddhanta Vidyotana and other Krishnananda Saraswati (Junior), author of Siddhanta Su janam, all these great authors, as well as Purushottama Sar- Gopalananda Saraswati, Sridharjnanda Saraswati, Sv prakasananda Saraswati, and Ramananda Saraswati (T all these belong to this same Guruparampara Thus v that this Parampara consists of important Advaitic at The sanyasis of the Advaita Sampradaya are generally d into ten different orders, Tirtha, Asrama, Vana, Aranya, Parvata, Sagara, Puri, Bharati and Saraswati The Sar Sampradaya consists of two orders Ananda Saraswati and Saraswati We have already seen how the Kanchi Ma has produced many eminent Sanyasis belonging to Ananda saraswati order Among the Sanyasis of the

Saraswati order to which the Kanchi Kamakoti Peeta be Upanishad Brahmendra Saraswati, the author of commen on all the 108 Upanishads, Sadasiva Brahmendra Sar the author of Atma Vidya Vilasa, Brahma Tatva Prak (a vrtti on Brahma Sutras) and Siddhantha Kalpa Girvanendra Saraswati, the author of Prapanchasara Sang Gangadharendra Saraswati, the author of Swarajya Si Advaitanandendra Saraswati, the author of Brahma V bharana, a commentary on Sri Sankaracharya's Brahma . Bhashya, Bodhendra Saraswati, the author of Ad Bhushana, another commentary on Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Vasudevendra Saraswati, the author of Tatwa Bodha, Pr Tatwa Prakasika and Vasudeva Mananam are some of authors belonging to the this order Sanyasis of this I Saraswati order are found even now on the banks of Kaveri, the Palar, the Krishna and the Godavari It ap from an inscription in Varadaraja Swami Temple that there in Kanchipuram a Mutt belonging to the order of 'Sagar An inscription on the inner face of the west gopura, norti side, in the Varadaraja Temple dated saka 1300, Kalavi Margali, 2nd corresponding to November 27, 1378 in the re

of the Vijanagara king, Hariyanna Udaiyar registers the grant

of the village of Iluppaipattu as Sarvamanya to the Ascetic Sri

Vedendrasagara Sipada of the Veda Mata in the Perumal

Koil at Kanchipuram to meet the Biksha expenses of the Swami

Brahmananda Saraswati was also called Gaudabrahmana

nanda Probably he was so called because he belonged to

Gaudadesa and came to the south in order to study Sastras

under Sivaramanandendra Saraswati who as already stated was

blessed with Payasan by Kamakshi It is not usual to refer to

a person residing in a particular part of the country with the

name of that country appended to his name unless he is a

stranger in that country Similarly Balakrishnananda is called

Abhinava Dravidacharya (the previous Dravidacharya being one

who belonged to the pre-Sankaracharya period,) because as he

himself says he was travelling in the northern parts of the

country like Prayaga, Banares and Kailasasrama where he says

he finished various portions of his varthika The same analogy

may be applied to the case of Gaudapadacharya and the (pre-

Sankaracharya) Dravidacharya

Sri Sarvajnatma, the author of Sankshepa Sariraka, in the

beginning of his work, pays respects to Sankaracharya in the

following sloka

वक्तारमासाद्य यमेव नित्या

सरस्वती स्वार्थसमन्वितासीन् ।

निरस्तदस्तर्ककलङ्कपङ्का

नमामि तं शङ्करमाचार्यश्रीम्'॥

Though the meaning of the word Saraswati in this sloka is

Saraswati, the mere word 'Saraswati' is also suggestive of

the fact that the Saraswati order, one of the ten orders of the

Sanyasis of the Advaita Sampradaya, was specially associated

with Sri Sankaracharya *

*Once Sureswaracharya, the foremost disciple of Sri Sankaracharya

developed a boil in his head All human treatment failed to cure the

same In his boundless love for his disciple Sri Sankaracharya sent

for the Aswins, the doctors of the Gods They came at his call and

Sureswaracharya was completely cured Indra, the King of the

The Guru of Madhwacharya was one Akshobhya Tirtha belonging to the Tirtha Sampradaya That is why Madhwacharya :s known as Ananda Tirtha and the Sanyasis of his Sampradaya belong only to this order of "Tirthas" The Guru who initiated Krishna Chaitanya belonged to the order of "Puris," his Guru being Iswara Puri)

Sanyasis according to the Advaita view consist of four classes Kutichaka, Bahudaka, Hamsa and Parama Hamsa The first two have Tridandas But as these two are believed to have been prohibited in this age, there are no Tridanda Sanyasis among them now That the Tridanda Sanyasis belong to the Advaita Sampradaya has been spoken to by the Tamil Commentator Nachinarkkiniyanar in his commentary on Kali-thogai

Curiously enough in the second Ashtaka, 6th prasna, of the Krishna Yajur Veda accidental mention of the words Saraswati and Indra and vice versa occurs in more than one place In some of them the Aswini Devas and words denoting healing are also associated with the names Indra and Saraswati

Sri Narayanasrami

Sri Narayanasrami was the disciple of Ramananda Saraswati. He has written commentaries on I Prasna, 2 Brahmavidya,

Gods, got angry with the Aswins for leaving the Kingdom without his permission and huried his famous weapon Vajra against the Acharya The weapon scarcely reached the Acharya's presence when it sudd'nly lost its force and the weapon itself broke into thousand pieces, even as the arrows of Viswamitra had broken before the Brahmadanda of Vasishta, the mighty sage and the Guru of Sri Ramachandra India at once flew into this world and fell at the feet of Sri Sankaracharya and prayed to be forgiven Indra begged the world--teacher to do him the favour of appending the title Indra to his name and accepting the insignia of his office as the king of the gods. Sri Sankara gave the title and insignia to his first disciple Sureswaracharya The following verse from a work called Vasana Deh Stuthi also supports this incident

यो वै मध्दर्नामश्रविद्यादधिपम्य्यपाद्य सन्यासिता । तन्मूर्धि वयमनप्तोदनविधावाकार्षिगणाधीशिनी ।। सौष्ज्य कलयांभवूण कुपितश्वेरद्रव वज्रायुध- चूर्णाकृत्सु पुनर्ददौ हरिपदे चक्र तमेन भजे ।।

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

3 Kshurika, 4 Chulika, 5 Atharvasiras, 6 Atharvasikha, 7 Garbha, 8 Maha, 9 Brahma, 10 Pianagnihotra, 11 Nadabindu, 12 Brahmabindu, 13 AmrtaBindu, 14 DhyanaBindu, 15 Thejobindu, 16 Yoga Sikha, 17 Yogatativa, 18 Nila Rudra, 19 Kalagni Rudra, 20 Aruni, 21 Narayana and 22 Paramahamsa Upanishads His commentaries are all based on the Advaitic doctrine of Sri Gaudapadacharya and Sri Sankaracharya

Sri Purnananda Tirtha

Sri Purnananda Tirtha has written many Advaitic works Nothing is known about him except the works written by him His works are 1 Advaita Makaranda Vyakhya, 2 Antahkarana Prabodha Tika, 3 Avadhuta Gita Tika, 4 Ashtavakra Gita Tika, 5 Atmajnanopadesa Tika, 6 Atmanatma Viveka Tika, and 7 Dakshinamurthi Stotra Tika

Śrī Purnanandā Tīrtha

Sri Balakrishnananda

Sri Balakrishnananda, also called Abhinava Dravidacharya, belongs to the Ananda Saraswati sampradaya of Advaita Sanyasis He was a disciple of Sridharananada, and was a contemporary of Krishnananda Saraswati, the author of Siddhanta Siddhanjanam Sri Brahmananda Saraswati, the author of Laghu Chandrika and Nyayaratnamala was the Vidyaguru of Balakrishnananda He refers to the place of his birth as Srutinagara This Srutinagara is probably the same as Vedapuri, otherwise known as Tiruvottiyur (Cheyyar Taluk) in the North Arcot District, sixteen miles to the south of Kanchi He seems to belong to the 17th century His works are commentaries on 1 Isa, 2 Kena, 3 Kata, 4 Chhandogya, 5 Prasna Upanishad and 6 Bikshu (Brahma) Sutra Bhashya Vartika. In his Vartika he has dealt with some topics not dealt with in the Bhashya He studied various branches of learning under various authors, namely Nyaya under Vasudevendra Saraswati, Jyotisha (Astronomy) under Swayamprakasatirtha, Vedanta under Brahma­nanda Saraswati, Kavyas under Venkatakavi Vyakarana under Nagoji Bhatta

Śrī Balakr̥ṣṇānanda

SAINTLY STIFFERS OF THE SHIP OF

Sri Bodhendrayati

श्री बोधेन्द्रयति

Sri Bodhendra Yati (Saraswati) was a disciple of Sri Girvanendra Saraswati and Sri Viswadhikendra Saraswati It is not clear if both these are one and the same In some of his works he gives his Guru's name as Girvanendra while in others he gives it as Viswadhikendra In his Purvasrama he was called Purushottama, and he belongs to Kanchi He says that his Guru Girvanendra presided over an Advaita Mutt (Vide Atma Bodhavyakhyana) In addition to his great learning in Advaita Philosophy he was a great Bhakta also He has written several works on Advaita and on the potency of God's name in securing salvation He attained Siddhi in Govindapuram near Tiruvidaimarudur in the Tanjore District and even now every year in the month of September his Aradhana is being celebrated there by devotees. His works are. 1 Advaita Bhushana, an epitome of Panchapadika Vivarana, similar to Viyaranopananyasa of Sri Vidyaranya, 2 A commentary on Sri Acharya's Atmabodha, 3 Hariharadvaita Bhushana, 4 Harihara Bheda Dikkara, 5 Namamrta Rasayanam and 6 Nama-mrtha Rasodayam He is said to belonging to the 17th century

Sri Bhaskara Dikshita

श्री भास्कर दीक्षित

Sri Bhaskara Dikshita seems to belong to the southern parts He was the disciple of Krishnananda Saraswati, the author of Siddhanta Siddhanjanam He was the son of Venkatapathi Yajwan He is mentioned as one of the donees of the Tiruvisanallur village grant by Raja Sarfoji, the first, who ruled Tanjore from 1684-1711 As far as known now, he is the author of Ratna Tulika, a commentary on Krishnananda's Siddhanta Siddhanjana Both the original work and the commentary are regarded as two of the important works on Advaita

Sri Yagneswara Dikshita

श्री यज्ञेश्वर दीक्षित

Sri Yagneswara Dikshita was the son of Konda Bhatta He has written a commentary on Panchapadika Vivarana called Panchapadika Vivaranojjivini He refers to Nrsimhasrami in this work His other works are 2 Prabha Mandala, a commentary on Sastra Dipika, 3 Alankara Raghava, 4 Alankara Suryodaya,

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

5 a commentary on Kavyaprakasa and 6 a commentary on Chitrabandha Ramayana

Sri Atmaswarupa Bhagavan

Sri Atmaswarupa Bhagavan was the author of Prabodha Parisodhini, a commentary on Padmapada's Panchapadika In this work he says that Aharya Sundara Pandya has written a Vartika He has also written a commentary on Padartha Tatwa Nirnaya of Anandanubhava

Sri Rangarajadhwari

Sri Rangarajadhwari was the son of Achan Dikshita of Adivapalam and was the father of the famous Appayya Dikshita He was a great teacher of Advaita His son, Appayya Dikshita in the colophon to his works says that he is the son of Rangaraja-dhwari, the Advaita Vidyacharya He has also written two other works, Advaita Vidya Mukura and Rupaka Paribhasha

Sri Ramachandra Saraswati

Sri Ramachandra Saraswati is the disciple of Vasudevendra Saraswati. He seems to have presided over the Upanishad Brahmendra Mutt, at Kanchipuram He has written many Advaitic works His works are 1 Tatwam Padartha Lakshya Sataka, 2 Tribhat Vibhutiyadi Prakarana, 3. Paramakshara Viveka, 4 Paramadvaita Darsanam, 5 Bhakti Swarupa Viveka, 6 Satthasamanya Viveka, 7 Siddhanta Slokatrayam, 8 Drgdrisya Prakaranam, 9 Mahavakya Ratnavali and 10 Vakya Sudha Tika It seems that he is also known as Upanishad Brahmendra

Sri Rama Tirtha

Sri Rama Tirtha was the disciple of Krishna Tirtha He belongs to the 16th century He is the author of several Advaitic works They are -1 Padayojana, a commentary on the Upadesa Sahasri of Sri Sankaracharya, 2 Manasollasa Vrittanta Vilasa, a commentary on Sureswaracharya's Mana-sollasa on Sri Sankaracharya's Dakshinamurthi Stotra, 3. Vastu Tatwa Prakasa, a brief recapitulation of Sri Sankara's Sarirka Bhashya, 4 a commentary on Vedanta Sara, 5 Sankshepa

Sarıraka Vyakhya, 6 Vakyartha Darpana and 7 Sarıraka Raha- syartha Tatwa Prakasika He is stated to have written a commentary on Maitreyi Upanishad

Sri Ramananda Saraswati

Sri Ramananda Saraswati was the disciple of Sri Rama- bhadra Saraswati He has written several works on Advaita They are 1 Tatwamas yakhandartha Nirupanam, 2 Panchikarana Tatparya Chandrika, 3 Laghu Vakyavritti Prakasa, 4 Vakya- suddha Tika and 5 Vedanta Siddhanta Chandrika

Sri Ramananda Saraswathi

Sri Ramananda Saraswati was the disciple of Sri Govinda- nanda Saraswati He seems to belong to the Kanchi Mandala. He is the author of Ratnaprabha, a commentary on Sri Sankara's Brahma Sutra Bhashya and also the author of Vivaranopanyasa

Sri Lakshmi Nrsimha

Sri Lakshmi Nrsimha was the son of Konda Bhatia He seems to have lived during the 17th century He is said to have entered the Sanyasasrama and attained Siddhi at Kottaiyur near Kumbakonam in Tanjore District He has written Abhoga, a commentary on Kalpataru, Amalananda's Commentary on Vachaspati Misra's Bhamati He has also written another work called Tarka Dipika

Sri Vancheswara

Sri Vancheswara was the son of Nrsimha He was the great- grandson of Vancheswara Sudhi, the famous author of Mahisha Sataka and the minister of the King Tukoji of Tanjore His ancestors were natives of Sahajirajapuram (Tiruvisanallur) near Tiruvidaimarudur in Tanjore District He was an inhabitant of Sahajirajapuram, a village granted for the benefit of Sanskrit Scholars by Sri Sahaji, King of Tanjore He had studied Mimamsa, Nyaya and Vedanta under Iswara, Srinivasa and Ahobila Pandita He belonged to a family of Karnataka Brahmins He seems to have lived towards the close of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century His important work on Advaita is Brahma Sutrartha Chintamani His other works are

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISIIADS

2 Bhattachintamani, a commentary on Bhatta Dipika (Mimamsa) ; Dattaka Chintamani, 4 Sraddha Chintamani (3 & 4 Dharmasastra), 5 Hiranyakesiya Srauta Sutra Vyakhya and 6 a commentary on Mahisha Sataka

Sri Vignanatman

Sri Vignanatman was the disciple of Jnanottama He was also called Vijnanasrama He has written a commentary on Padmapada's Panchapadika called Tatparyadyotini His other works are 2 Swetasvatara Upanishad Dipika, and 3 Narayana Upanishad Vivaranam He is also said to have written a commentary on Panchapadika Vivarana called Gudarha Dipika

Sri Vishnu Bhattopadhyaya

Sri Vishnu Bhattopadhyaya was the disciple of Swamindra Pujyapada His full name is Sarvajna Vishnu Bhattopadhyaya. He was the son of Janardana who afterwards became a Sanyasi under the name of Anandagiri He is the author of Rjuvivarana, a commentary on Panchapadika Vivarana He is referred to in Sarvadarsana Sangraha of Sri Vidyaranya

Sri Sivanarayana Tirtha

Sri Sivanarayana Tirtha has written a commentary on Sri Sankaracharya's Sarika Sutra Bhashya called Subodhini He has written also two other works called Panchakosa Manjari and Panchakrosa Yatra

Sri Sridhara Swami

Sri Sridhara Swamy is said to belong to the 15th century He has written a commentary on Sri Bhagavata called Bhavartha Dipika, 2 a commentary on the Bhagavat Gita called Subodhini, 3 a commentary on the Vedastuti in the Bhagavata (skanda 10) 4 a commentary on Vishnu purana called Atma Prakasa and 5 a commentary on Hari Bhakti Sudhoday All his commentaries are full of Advaita tenets only

Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra Saraswati

Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra Saraswati was a great Yogi. He belonged to the village of Tiruvisanallur near Tiruvidaima-

SAINTLY STIFFRERS OF THE SHIP OF

rudur in the Tanjore District He was the classmate of the famous Ramabhadra Dikshita and Sridhara Venkateswara Dikshita (famıliarly known as Ayyaval) He became a Brahma-jnani and many miracles are said of him. He was the Guru of the Pudukkottai royal family He attained Siddhi at Nerur on the banks of the Akhanda Kaverı and his Aradhana is celebrated there every year He belongs to the 18th century He was the disciple of Paramasivendıa Saraswati, whose Adhishtana is in Swetaranya (Tiruvenkadu) in Tanjore District He has written several works They are 1. Advaita Rasamanjari, 2 Atmavidya Vilasa, 3 Atmanatına Viveka Sangraha, 4 Parama-hamsa Charya, 5 Bodharya Prakaranam, 6 Brahma Tatva Prakasika, a Vritti on Brahma Sutra, 7 Sarvavedanta Sara-sangraha, 8 Siddhanta Kalpavalli, a poetic version of Appayya Dikshita's Siddhanta Lesa Sangraha, 9 a commentary on the above, 10 Yogasudhakaram (Yogasutra Vritti), 11 Gita Sundara and 12 Niyamanimala Besides these, he is said to have written commentaries on some of the Upanishads. He has also written some Kirtanas (songs) both Vedantic and devotional A work called Suta Simhita Sangraha is also attributed to him

Sri Swayamprakasa Muni

Sri Swayamprakasa Muni was the disciple of Sri Kaivalya-nanda and Sri Gopala Yogindra He seems to have been a contemporary of Sri Nrsimhasrami He is the author of 1 Atmanatma Viveka, 2 Ekaslokivyakhya 3 Tatwa Sudha, a commentary on Sri Sankaracharya's Dakshınamurthi Stotia, 4 Panchikarana Vivaranam, a commentary on Sri Sankara-charya's Panchikarana, 5 Rasabhiivyanjana, a commentary on Advaita Makaranda, 6 Haritatwa Muktawalı, 7 Hastamalaka Sloka Vyakhya and 8. Pramanadi Vibhaga Sloka vyakhya One of the Sishyas of Sri Swayamprakasa Muni has written a commentary on Bashya Ratna Prabha

Sri Bhaskaracharya

Sri Bhaskaracharya, was also called Bhaskararoya and Bhasurananda He was the son of Gambhıra Raya Dikshita and Konamba Devi He was born in Maharashstra country

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

After studying for some time at Kasi, he came to the south and settled on the Banks of the Kaverı in Tanjore District He studied sastras under one Gangadhara Vajapcyı of Tiruval-gadu He was one of the greatest votaries of Srı Vidya He attained a high proficiency in all the sastras as will be seen from his works His most important works are 1 Setubandha, a commentary on Nityashodhasıkarnava of the Vamakeswara Tantra, 2 Varivasy a Rahasya, 3 Sowbhagya Bhaskara, a commentary on Lalita Sahasranama 4 Ratnaloka, a commentary on Parasurama Kalpa Sutra and 5 Guptavathı, a commentary on Durga Sapta Sathı (1 to 4 works on Srı Vidya) Besides, he has written many works on Vedanta, Mimamsa, Dharma Sastra, Nyaya, Kavya, Prosody and many other subjects. But most of his works are known only by their names He was a good Advaitı In his Lalita Sahasranama Bhashya he pays respects to Srı Sankaracharya and in his Bhavana Upanishad Vyakhya he has quoted with approval Appayya Dıkshita's sloka ' Nityam Nirdosha Gandhan ', the first verse of Ratnatraya Parıksha, wherein it is said the difference of Dharma and Dharmi is due to Maya alone. Thus he seems to be a follower of. Vivartha Vada

Srı Govinda Dıkshta

Srı Govinda Dıkshita was a Karnataka Brahmin and is said to belong to Vijaynagara Kingdom He spent a greater part of his life as the minister of the Tanjore Nayak Kings He spent his last days in Pattisvaram, a village four miles to the south west of Kumbakonam in Tanjore District Hc was the Minister of Chevyappa Nayak, Achuthappa Nayak, and Raghunatha Nayak of Tanjore. He was well-versed in Vedic and Sastric lore as well as in Music and astrology It is not clear if he has written any work on Advaita but he is always referred to as " Advaita Vidyacharya" and seems to have been a great teacher of Advaita Rajachudamani Dıkshita in his Tantra Chudamani, a commentary on the Mimamsa Sutras of Jaimini referring to Venkata Makhi, the son of Govinda Dıkshita, says

श्रीमदद्वैतविद्याचार्यसर्वतन्त्रस्वतन्त्र ।। श्रीगोविन्ददीक्षितवरसूनोः

Yegnanarayana Dikshita, the son of Govinda Dikshita, in his Sangita Ratnakara refers to his father as Advaita Vidya vibhavavalamba

अद्वैतविद्याविभवावलम्बान् गोविन्ददीयज्चेन्द्रगुरुनुपासे ।

निर्मेष्य पडङ्करीनयने वियैव सारं ददते बुधाग्र्या: ॥

Venkata Makhı, the second son of Govinda Dikshita and the author of vartikabharana (a commentary on Kumarılabhatta's Tuptıka) and of the Musical treatise Chaturdandiprakasika says in one of his Gıtas begining "Arundhatı" that his father was "Sankara Avatara" and in his Gıta begining "Thathıtham Thımı Thımı Gıta" speaks of his father as "Sankara Munımatha Pratishthapana Kovidha"

शङ्करमुनिमतप्रतिष्ठापनकॊविद

(pages 950 and 755 of Sangıta Sath Sampradaya Pradarsinı, Ettıyapuram Edn ) thereby indicating that Govinda Dikshıta established the Advaita School of Sankara In his Chaturdandı-prakasika he says that his father had written a Musical work called Sangıta Sudha Nidhi In this work he calls himself as the son of Govinda Dikshıta, Advaita Vidyacharya

श्री अद्वैतविद्याचार्य श्री गोविन्ददीक्षित

..... तृतीयनन्दनस्य

वेङ्कटेश्वरदीक्षितस्य कृतौ चतुर्दण्डिप्रकाशिकायाम्

It is said that besides Sangıta Sudha Nidhi, Govinda Dikshıta has written a commentary on Kumarıla Darsana,

कुर्वन् ज्याक्रिययाडतिविश्रुतततं कौमारिले दर्श्नम्

गोता नित्यवीरसौ विजयते गोविन्ददीयाग्रणि:॰

(यज्ञानारायणदीक्षित रचुनाथविलासनाटके,)

a work on Astrology (referred to by the author of the Tamıl work Thandava Malai) and also a commentary on the Sundara Kanda of Ramayana But no work except Sangıta Sudha Nidhi (only quotation) by Govinda Dikshıta is available now Appayya Dikshıta in his Siddhanta Lesa Sangraha mentions one Advaita Vidya Acharya in four places Whereas he refers

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISADS

to other authors by name, he is referring to one author as

Advaita Vidyacharya without mentioning any other name

Perhaps this may refer to Govinda Dikshita

Sri Raju Sastri

Sri Raju Sastri, (Thyagaraja Makın) was the native of Man-

nargudi. He belonged to the family of Appaya Dikshita He

was a versatile scholar in all the Sastras He studied Tarka Sastra

under Narayana Yathundra and Muktalali under Gopalacharya

He studied Vyakaranam under Chinnanna Dikshita of Kumba-

konam, Mimamsa under Raghunatha Sastri of Kumbakonam

and Vedanta under Swayamprakasa Swami He is said to have

written about 30 Granthas, the important ones being Sadvidya

Vilasa teaching about Sadvidya of the Chhandogya Upanishad

and Nyayendusekhara, a criticism of Nyaya Bhaskaram, a

Vaishnava Grantha He was born in the year 1813, lived to

a very old age, and died in the beginning of the 20th century

Sri Ramasubrahmanya Sastri.

Sri Ramasubrahmanya Sastri, commonly known as Rama-

subba Sastri of Tiruvisanallur, was the son of Ramasankara

Sastri and the grandson of Aswathanarayana Sastri He was

a great Mimamsa scholar He lived towards the close of the

19th and the beginning of the 20th century He had a leaning

towards Vishnu He is the author of many works His

Vedanta works are 1 Sastraikya Bhanga Vada and 2 Chandrika

Khandana, a polemic work criticising Chandrika, a Dwaita

work He has written many works on Purva Mimamsa and

Dharma Sastra

Sri Subramania Sastri

Sri Subramanya Sastri was the son of Sri Ramaswami

Sarman He was born in the village of Kavasseri in Palghat

Taluk in Malabar Dt., in the year 1879 He studied Nyaya

under Angadipuram Subramanya Sastri in the Maharaja's

Samskrit College at Tiruppunithura, Vyakaranam in Kasi, and

Ganithasastras under Mundayal Nambudri in Nilambur He

then migrated to Karur where he died in 1947 He has written

a commentary on Bhamati of Vachaspati Misra, called Bhamati

Vivarana His other works are 2 Siddhanta Ratnamala, a commentary on Tarka Sangraha, 3 Ghatabhashya Vyakhya, 4 Sankhya Tatwa Kaumudi, 5 Yogavachaspthya Vyakhya, 6 Vyakarana Sutra Vritti and 7 Gunadinakariya Vyakhya Besides these he has written commentaries on all the 10 Upanishads except the Brhadaranyaka

Sri Karungulam Krishna Sastri :

Sri Krishna Sastri was born in a respectable family in Karungulam on the banks of the Tamraparan in Tinnevelly District (Madras State) He studied Nyaya and Vedanta under Sri Harihara Sastri at Chidambaram. He was sometime a teacher in Vedaranyam Sastra Patasala He held the post of the Advaita Sabha Pandit at Kumbakonam from 1912 to 1919 He was the Principal of the Chittur Patasala from 1919 to 1926 He became the Principal of the Sanskrit College, Mylapore, Madras in 1927 and held the post till 1938 He took sanyasa in 1939 and attained Siddhi in the same year He has written two Advaitic works, Brahma Sutra Anugunya Siddhi and Adhikarana Chatushtayi

In his Anugunya Siddhi he tries to prove by a consideration of only the words of the Brahma Sutra and without any extraneous authority, that the Brahma Sutras support only the Advaitic interpretation put upon them by Sri Sankara

Sri Anantakrishna Sastri :

Sri Anantakrishna Sastri is an important writer on Advaita Vedanta He was born in 1886 in Nurani in Palghat Taluk. After studying in the Chittoor Patasala, Cochin, he joined the Chidambaram Patasala and studied Vyakarana under Sri Harihara Sastri He then joined the Madras Samskrit College and studied Vedanta and Mimamsa under Panchapagesa Sastri and Venkatasubba Sastri He was for some time the principal of the Samskrit college at Kallidaikurichi He served as a Pandit at the Tirupati Samskrit College from 1911 to 1917 He then accepted the offer of a post of a lecturer in the post-graduate department at the Calcutta University and held that post from 1917 till his retirement in 1947. He has made a

BRAHMADVAITA OF THE UPANISHADS

critical study of all schools of Vedanta and is a fluent speaker in Samskrit He has written a commentary on 1 Brahma Sutra Bhashya called Prabha, 2 a commentary on Dharmaraja Adhwari's Vedanta Paribhasha and 3 a commentary on Karma-pradipa Besides these commentaries he has written independent works namely, 4 Vedanta Rakshamani 5 Advaita Dipika, 6 Advaita Marthandam, another polemic work 7 Vivaha Samaya Mimamsa, 8 Abdhi Yana Ninaya, 9 Mimamsa Sastra Sangraha, 10 Sanatana Dharma Pradipa, 11 Sowgandika Vimursa, another polemic work and 12 Suthab husham, in reply to Sathadusham of Ved antha Desika

Sri Bellamkonda Ramarayakavi

Sri Bellamkonda Ramarayakavi was a versatile writer of Andhra Desa He was born in the year 1875 in the village of Pamidipadu in the Narasaraopet Taluk in the district of Guntur He studied Vyakarana under one Purighalla Ram i Sastri and Nyaya under one Purighalla Subramamva Sastıı He is said to have been an ardent devotee of Srı Hayagrıva and it is said that his Vedanta knowledge was due to the grace of Srı Hayagrıva He was a great critic of the philosophy of Ramanuja He has written more than 100 works, some of them have been published, some unpublished, while many others are known only by their names His principal works are, 1 Bhagavad Gita Bhashyarka Prakasika, 2 Vedanta Kaustubha, 3 Sarıraka Chathussutrı Vichara, 4 Vedanta Muktalı, 5 Advaita Vıjaya, 6 Dehadehı Bhava Nirmulanam, 7 Trımata Samarthanam, 8 Advaitamıta, 9 Vedanta Sangraha, 10 Vedanta Dipika, 11 Vedanta Dinakara, 12 Vedanta Tatwamrıta, 13 Advaitanya-matha Khandanam and 14 Moksha Prasada

Ayyanna Dikshita

Ayyanna Dikshita was the disciple of Sridhara Venkateswara, otherwise known as Ayyaval of Tiruvisan illur near Tiruvidaı-marudur He seems to have been the son of one Venkatal avı, brother of one Alagırı Kavı He says he was an expert in Vina and also in Vedanta Sastra He seems to have lived in the middle of the 18th century He is the author of Vyasa Tatparya

52

Nirnaya In this work he raises the question " of the various interpretations put on Vyasa's Brahma Sutra by Sri Sankara, Bhatta Bhaskara, Yadavaprakasa, Ramanuja, Madhwa, Srikanta etc , which is the one that can be regarded as the real intention of Vyasa ?" In deciding this point, he adopts a new procedure He says that a proper decision in this case cannot be given by a consideration of the various Srutis, Yuktis and Bhashyas, and following the example of Vedanta Desika and Sudarsanacharya, he takes into consideration the opinion not only of those who are Madhyasthas (Neutrals), i e , who do not belong either to Advaita, Visishtadvaita, Dwaita etc, but also of critics of Vedanta, namely Kapila, Kanada, Gautama, Patanjali and Jaimini and also Pasupatas and Pancharatras and shows that Sri Sankara's Bhashya which is Advaitic should be regarded as the one that is after the heart of Vyasa In the 2nd Paricheda of the work he establishes the non-difference (Abheda) between Siva and Vishnu At Venkatagiri a Vidvat Sadas seems to have been held where he threw a challenge to the Pandits and established the correctness of his view

Sri Narakantirava Sastri and Ganapati Sastri were two Vedantic Scholars who lived at the close of the last and at the beginning of this century. Both of them are reported to have written many Advaitic works But very few of them scem to be available now

Sri Narakantirava Sastri was well-versed in Vedanta as well as Tarka and Alankara Sastras He was the Professor of Tarka and Alankara in the Venketeswara Sanskrit Patasala at Tirupati. He has written a god Tika on Vyasa Tatparya Nirnaya of Annayya Dikshita He seems to have been responsible for the printing and publication of Tatwa chandrika and Virodhavaruthini, two learned works on Advaita by Umamaheswara and was instrumental in getting published Mahakyarnavalí with its commentary Kiranavali and Tepata-chakrankana Vidhvansanam He was also the author of Yati Sarvabhaumopahana in praise of Sri Adi Sankara

Sri Ganapati Sastri was a native of Paingonadu, a village near Mannargudi in the Tanjore District. He studied Vya-

BRAHMADVAITA or THE UPANISHADS

karana, Tarka and Vedanta under Sri Raju Sastri of Mannargudi

He had a good power of composing poems even in his teens

and it is said that he wrote his Kataksha Sataka when he was

in his 17th year In the village of Konerrajapuram on the

banks of the Kirtiman lived a good Asthika gentleman named

Sambasiva Ayyar He established the Sri Vidva Press at

Kumbakonam and wanted to publish a series of Advaita books

under the title Advaita Manjari series For this purpose he

took the help of many Sanskrit Pandits of whom Ganapati

Sastri was one Sambasiva Ayyar wanted Ganapati Sastri to

come and settle at Konerrajapuram itself and teach students

there Ganapasi Sastri accordingly went and settled at that

village In Konerrajapuram, in addition to teaching he also

continued his own study of Vedanta under one Pazhavaneri

Swami One Kandamangalam Swami had written 2 books

"Drishti Srishti Vada" and "Advaita Siddhanta Guru Chan-

drika" He took his Advaita Siddhanta Guru Chandrika to

Raju Sastri and requested him to go through the work and

make any suggestion that he might consider necessary Raju

Sastri directed Ganapati Sastri to go through the same In the

year, 1905, the Head of the Dwaraka Peeta sent from Hubli a

set of seven questions in Vedanta to be answered by Pandits in

the land Ganapati Sastri sent his answers His answer was

decided to be the best and he was conferred the title of Vedanta

Kesari On account of his vast learning the title "Kachchapi

(Saraswati)" was also conferred upon him by Kerala Varma

He is reported to have written works on almost all subjects

But most of them are known only by their names Very few

are now available Among his works may be mentioned

(1) Mukura, a commentary on the Vaidikabharana (Published by

the Annamalai University), (2) Druva Charita,(3) Thatathaka

Parinayam, (4) Jiva Vijaya Champu, (5) Kataksha Satakam,

(6) Thuraga Sathakam, (7) Nairgunya Siddhi, (8) Gururaja

Sapthathi, (9) Kenopanishad Vrithi, (10) Isavasyopanishad

Vrithi, (11) Atha Sabtha Vicharam, (12) Partha Praharam,

(Vyakarana) and (13) Sariraka Mimamsa Rahasyam He is

said to have written about 100 works He was the Sabha

Pandit of the Advaita Sabha, Kumbakonam A small note on

"Sravana Vidhi Vakyartha" by Ganapati Sastri has been

5

54

SAINILY STI:RLLRS OF THE SHIP OF published in the Diamond Jubilee number of the Advaita Sabha Kumbakonam It is highly regrettable that whereas many of the works written prior to the 19 century are preserved to-day at least in manuscript form, many of the books written during the 19th century and later have been lost to us completely This seems to be due to the fact that as the earlier works were written mostly on Palm-leaves, they were carefully preserved while the later works have been written, most of them, on paper (note books) with a view to get them printed and when owing to some reason or other it was not possible to print them, the manuscripts, not being properly taken care of, have been destroyed