KIRAN ATMA

Hinduism - What Is A Yajnopavit?

The holy thread has another name in the term, Yajnopavit.

Look up the 'Sacred thread' for more information.

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Hinduism - What Are The Yajnavalkya?

Yajnavalkya or "remembered" writings, a genre of literature that is significant but not as authoritative as the shrutis, or "heard" scriptures.

This smrti is attributed to the sage Yajnavalkya and is an example of a Dharma Shastra, which were texts that prescribed principles for proper human conduct and ideal social life.

Unlike the Dharma Sutras, which are attributed to identifiable individuals, the Dharma Shastras are usually attributed to mythic sages in order to strengthen the authority of these texts.

There are around a thousand verses in the existing text, split into parts on religious custom (achara), justice administration (vyavahara), and expiation (prayashchitta).

The Yajnavalkya Smrti was the subject of numerous commentaries, one of which, the Mitakshara, was given the status of a legal code for the greater part of India during the British empire.

Estimates on its date of composition range from the first to the sixth century, but it is clearly later than the Manu Smrti because some parts of the middle section are far more developed.

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Hinduism - Who Is Considered The Author Of The Yajnavalkya Smrti?

Yajnavalkya is mentioned in the Upanishads, the theoretical books that make up the Veda's most recent textual layer, as a sage affiliated with King Janaka's court who was able to demonstrate that he had higher knowledge than the rest.

Based on the pattern of legendary ascription present in these works, he is also assigned as the author of the Yajnavalkya Smrti, one of the books that make up the dharma literature.

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Hinduism - What Does Yadunandana Mean? Who Is Considered Yadunandana?

The term means, "the Yadus' delight". This is the deity Krishna's epithet.

Krishna's clan was the Yadus, and he was their source of pleasure and joy.

Thus this name describes Krishna through the effect he has on his tribe.

Take a look at Krishna.

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Hinduism - Who Is A Yajamana?

("sacrifice's patron"). The yajamana was the person who commissioned the sacrifice and paid for its fulfillment, and therefore stood to profit from its expected benefits, according to the Vedas, the earliest Hindu religious literature.

This word distinguishes the connection between the priest and the patron: the former were erudite men and ritual technologists who understood how to execute elaborate sacrificial rituals, but they were reliant on the patronage of their sponsors for their subsistence.

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Hinduism - What Is Yajna?

Yajna is a Sanskrit word that means “sacrifice”.

The basic religious act in the oldest stratum of Indian religion was a fire sacrifice.

The Brahmana literature elaborates on this worship of sacrifice in considerable detail, portraying sacrifice as the mechanism by which the cosmos came into existence.

The sacrifice required highly skilled priestly technicians (rtvij), who were in charge of singing portions of the Rg, Sama, and Yajur Vedas, as well as creating and keeping the holy fire at the center of the sacrificial activity.

This sacrificial ritual was focused on burning items in a holy fire, which was thought to be the deity Agni, so that Agni might deliver the sacrifices to the other gods.

These ceremonies were so intricate and costly that they soon fell out of favor; by the turn of the common period, there was also a lot of skepticism regarding the animal sacrifices that were formerly a big element of many of these rites.

These old ceremonies are no longer practiced, but the term yajna may now be used to any ceremony involving the holy fire, especially one conducted by a brahmin for a patron.

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Hinduism - What Is The Hindu Practice Of Worship of Tools?

Ayudha Pooja is a ritual historically done by members of specific artisan communities on the festival of Dussehra.

There are two different charter stories associated with this celebration, both of which depict the victory of good over evil.

It is commemorated as the day when the hero Rama defeated the demon Ravana, as well as the Goddess's victory over a demon called Mahishasura.

For the craftsmen, such worship symbolizes the value of their instruments as a way of earning a living, and it is also thought that such propitiation would ensure prosperity the following year.

Weapons Worship is a term used to describe the worship of weapons.

On the holiday of Dussehra, a popular ritual among the warrior classes used to be performed (usually occurring within October and November).

There are two separate founding stories for this event, both of which celebrate the victory of good over evil.

It is commemorated as the day when the hero Rama defeated the evil Ravana, as well as the Goddess's victory over a demon called Mahishasura.

Given the martial tone of both charter stories, it's easy to understand how it'd be connected with soldiers and combat, and therefore a day to worship one's weapons as a symbol of the god.

According to traditional belief, any activity undertaken on this festival day would unfailingly succeed, hence Dussehra has long been a favorite day for military campaigns to begin.

Because Dussehra falls after the conclusion of the monsoon rains, when travel is practically impossible, it is also a good time from a strategic standpoint.

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Hinduism - Who Are The Yadava?

The tribe from whom the deity Krishna is claimed to have sprung and over which he reigned after establishing his dominion in the city of Dwaraka, according to Hindu legend.

Between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries in Indian history, the Yadava dynasty ruled the Deccan area in present Maharashtra.

This is the name of a specific jati in northern Indian culture, an endogamous social grouping organized (and whose social position dictated) by the group's hereditary vocation.

The Yadavas had a low social status in previous generations, but they have recently risen to prominence in politics—Mulayam Singh Yadav has twice been elected chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and has also served as India's defense minister; Laloo Prasad Yadav has served as chief minister of Bihar (either directly or indirectly through his wife) throughout the 1990s.

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Hinduism - Who Was Sir John Woodroffe?

Sir John Woodroffe (1865–1936) was a Calcutta High Court Justice who also translated and published writings on tantra, a hidden, ritual-based religious practice, under the alias Arthur Avalon.

Woodroffe was one of the early European proponents of tantra as a cohesive religious path, and he defended the texts' purportedly "impure" or "immoral" ceremonial actions.

In his tantric expositions, Woodroffe was attempting to persuade two audiences, both of whom were outraged by the licentiousness detailed in the tantric scriptures, which included breaking deeply established taboos on nonvegetarian cuisine, alcohol use, and illicit prostitution.

On the one hand, Woodroffe was speaking to the British, who were the political overlords of the moment, and on the other, educated Indians, many of whom would have dismissed the tantras as a fad.

Although more thorough academic work has been done since then, his publications and lectures were crucial in helping to make tantrism acceptable.

Representatives from major global religions, including Asian religions, were invited to the World Parliament of Religions Meeting in Chicago in 1893.

It was a turning point in the Euro-American perception of non-Christian faiths, when they were no longer dismissed as mere idolatry but were considered seriously as legitimate religious pathways.

It's also worth noting that many mainline Christian churches were not represented, with historically black congregations providing the majority of the Christian presence.

The presentation by Swami Vivekananda, in which Hinduism—in its logical, Vedantic form—was first seriously acknowledged by his Western hearers, was one of the highlights of the Parliament.

Vivekananda's charm was such that he spent the following four years in America, where he created the Vedanta Society in 1897.

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Hinduism - What Is The Treatment Of Women In Dharma Literature?

Women from all socioeconomic categories were deemed shudras in the dharma literature, which meant they couldn't have another child, couldn't hear the Vedas, couldn't execute certain religious ceremonies, and in many regions couldn't possess land or resources unless they were married to a shudra.

At the same time, as daughters, mothers, wives, and patrons, women played (and continue to play) a vital role in Hindu religious life.

Women had their own specific role to play in traditional dharma literature, depending on their position as women.

Also see stridharma.

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Hinduism - How Is Hindu Worship Practiced Or Expressed?

Hindu devotion may be described using two different terms, each with two different sets of assumptions.

Darshan ("seeing") is the original and most prevalent form of devotion, in which devotees (bhakta) stare at the god's image and think that the deity is also gazing at them.

Darshan is therefore an exchange of looks between the god and the devotee that conveys comprehension.

Puja ("homage") is the term used to describe worship with offerings and artifacts.

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Hinduism - What Is The White Yajur Veda?

This is one of the two principal versions of the Yajur Veda, one of the earliest Hindu holy writings, together with the Black Yajur Veda.

The most significant distinction between these two versions is the insertion of explanatory comments on the Vedic mantras and their significance.

The "White" Yajur Veda collects these observations in an appendix known as a Brahmana—specifically, the Shatapatha Brahmana, which gives the Vedic scriptures their name.

The four recensions of the Black Yajur Veda, on the other hand, incorporate these remarks in the text itself.

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Hinduism - What Is Attitude Towards Widows In a Hindu Society?

Given the traditional belief that a Hindu woman's primary function is that of a wife and mother, being a widow is seen as the worst tragedy that can befall a woman and is viewed as the karmic fulfilment of some heinous past act.

Because the basic idea of the marriage rite is that the bride's identity is amalgamated with the groom's, a woman without a spouse was seen to have lost her individuality.

Remarrying was also out of the question for her since she had already assumed her late husband's identity.

A lady was obliged to remove all the symbols of a married woman as soon as her husband died, including wiping red vermilion from her hair part, shattering her glass bangles, and, in southern India, cutting the thread on her mangal sutra.

She was banned to wear jewelry, colorful clothes, or other physical adornments for the rest of her life, was required to keep her hair trimmed short, and was required to dedicate herself to religious deeds in honor of her deceased spouse.

She was deemed an unhappy and unfavorable person since she had been widowed, and she was barred from any auspicious ceremonies, spending the rest of her life performing the domestic chores.

The practice of burning a widow on her husband's funeral pyre, known as sati, was popular in certain areas of India, although it was uncommon in others.

In reality, there was a lot of variance on this bleak image.

The age of a woman when she was widowed, whether she had children, and the social position of her husband's family were the most important determinants.

A widowed lady in her eighties would most certainly remain the family matriarch, a young widow with boys would keep her family status via her offspring, and even a child widow in a rich family might live a somewhat comfortable life, although with various constraints.

A widow's situation would be considerably more insecure if one or more of these characteristics were missing, and there is little question that many widows had tough lives in the past.

Even in contemporary times, a lady whose spouse dies early is often seen as unlucky and hence a source of ill luck.

One of the main aims of nineteenth-century Hindu reformers was to improve the situation of widows, and it has grown increasingly frequent for widows to remarry, despite the fact that some of the most traditional Hindus do not accept this.

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Hinduism - What Is Vayu Or Wind Among The Five Elements In Hinduism?

Vayu Or Wind is one of the five elements in Indian cosmology, along with earth, fire, water, and akasha.

Each of the elements is related with one of the five senses in certain philosophical traditions; here, wind is associated with touch.

Inside the body, the numerous "vital winds" (prana) are linked to a variety of biological activities, including respiration and circulation.

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Hinduism - How Prevalent Is Witchcraft In Contemporary Hindu Society?

Many sectors of contemporary Hindu society, including many "modern" urban Hindus, recognize the reality of witchcraft.

Malevolence, jealousy, and greed are the driving elements of witchcraft, and some individuals use them to hurt others or destroy what they have.

Witches may use spells, the evil eye (nazar), or pronounce curses on people to accomplish their goals.

Pregnant women and small children are supposed to be more vulnerable to their abilities, and these individuals are also thought to be more prone to be cursed, since jealousy over their good fortune is said to arouse a witch's rage.

The suitable countermeasure is to execute numerous rituals of protection, which will shield the individual from harm.

Witchcraft may manifest as an exceptionally prolonged disease or weird behavior in those who are affected; harsher cures are required for these folks.

The language of possession and exorcism may be regarded as a "idiom" (using traditional Indian cultural categories) for what contemporary psychiatrists could term the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, as Sudhir Kakar skillfully demonstrates.

Sudhir Kakar, Shamans, Mystics, and Doctors, 1991; and David F. Pocock, "The Evil Eye," in T. N. Madan (ed. ), Religion in India, 1991, for further details.

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Hinduism - Where Is West Bengal In India?

West Bengal is a state in modern India. After India's independence in 1947, the state of Bengal was partitioned into West Bengal and West Pakistan, the latter of which is today known as Bangladesh.

The majority of the state is located in the Ganges River delta's lowlands, however Darjeeling stretches into the Himalayas in the north.

Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal, served as the administrative hub of British India until the turn of the century.

It was also a hotbed of anti-British resistance and is now one of India's most important cultural and intellectual hubs.

Kalighat, in the center of Calcutta, as well as Dakshi neshwar, Tarakeshvar, Tarapith, and Navadvip, are all prominent holy places in West Bengal.

Christine Nivin et al., India, 8th ed., Lonely Planet, 1998, is an accessible reference for general information on West Bengal and all of India's provinces.

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Hinduism - What Is A Hindu Week In The Hindu Calendar?

The Hindu week, like the European calendar, has seven days.

Each day has a governing planet, is associated with one or more presiding deities, and is seen as more or less auspicious (in line with the overall Indian attitude toward time).

Tuesday and Saturday are the unluckiest days, since they are associated with the planets Mars and Saturn, respectively.

Monday (moon), Thursday (Jupiter), and Friday (Venus) are considered fortunate days since these planets are considered compassionate and strong.

Sunday (the sun) and Wednesday (Mercury) have no significant connections since, although benign, these bodies are nevertheless seen as having a limited impact.

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Hinduism - What Is The Status Of The Caribbean Hindu Diaspora?

The West Indies are a group of Caribbean islands having a sizable Hindu diaspora community.

They were sent to the West Indies as indentured agricultural workers, primarily on sugar plantations, as in many other instances, but have now stayed there long enough to become part of the local population.

Hindus have built temples and erected holy places (tirthas) on several of the islands, notably Trinidad, to connect their religious life to their local surroundings.

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Hinduism - Among The Five Elements Or Panchabhuta, What Is Water Or Jal Associated?

Water is one of the five elements in Indian cosmology, along with earth, fire, wind, and akasha.

Each of the elements is related with one of the senses in certain philosophical traditions; here, water is associated with taste.

Water is also linked to a number of biological activities, including reproduction (which involves the mixing of fluids) and the disposal of fluid wastes.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Budhvar Or Wednesday Attributed To In The Hindu Calendar?

(Budhvar) The fourth day of the week, with Mercury as its ruling planet (Budh).

Although not insignificant, the day has few strong associations and is not associated with any prominent deity's devotion.

Mercury is regarded as a fortunate yet vulnerable planet due to its tiny size and rapid spin around the sun.

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Hinduism - Who Is Vyasa In Hindu Mythology?

A sage who is traditionally thought to be the creator of the Mahabharata, the second of the two major Sanskrit epics, according to Hindu mythology.

As a consequence of his dalliance with the ferrywoman Satyavati, Vyasa is the son of the sage Parashara.

Satyavati marries King Shantanu later in life, but only after securing the guarantee that their offspring will govern instead of Shantanu's firstborn son, Bhishma.

Satyavati's first son dies as a youngster, and his second son dies after marrying but before producing children.

Satyavati begs Vyasa to sleep with the brides of her younger sons, Ambika and Ambalika, in order to save Shantanu's dynasty.

Vyasa is a terribly unattractive man, according to legend, and both ladies respond automatically when he comes in their beds.

Ambika conceals her eyes, causing her son Dhrtarashtra to be born blind, while Ambalika becomes pale, leading her son Pandu to be born with an unusually pale complexion.

Vyasa also has intercourse with Ambika's maidservant, who freely submits herself to him, and Vidura is born from her.

The Pandavas and Kauravas, respectively, are the descendants of Pandu and Dhrtarashtra, the two warring groups whose rivalry propels the Mahabharata.

As a result, Vyasa is not only the Mahabharata's author, but also the source of the Mahabharata's two families' fight.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Vyana In Tradition Indian Physiology?

One of the five physical "winds" responsible for fundamental physiological activities, together with prana, apana, udana, and samana, according to traditional Indian physiology.

Unlike the others, which are associated with particular parts of the body, the vyana wind is said to pervade the whole body, keeping everything flowing and intermingled.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Vyapti In Hindu Philosophy?

("pervasion") is a word that comes to mind when you think of the word "pervasion."

Vyapti is a basic requirement in traditional Indian philosophy that determines whether an inference is legitimate (anumana).

Three words are used in the recognized form of an inference: an assertion (pratijna) that contains the object to be proven, a reason (hetu) that contains evidence to support the statement, and supporting instances (drshtanta).

The statement is that there is fire on the mountain, and the explanation is that there is smoke on the mountain, with the underlying premise that smoke usually follows fire.

The reason accounts for every example of the object to be demonstrated in a valid inference; this invariable relationship between cause and effect is known as vyapti, or pervasion.

Hinduism - Who Are The Vyas In Traditional Ram Lila Theatrical Productions?

Vyas is the term given to the stage directors in the traditional Ram Lila (the name given to any public theatrical production of the Ramayana, the first of the two major Hindu epics).

The Ramnagar Ram Lila is the longest, most ornate, and perhaps the most ancient of these plays.

In the Ramnagar Ram Lila, one vyas is in charge of the svarups, brahmin youths who are portraying divinities and are regarded embodiments of the deities while they are "on stage." The other members of the cast are in charge of the other vyas.

They switch the action between the chorus and the cast, give the performers specific acting cues, and remind them of their lines when they forget them.

As a result, they are both visible agents and integral members of the Ram Lila.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Vyakhyana Mudra?

Vyakhyana means "Teaching" or “to instruct” in Sanskrit.

A symbolic hand gesture (mudra) in Indian dance, sculpture, and ritual in which the tips of the thumb and index finger meet, with the rest of the fingers extended and the palm facing the spectator.

The sandarshana ("expositing") mudra is the hand motion used to indicate explanation or exposition.

The chin ("awareness") mudra is another name for the teaching gesture, which signifies a person of greater spiritual development.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Where Is Vrindavan Or Brindavan?

Variant version of Brindavan, the place in Uttar Pradesh's southeastern region where the deity Krishna is said to have spent his childhood and youth.

Brindavan is an antiquated place in India, as well as a mythological and eternal spiritual abode that extends to the realm of Goloko Vrindavan where Lord Krishna and all the others beings in the context of that Avatar are believed to be manifest.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Vrtra?

(“obstruction”) In one of the hymns from the Rig Veda (1.32), the earliest Hindu holy literature, the name of the demon slain by the storm-god Indra.

Vrtra is characterized in this hymn as a snake who obstructs the free flow of water, thus his name.

The action in this hymn is one of Indra's defining acts, in which he kills the snake, slices it up, and lets the rivers flow freely.

Some interpreters who view the Vedas as historical records have perceived in this song the approaching Aryans bursting the dams built by the Indus Valley civilization, however there is scant evidence that such an episode really occurred.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Vyakarana Or Vyaka Vedangas?

Vyaka (“analysis”) Vedangas is one of the six Vedangas.

The Vedangas were auxiliary fields of knowledge related with the Vedas, the earliest Hindu sacred books, and all of the Vedangas were linked to the Vedas' usage.

Vyakarana is, at its core, the study of Sanskrit grammar, which was plainly necessary for reading the Vedic writings.

Grammar is the queen of the ancient learned disciplines, and it is what is understood by the word vidya ("knowledge") in many situations, thanks to Vyakarana's status as the gatekeeper of the Sanskrit language.

Other Vedangas include shiksha (proper pronunciation), chandas (Sanskrit prosody), kalpa (ritual instructions), nirukta (etymology), and jyotisha (astrology).

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Who Was Swami Vivekananda?

Swami Vivekananda (Narendranath Datta, 1863–1902).

The first Hindu missionary to the West and a well-known follower of Bengali mystic Ramakrishna.

Narendranath had a solid education and had planned to become a lawyer; when he first met Ramakrishna, he was cautious and distrustful, but over the course of a year, he was changed.

After Ramakrishna's death, he spent many years wandering around India, eventually realizing that religious life needed to serve both India's material and spiritual problems.

Vivekananda is most known for his speech to the First World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, in which he introduced Hinduism—in its logical, Vedantic form—to his Western audience for the first time.

He spoke throughout America and England for the following four years before returning to India to great acclaim.

He spent the remainder of his brief life promoting the Ramakrishna Mission, a religious organization dedicated to both social and religious improvement.

For more information, see Christopher Isherwood's Ramakrishna and His Disciples, 1965; Swami Vivekananda's Swami Vivekananda's Complete Works, 1970; and George M. Williams' "Swami Vivekananda" and "The Ramakrishna Movement: A Study in Religious Change," both in Robert D. Baird's Religion in Modern India, 1998.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Where Is Vraj Or Braj?

Braj is a variant version of the area.

This is the southwestern area of the state of Uttar Pradesh, directly south of Delhi, the national capital, where the deity Krishna is said to have dwelt.

Take a look at Braj.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is A Vrat?

Term referring to a religious pledge, said to be derived from the verb "to select."

Vrats are an essential element of contemporary Hindu life as religious observances.

They can refer to one-time religious observances associated with specific festivals, such as the Shivaratri vrat, or more regular religious observances, such as those associated with the monthly lunar calendar (e.g., the ekadashi rites) or those performed on the day of the week associated with a specific patron deity.

The particular prescriptions for these vrats vary a lot, but there are a few things that they all have in common.

They frequently include dietary changes, sometimes via fasting (upavasa) and other times by consuming or avoiding certain foods.

Worship of the ruling god is another continuous feature.

The vrat's charter myth, which recounts how the vrat was created, how it should be performed, and what kind of blessings it offers, is frequently recited or heard as part of this devotion.

Vrats associated with festivals are practiced by a wide range of individuals, but weekly vrats (such as the Santoshi Ma Vrat) are most often practiced by married women in order to improve the health, safety, and prosperity of their families.

Despite the fact that such weekly vrats are ostensibly optional, they have become an anticipated component of women's religious life, through which women may protect their families' wellbeing via their sacrifices.

See Mary McGee, "Desired Fruits: Motive and Intention in Hindu Women's Votive Rituals," in Julia Leslie, ed., Roles and Rituals for Hindu Women, 1991; and Doranne Jacobson and Susan S. Wadley, Women in India, 1992, for more on women's rites.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Who Are The Vratya?

The vratyas were a class of itinerant ascetics who were priests of a non-Vedic fertility cult, according to the Atharva Veda, one of the oldest Hindu religious writings.

Because there are no additional records, nothing is known about them, although they were certainly outside the Vedic cult and hence looked down upon.

Later on, the term was used to describe someone who has lost their caste due to a failure to follow one of the requisite samskaras.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Vivasvan?

Vivasvan is a term that is used to describe a person who is passionate about something.

Vivasvan or "shining out" is a phrase that is used to describe anything that is bright or luminous.

In the Hindu Pantheon, it is Surya's (Sun) epithet.

Take a look at Surya for more information.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Vivartavada In Hindu Philosophy?

What is the Hindu philosophy of Vivartavada?

The world is described as an illusory transformation of the Ultimate Reality or Realities, according to this philosophical model.

The Advaita Vedanta philosophical school is known for its vivartavada model.

The Advaitins believe in a causal model known as satkaryavada, which assumes that effects already exist in their causes and that when they appear, they are simply transformations (parinama) of those causes.

Milk is transformed into curds, butter, and clarified butter as a classic example.

Each of these effects was already present in the cause, according to proponents of asatkarya, and emerges from it through a natural transformation of the cause.

The Advaita school adheres to the philosophical position of monism, which holds that everything is merely different manifestations of a single Ultimate Reality.

Despite the appearance of difference and diversity in the world, Advaita proponents claim that reality is nondual (advaita), that is, that all things are "actually" nothing but the formless, unqualified Brahman.

The Advaitins' belief that an effect already exists in its cause is based on the principle that all things in the universe ultimately rely on Brahman as the first cause.

Simultaneously, the Advaitins refuse to acknowledge that Brahman ever changes because this would negate its eternal and unchanging nature.

As a result, they talk about a fictitious transmission (vivartavada).

The Advaitins believe that Brahman never truly changes because it is eternal and thus unchanging; the apparent changes are only illusory, based on human ignorance through shifting superimposition patterns (adhyasa).

Advaitins are able to maintain Brahman's transcendence while also accounting for (apparent) changes in the phenomenal world in this way.

Proponents of a different approach, which portrays the perceivable world as an actual trans creation of this unified reality, argue against this stance.

Proponents of the Samkhya, Vishishthadvaita Vedanta, and Bhedabhada philosophical traditions, who, like Advaitins, believe in satkaryavada, hold this position.

Each of these three schools thinks that the world as we see it is real, that it is rooted in a single ultimate source, and that this fundamental principle undergoes a genuine metamorphosis through which the universe is born.

This parinama connection permits these schools to explain the phenomenal world, but in a manner that undermines the transcendence of these initial principles by incorporating them within it.

Philosophically, they struggle to explain how the sublime might become commonplace, then transcendent again.

What is the vivartavada view of Advaita Vedanta?

According to the post-Shankara Advaita advaitins' vivartavada view of Advaita Vedanta, the cosmos is only a "illusory mutation" of Brahman.

What does Vivarta mean?

The Sanskrit term vivarta denotes a change in form, a modification, or a changed circumstance.

The word vivarta is the root of the phrase vivartavada.

The Satkaryavada thesis, which states that the cause precedes the consequence, is accepted by all Vedanta schools.

However, there are several points of view about how Brahman gave rise to the material universe.

The concept of parinamavada holds that the universe is a genuine (parinama) metamorphosis of Brahman.

The concept of vivartavada holds that the universe is only a fictitious (vivarta) representation of Brahman.

According to Vivartavada, despite the fact that Brahman seems to alter, nothing really changes.

The multitude of creatures are false manifestations because Brahman, the ultimate truth that is unborn, unchanging, and utterly devoid of any parts, is the only true being.

The Brahma Sutras, early Vedantins, the majority of Vedanta schools, and Samkhya all support parinamavada.

According to Nicholson, the Advaitins, who are devotees of Shankara, are the "most conspicuous champions of Vivartavada."

The Advaitins say that before the individual ego may be freed, all of Brahman's consequences must eventually be accepted as unreal, despite the fact that the universe can be represented as conventionally real, continues Nicholson.

However, academics are divided on whether Adi Shankara and his Advaita theory used vivartavada or parinamavada to explain causation.

Adi Shankara did not support Vivartavada, according to scholars like Paul Hacker and Hajime Nakamura, and his justifications are "far from any connotation of illusion." They claim that the concept of Vivarta was given by the scholar Prakasatman, and it is Prakasatman's thesis that is sometimes mistaken for Adi Shankara's perspective.

According to Andrew Nicholson, who agrees with Hacker and other academics, Shankara's thoughts are more closely related to parinama-vada than the vivarta-vada, and the vivarta explanation most likely developed gradually in the Advaita sub-school later.

Casual connection is depicted by Vijnanabhiksu as having three terms: effect, variable locus cause, and immutable locus cause.

The locus cause cannot be separated from the changing cause and effect and does not originate in them.

By proposing the theory of Svatantryavada (the "Universal voluntarism"), which maintains that Effect develops from Cause due to the sovereignty of God's Will, the Pratyabhijna philosophy of Somananda disproves the Arambhvada (the "Realistic view" of the Nyaya-Vaisesika), the Parinamavada (the theory of Transformation of the Sankhya-Yoga), and the Vivart.

Ramanuja recognizes Prakrti as the material cause, but Madhava disputes this claim since a material cause does not necessarily imply control or supervision.

Madhava also disagrees with the Vivartavada because it does not acknowledge the need to account for any effects.

In his pure non-dualism (Shuddhadvaita) philosophy, Vallabhacharya also opposes "vivartavada" and asserts that Maya (or the "Jagat") is real and is only a power of Brahman who manifests as Jiva and the world of his own volition.

In doing so, there is no transformation of Brahman; it still remains only gold.

As a result, Shuddhadvaita is also called as "Avikta Parimavda" (Unmodified transformation).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vivartavada mean?

The concept of vivartavada holds that the universe is only a fictitious representation of Brahman.

According to Vivartavada, despite the fact that Brahman seems to alter, nothing really changes. The multitude of creatures are false manifestations because Brahman, the ultimate truth that is unborn, unchanging, and utterly devoid of any parts, is the only true being.

What distinguishes Parinamavada from Vivartavada?

The non-advaitin doctrine of real change is referred to as parinama-vada.

Vivartavada, the advaita theory of seeming change, is distinct from this. The idea is that the cause really changes into the consequence.

References And Further Reading:

Majumder, B. and Ray, S., 2022. Rajju Sarpa Bhranti-A Metaphysical Analysis of Visual Illusions in Light of Doctrine of Vivarta Vada. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences, 7(5), pp.80-90.

Sayanolibavan, M., 2022. The importance attributed to Mandukya Karika in the tradition of Advaida Vedanta.

Roodurmum, P.S., 2002. Bhåamatåi and Vivaraòna Schools of Advaita Vedåanta a Critical Approach.

Chari, S., 2011. Indian Philosophical Systems: A Critical Review Based on Vedānta Deśika's Paramata-Bhaṅga.

Majumder, B. and Ray, S., 2022. Doctrines of Different Philosophical Schools Regarding the Theory of Cause & Effect and Their Validation in Light of Charaka Samhita. Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine, 8(2), pp.94-100.

Bhattacharyya, S.P., 2000. Sarvajñātmamuni's contribution to Advaita Vedānta.

Brooks, R.W., 1963. Śaṁkara: A Psychological Study.

Isaeva, N.V., 2009. Vivartavada.

Duquette, J., 2015. Is Sivadvaita Vedanta a Saiddhantika School? Parinamavada in the Brahmamimarrisabhasya. Journal of Hindu Studies, 8(1), pp.16-43.

Chaliha, A., 2017. ON SRIBHASYA-THE BASIC BOOK ON THE THEISTIC VEDANTA. The Philosophical Journal of JB College (Autonomous), Jorhat Assam, India, p.10.