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Re: ISKCON -- help with these terms
Shrisha Rao <shrao@nyx.net> wrote:
>Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian <rbalasub@ecn.purdue.edu> wrote:
>
>I don't know much of this in detail, but Madhva's commentary on the
>BrhadaaraNyaka Upanishad lists all the avataaras of Vishnu according to
>him, and includes Dattatreya in the listing. I don't think the Avadhuuta
>Gita, Tripura Rahasya, etc., are considered by him to be authoritative
>texts; they are not, to my best knowledge, quoted from by him, or even
>by Shankara or Raamaanuja. It is very likely that they are late
It is quoted by Shankara, atleast at one place in his Brahma suutra bhashya.
Giri informed me the particulars sometime back through e-mail. I've forgotten
the exact place. Maybe he'll reply to your observation.
>creations, or perhaps works that have not enjoyed as high status among
>Vedantins as the prasthaana-traya and other texts.
The Tripura Rahasya is definitely from the post Buddha period, since it refutes
some popular Buddhist theories.
>Also, unlike the Gaudiya approach to scripture, which often considers
>PuraaNas as independently authoritative, Madhva would need to show that
>Dattatreya's "misleading" was supported by Shruti references.
That's very interesting. So does Maadhva consider for ex., the Varaaha avataara
or Parashuraama as an avataara? I don't think these two are mentioned in any of
the Vedas. Not that the other avataaras are mentioned in the old works. Only
the later Upanishads like the Raama upanishad, Krishna Upanishad etc, which were
products of the Bhakthi movements mention them as avataaras. Maha NaaraayaNa
upanishad gives the nR^siMha gaayatri, but does not mention any avataaras. So
how does Maadva justify these avataaras (if at all he accepts them as
avataaras)?
Then Maadhva will also definitely not accept Shankara as an incarnation, since
it is not said so in the vedas. Also according to Maadva tradition, Maadva
himself was supposed to be an incarnation of Vayu (if I remember right). I am
sure the vedas do not support any such theory. So, how do his successors promote
such a view? Thanks in advance for your replies.
However, if I remember right the puraaNas seem to indicate that Dattatreya
preached advaita. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Ramakrishnan.
--
Sitting quietly doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself.
http://yake.ecn.purdue.edu/~rbalasub/
