Bhagavatpadabhyudaya by Lakshmana Suri (study)

by Lathika M. P. | 2018 | 67,386 words

This page relates ‘Shri Shankara’s Approach’ of the study on the Bhagavatpadabhyudaya by Lakshmana Suri: a renowned Sanskrit Scholar from the 19th century. The Bhagavatpada-abhyudaya is a Mahakavya (epic poem) narrating the life of Shankara-Acharya, a prominent teacher of Advaita Vedanta philosophy. This essay investigates the socio-spiritual conditions of 8th century AD in ancient India as reflected in Lakshmanasuri’s work.

Śaṅkara takes the other systems of thought in a constructive manner. His approach is always a synthetic one. He did not avoid anything of value either in the ‘Karma kāṇḍa’ of the Vedas or in the systems opposed to his own. He tries to accomodate them in his all comprehencive scheme. They are not contradictory assuming an appropriate place there in. He criticised the aspects which are not helpful to the welfare of man and are based on untruth. Throughout his life, Śaṅkara gave importance to the sole reality of Brahman the one with out a second. That is to be realised only through jñāna, that Brahman is nothing but our very self.

At the same time he was compassionate towards the people who felt the burden of day to day life. He wanted people to better themselves. There is scope for any amount of good karma, bhakti, yoga and rituals and even physical science and technology, on the phenominal level. So there man is identified with his psycho-physical personality. He himself as a person, was as much a Bhakta. In this manner a yogi could inspire tremendous work for the welfare of humanity. This can be proved by a study of his various, works and his own life is a glaring example of his all-comprehensive synthetic mind and dynamic activity.

Ācārya Śaṅkara gives a prominent place for reason in his thoughts and arguments. But reason must observe the śṛutis or śṛutyanukula-tarka in the realm of transcentental super sensual truths. This view is based on the inherent limitations of reason itself. Because reasoning cannot create facts. Fact exist in their own way. Both on the physical and metaphysical level we have to directly perceive or experience them with appropriate instruments of knowledge like eyes, ears etc; mind in the realm of thoughts and intuition in the realm of the spirit. Reason can work only on the basis of data supplied by experience. The transcendental Truth or the ultimate reality is given to us by direct intuitive experience or aparokṣa anubhūti the nature of which has been recorded in the śṛutis. Reason helps us to grasp it properly, warding off the doubts and problems that intellect may pose initially. Realisation through spiritual efforts or sadhana will prove the truth of the statements of the seers and not any amount of rational disputations.

Śaṅkara gives primary validity to the śṛutis in the investigation of transcendental truth, since it is not vulnerable to the sense experience. Śaṅkara does not apply different criteria for reality on the material and spiritual planes, though the instruments of perception may be different in different spheres. Śaṅkara applies the same criteria for reality in all fields, direct experience. The means of experience may be intuitive knowledge, mind or sences but the criteria of direct experience is the same and universal. Like different pramāṇas, sense perception, inference and scripture or Pratyakśa, Anumāna, and Āgamās have their own relative validity. Moreover each stands supreme in its own sphere. Śaṅkara stressly says that reality being one and integral there cannot be any real contradiction between the different spheres of experience.

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