Brahma-Vada

Stirred on, perhaps mystified, by Nature’s grand design, the Vedic seers pondered upon the nature of Ultimate Reality: ‘Brahman’, and how it is related to Man and the World. Over the time, these early reflections turned into profound, intricately metaphysical discussions, even polemics. And the dialogue continued vigorously in the post-Upanishadic period — leading to the emergence of many spiritual-metaphysical schools of thought, represented notably by Gaudapada’s Ajata-Vada, Shankara’s ‘Advaita (Kevaladvaita), Bhskara’s Bhedabheda-Vada, Ramanuja’s Vishishtadvaita, Madhva’s Dvaita, and Shripati Pandit’s Dvaitadvaita (also called Shakti Vishishtadvaita). Dr. Tagare here tries to locate Shri Vallabhacarya’s worldview in this centuries-long discourse on Brahman. A highly erudite, Telugu brahmin, the great ‘Acarya Shri Vallabha: 1478(?) – 1530 AD, was not only involved in the metaphysical niceties of the Brahman-related dialogue, but also came to develop his own doctrine, called Shuddhadvaita which, literally meaning“pure advaita”, views Brahman as “pure” (shuddha) Karya-Karana- Rupa: the cause and effect (of the universe), without the least mix of maya. Highlighting the tenets of his Brahma-Vada, the book spells out Shri Vallabha’s views of Ultimate Reality (Brahman/Krishna), Individual Soul (Jivatman), and the Phenomenal World (Jagat), together with his concepts of Akshara Brahman and Pushti Bhakti. The author charts the historical development of Brahman-Vada, underscoring therein the uniqueness of Shri Vallabha’s position. And also the relevance of his message of Bhakti-Karma-Samuccaya to the distraught, tension-ridden world of ours.