Vedanta

Vedanta, also spelled Vedānta, is a Sanskrit term that translates to "the end of the Vedas." It is one of the six traditional schools of Indian philosophy and is considered to be the last of the six. The Vedanta school of thought is primarily concerned with interpreting the Upanishads, which are a collection of philosophical texts that are considered to be the "end" or the "culmination" of the Vedas.

 

The Vedanta philosophy was first developed by the sage Vyasa, who is believed to have lived in the 2nd century BCE. He wrote the Brahma Sutras, which serve as the foundation of the Vedanta school. These sutras provide a systematic and logical framework for interpreting the Upanishads and understanding the nature of ultimate reality, or Brahman. The sutras are divided into four chapters, with each chapter focusing on different aspects of the Upanishads and Brahman.

 

The Vedanta school of thought posits that the ultimate goal of human life is to attain the state of moksha, which is achieved through the realization of Brahman. Brahman is the ultimate reality and the ultimate goal of human existence. It is the unchanging, eternal, and absolute reality that underlies the entire universe. The Vedanta philosophers believed that the Upanishads are the source of knowledge of Brahman and that the ultimate goal of human life is to realize the identity of the individual self (atman) with Brahman.

 

In terms of epistemology, the Vedanta school holds that knowledge comes from perception, inference, and testimony of trustworthy sources. They also hold the view of non-dualism, which means that the individual self and Brahman are not separate entities but are one and the same.

 

The Vedanta school of thought was highly influential in ancient India and continues to be studied and debated by scholars and philosophers to this day. It has various sub-schools and the most popular among them are Advaita Vedanta, Vishistadvaita Vedanta and Dvaita Vedanta.

 

Advaita Vedanta, which was systematized by the philosopher Adi Shankara in the 8th century CE, holds the view of nondualism, which means that the individual self and Brahman are not separate entities but are one and the same. This sub-school emphasizes on Self-knowledge (Atma-jnana) as the means to attain liberation.

 

Vishistadvaita Vedanta, which was systematized by Ramanuja in the 11th century CE, holds the view of qualified non-dualism, which means that the individual self and Brahman are not separate entities but are one and the same, yet Brahman has qualities and attributes (Visheshas).

 

Dvaita Vedanta, which was systematized by Madhvacharya in the 13th century CE, holds the view of dualism, which means that the individual self and Brahman are separate entities and the individual self has to rely on the grace of God for liberation.

 

In conclusion, Vedanta is one of the six traditional schools of Indian philosophy, it was written by Vyasa in the 2nd century BCE, it is primarily concerned with interpreting the Upanishads and understanding the nature of ultimate reality, or Brahman, and it holds that the ultimate goal of human life is to attain the state of moksha, which is achieved through the realization of Brahman. It has various sub-schools among which Advaita, Vishistadvaita, and Dvaita are the most popular.