SHUDDHADVAITA – An Overview vis a vis KEVALADVAITA

- Bhairavi Ashar
Abstract

sarvaṁ khalvidaṁ brahma tajjalāniti śānta upāsīta – propounds the Chandogya Upanishad,
establishing the doctrine of Advaita, interpretations of which by the founder Acharyas of various
philosophical traditions have differences varying in subtlety. This paper attempts an overview of
Vāllabha Vedānta known as Shuddhādwaita, where Sri Vallabhacharya ji propounded Sākār
Brahmavād, establishing the ekamevādwitiya Parabrahma as the Abhinnanimittopādān Kārana of
the entire creation. His Avikrutparināmavāda differs from Sri Shankaracharya's vivartāvad in the
sense that Brahma as well as Jīva and Jagat are Satya, as such the manifest reality is not simply
an illusion. By the sankalpa “Ekoham bahusyam”, Brahman manifests in many names and forms
simply to rejoice, not being subject to avidyā or māyā. While discussing various tenets of Vāllabha
Philosophy such as satkāryavād, āvirbhāva-tirobhāva vāda and more, this presentation highlights
many common points as well as differences with respect to Kevalādwaita of Sri Shankaracharya.
A major point of such disagreement being the nature of Ishwara - While Sri Shankaracharya
recognises various names and forms of the divine as the means to facilitate Upasana before finally
recognising oneself as Brahma , Sri Vallabhacharya substantiates on Parabrahma being
Virrudhadharmashrayi and hence Saguna and Sakar Brahman being just as Supreme as Nirguna
Nirākār Brahman dwelling in the entire creation. Thus, in the realm of practice, in Vāllabha
doctrine, Jnāna is a means to Bhakti and a limb thereof, rather than Bhakti or Upāsanā being a
means to finally acquire Moksha by gyānamārga. Here, Nirupādhik bhakti is not just means but
the end in itself, uniting a Jīva to Krishna.

*****

Acknowledgement

I am grateful to my Guru Pujya Sri Shyamamanohar Goswami ji who belongs to the divine lineage
of Sri Vallabhācārya, for guiding me in person as well as with reference material.

*****
नमो भगवते तस्मै कृष्णायाद् भुतकमम णे ।

रूपनामववभेदेन जगत् क्रीडवत यो यतः ।। (त दी नि १)

In the mangalācharan of Tattvārthadīp Nibandha, Mahaprabhu Sri Vallabhācārya thus summarizes

the tenets of Sākār Brahmavāda established by him, which came to be known as Shuddha Advaita
darshan.
While manifesting in various names and forms, the ultimate reality that is Parabrahma SriKrsna is
not subject to any veil of nescience. Being omnipotent, i.e. कततुं अकततुं अन्यथाकततुं समथथ , He simply
for relishment causes the Jagat which is as real as Himself. He is the Whole of which all the Jīva
are parts.

In establishing the Shuddhādvaita tenets, Sri Vallabhācārya relies upon शब्दप्रमाण.

वेदााः श्रीकृष्णवाक्यानि व्याससूत्रानि चैव नि ।

समानिभाषा व्यासस्य प्रमािं तच्चततष्टयम् ।। (त दी नि)

In addition to the प्रस्थाित्रयी of Veda, Srimadbhagavadgīta, and Brahmasutra, Sri Vallabhācārya

also relies upon the Samādhi bhasha of Veda Vyāsa as contained in Srimadbhāgavatam. These
four comprise the PramānaChatushtayi.
To note here, the Pramāna here are not mentioned as Prasthāna, implying that jnāna is a limb of
devotion, not the goal in itself. Here, Bhakti as defined by Devarshi Nārada is echoed
by SriVallabhācārya in Shāstrārtha prakarana of Tattvadīpa Nibandha –
मािात्म्यज्ञािपतवथस्तत सत दृढाः सवथतोऽनिकाः स्नेिो भक्तिरिनतप्रोिाः तया मतक्तििथचान्यथा ॥
Therefore, knowing the glory of one’s सेव्य स्वरूप as a manifestation of Parabrahma, and with firm
and utmost love, one engages in Seva with one's entire being.
“Thus, Mahaprabhu's sole interest in this framework of philosophical system lies in its usefulness
to meet the demand of devotion par excellence for the Lord Krsna. According to Mahaprabhu, this
devotion is neither merely a divine relishment of the godhood Krsna, nor is it merely a realisation
of the all-pervasive powers or attributes of the Brahman. For Mahaprabhu, Krsna is both a divine
person as well as an omnificient-omnipresent- omniscient & omnipotent power. Therefore,
according to Mahaprabhu, an ideal devotee has to relish Brahman as Krsna and realise Krsna as
Brahman” (Go. Sri ShyamManohar)
While in the Sri Vallabhāchārya's darshana many more essential siddhānta and Vāda such
as श्रीकृष्णपिब्रह्मत्ववाद, कृपामात्रलभ्यत्ववाद, जीवाितत्ववाद are established, we shall go through the
nine salient tenets that Shuddhādvaita comprises of, Vis a Vis Shānkara Advaita.

1. शुद्धब्रह्मवाद

प्राकृतिमाथ िाश्रयमप्राकृतनिक्तिलिमथ रूपनमनत । निगमप्रनतपाद्यम् यत्तच्छत द्धं साकृनतस्तौनम ॥ (सवोत्तमस्तोत्रम्)

Sri Vallabhācārya accepts the literal meaning of the textual passage सत्यं ज्ञािं अिं तं ब्रह्म and takes
the stand of many Positive Qualities of Brahman and its omnipotence as the reason to tolerate
multiplicities within the singularity. Thus, his advaita is भेदसहिष्णु अभेद. Brahman is Saguna as
well as aprākrita, Sākār as well as nirākar. Just as Sat Chit and Ananda are swaroopa lakshana of
Brahman, the aprākrita qualities of Aishwarya, Virya, Yasha, Shri, Jnāna, Vairāgya, as well as of
being साकार, अव्यय, सर्वसमर्व, स्वतन्त्र, सर्ेश्वर, सर्वज्ञ, सर्ाव धार, सर्वहर्लक्षण, स्वेच्छयादृश्य, कमवफलदाता are not
products of māyika upādhi. The aksharabrahman aspect of parabrahman himself gets active for
the purpose of srishti, not requiring any other factor such as प्रकृहत, परमाणु, माया as may be
explained in different philosophical traditions.

While commenting on Ekamevādvitiya Brahman, the fact that there is no entity other than God,
God is the only entity in the universe is the interpretation adopted by all Advaitin philosophers
including Sri Vallabhācārya. While here Sri Sankarācārya propounds that, one is always one and
is never two; therefore, everything other than this one Ultimate Substance which may happen to
appear, has to be only apparent and not real. Hence, Sri Sankarācārya highlights ब्रह्म सत्य जगक्तिथ्या.

Sri Vallabhācārya does not go to the extreme of denying the reality of the creation. According to
him, anything that is manifest as other substance is a modification of the first. Hence, ब्रह्म सत्य and
जगत् सत्य, while only the tendencies of a mind that are veered towards the Ahantā-mamatātmaka
sansāra are without substance, being disoriented from the Brahman which is the all-pervasive
reality. The avidya that causes the distractions, as well vidya that brings forth realization, are real
as two of the multiple shaktis of Brahman.
Thus in kevalādvaita there still exists a duality in form of मानयक प्रपंच, between nescience (Māyā)
and Brahman, whereby Brahman is susceptible to its own reflection due the nescience for the
purpose of उत्त्पनत्त, क्तस्थनत and लय. As stated in Panchadashi, मायाख्यायााः कामिेिोवथत्सौ जीवेश्विावतभौ।

Jiva as well as Ishwara are products of Māyā. As such, along with पािमानथथक अद्वै त of Brahman,
Sri Sankarācārya accepts Vyavahārika, and Prātibhāsika dvaita while propounding Kevala
Advaita.

Sri Vallabhācārya too talks about māyā. The Scriptural Passage - "God, who is one, appears to
have many forms because of many Mayas" - expressly speaks not of only one māyā but of
many māyā. But this māyā of Sri Vallabhācārya is not nescience which would cover reality and
set up an illusion in its place as in नववतथवाद. It is rather, सवथभविसामथ्यथ - the inherent capacity of
that One Ultimate Reality; whereby itself becomes many, in reality. Thus, according to him the
जगत with all its diversity is as much real as the एकमेवानद्वतीय ब्रह्म.

2. ववरूद्धधमामश्रयतावाद

िच नवरुद्धवाक्यािां श्रविात् तनििाथ िाथुं नवचािाः ।

उभयोिनप प्रामानिकत्वेि एकतिनििाथ िस्य अशक्यत्वात् ।

अनचन्त्यािन्तशक्तिमनत सवथभविसमथे ब्रह्मनि नविोिाभावात् च ।। (अितभाष्य १/१/१)

Sri Vallabhācārya takes the literal meaning of not only सद् एव इदं अग्रे आनसत एकमेवानद्वतीयम् but

also the तदै क्षत बहुस्याम प्रजायेय (छान्दो उप ६/२/३), unlike these being taken as arthavada.
“This very respect he upholds for all the scriptural Passages enables Sri Vallabhācārya to arrive at
his extra-ordinary doctrine of Viruddha-dharmāsrayatā, i.e., the doctrine of the Mutually
Conflicting Qualities residing side by side in One and the same substance. For instance, if a
scriptural Passage speaks of Brahman as being devoid of all smells and all tastes, another speaks
of it as having all smells and all tastes too. As per the law of Contradiction, this is not possible.
But by equally respecting both these passages, i.e. taking them to be literally true, Sri
Vallabhācārya both boldly believes and declares that, Brahman is both having and not having these
qualities. Why? Because the Sruti says so. To set limitations to the incomprehensibly miraculous
power of the Ultimate Reality simply because our intellectual powers are limited, will never bring
about liberation, the ultimate goal of all the philosophical systems.” (Sri Raghunath Sharma)
नवरुद्धिमाथ श्रयत्वस्य ब्रह्मनि तद् एजनत तद् ि एजनत इत्यानद श्रतनतनभाः निरुप्यमाित्वाद् लोकएव नविोि

शङ्कनियो । ि तत अलौनकके ब्रह्मनि । ।

Thus, Brahman is one with no second, yet takes myriad names and forms for srusti; is all-pervasive
yet becomes an atom the form of jīva; is the cause of all causes yet becomes effects in the form of
Jagat; takes many forms yet is also beyond all forms. The Ultimate Reality encompasses all
contradictions while remaining unchanged.

3. अवभन्नवनवमत्तोपादानकारणतावाद
जगताः समवानय स्यात् तदे व च निनमत्तकम् ।

कदानचद् िमते स्वक्तिि् प्रपञ्चे अनप क्वनचत् सतिम् ।

यत्र येि यतो यस्य यिै यद् यद् यथा यदा स्याद् इदं भगवाि् साक्षात् प्रिािपतरुषेश्विाः ।। (त दी नि १/६८-६९)
Whenever, however, wherever, by or through whatever, out of whatever, for whatever, of
whatever, to whatever; in the material form or conscious form or divine form, whatever happens -
it is all in all the Lord Himself.
Brahman becomes the substantial and the efficient cause of the Universe without losing its
eternity.

“If Brahman were only one of either the material cause or the efficient cause of the creation, that
would render it helpless in the absence of any of the other factors. It would be in a line with clay
which by itself cannot take the shape of a pot, or with the potter's wheel which by itself is quite
useless, or like the potter who can do nothing without the other two. To escape from such an
undesirable contingency, we are compelled to believe that God, the Creator, is all in one; and that
He, creates the universe out of himself without any extraneous help whatsoever.” (Sri Raghunath
Sharma)
The Sruti passage "तदात्मािं स्वयम् अकतरुत । " (तै उप २/७), states this very thing. In this way also
the fact of creation by God the omnipotent lends rational support to the doctrine of Suddha
advaita.
 4. सत्कारणतावाद

िानप असताः सत्तारूपाः । (त दी नि १/२३)

When the ekamevadwitiya सत् Brahman is material as well as efficient cause of the jagat, we must
accept without doubt that manifestation of jagat is from real cause. As only a real cause can
produce any outcome, unreal cannot cause anything.

Therefore, Sri Vallabhācārya does not accept the concept of सत् असत् नवलक्षि maya as a cause, of
which Sri Sankarācārya cites as being अनिवथचिीय or indescribable for being neither real nor unreal.

5. सत्कायमवाद

प्रपञ्चमेव 'नमथ्या' इनत उक्त्वा शतद्धं भजिं वाियक्तन्त । तथा अन्ये जीवं व्यापकं उक्त्वा ।

अयं प्रपञ्चो ि प्राकृतो िानप पिमाितजन्यो िानप नववताथ त्मा । िानप अदृष्टानदद्वािा जातो िानप असताः
सत्तारूपाः । नकन्तत भगवत्कायथाः पिमकाष्ठापिवस्तत कृनतसाध्याः । तादृशो अनप भगवद्रूपाः अन्यथा असत्
सत्ता स्यात् । ।

Since the cause is something that is the one and only reality, all the forms are already present in
the source. They inhere it. Had they not been there, it would lead us to an anomaly of the creation
ex nihilo, i.e., creating something out of nothing. But the Upanisadic dictum "Katham asatah sat
jayeta" directly repudiates it. So, according to Sri Vallabhācārya, the present universe was already
there in the Ultimate Reality. It is not something new.

6. आववभामववतरोभाववाद

आनवभाथ वनतिोभावौ शिी वै मूिवैरििाः । भक्त्यातत आद्यो नद्वतीयस्तत तदभावाद् ििौ सदा ।
सवाथ कािस्वरूपेि भनवष्यानम इनत या ििे ाः । वीक्षा यथा यतो येि तथा प्रादत भथवनत अजाः । नतिोभावस् तथैव
स्याद् रूपान्तिनवभेदताः ।

The many names and forms in the whole creation are manifest reality of
सक्तच्चदािन्दरूप श्रीकृष्ण himself acting as अक्षिब्रह्म and hence real. Any distinction that we make as
the states of creation or destruction are only concepts, when truly these are appearance and
disappearance in that time, that space and that form. In other words, what we perceive as divisions
(परिच्छे द) of phenomena across time, space or forms - or what Nyāya darshana calls chaturvidha
abhāva - are based in tirobhāva of respective aspect in that space, time or form.
From the सदां श of Brahman himself manifests the जड जगत, while नचदं श and आिन्द remain

नतिोनित.

सत् as well as नचत् अंश of ब्रह्म compose the living beings or जीव which are his parts, while the
whole including आिन्द resides within each Jiva as अन्तयाथ मी.

To contrast this with Kevalādvaita, Sri Sankarācārya conceptualizes उत्पनत्त, क्तस्थनत and लय of many
names and forms through saguna ishwara where Guna are mayika upadhi, and hence a secondary
aspect of Brahman.

7. अववकृतस्वरुपपररणामवाद

अिन्तमूनतथ तद् ब्रह्म नि अनवभिं नवभक्तिमत् ।

"बहुस्यां प्रजायेय" इनत वीक्षा तस्यनि अभूत् सती ।

Just as the gold of the ingot and that of the ornament are one and the same, so the forms into which
the gold can be cast are as much real as the gold. So a person who is desirous of Gold sees no
difference between the two. In the same manner, one who is stuck in अिं ता ममतात्मक प्रपञ्च may
ignore the reality that is Brahman, but for a Brahmadarshi every object and subject in Jagat is
Brahman. The reason being, while manifesting in many names and forms, Brahman does not waver
from his own reality. The form may differ in qualities and functions for practical purposes, yet the
real character of its original source does not get distorted. Thus we see, in Suddhādvaita there is
no difference between the present world - however temporary forms it may comprise of; and the
eternal Ultimate Reality - within the power of which are possibilities of all forms, qualities and
functions by way of modification via manifestation of certain qualities in that time and space while
holding back of other qualities as seen earlier.

This tenet is in a sharp contrast with vivarta vāda in Kevala Advaita, where the example of a rope
which appears like a snake in darkness is well known. The snake which is totally different from a
rope, and will not exist when there is light and the reality of rope becomes known.
 8. कायमकारणतादात्म्यवाद तथा अंशांवशतादात्म्यवाद

तनदच्छामात्रतस् तिाद् ब्रह्मभूतां श चेतिााः ।

सृष्ट्यादौ निगथता सवे नििाकािास तनदच्छया ।

नवस्फतनलंगाइव अग्नेस्तत सदं शेि जडा अनप ।।
Sri Vallabhāchārya's stand is Brahman's eternity is not compromised by multiplicities since there
is a relation of Identity between Brahman and the Universe and thus actually there is NO In-
tolerance between Brahman's Unities with Universal Multiplicities. The Advaita in Vāllabha
darshana is in the nature of Tādātmya.

The name form and functions of the non-living are parts of Brahman's sat ansha. The chit and
ananda remain obscure in these. Jivātmā is chit ansha, and it is self-evident that the living beings
also include sat ansha. Yet, Ananda that is all-pervasiveness of consciousness usually remains
obscure in a Jivātmā, that is of anu parimana. Yet, the sat-chit-ananda swaroop brahman resides
within each jivatma as antaryami.

उपदृष्टा अितमन्ता च भताथ भोिा मिे श्विाः । पिमात्मेनत चाप्यतिो दे िेक्तिि् पतरुषाः पिाः ।।

The Sat ansha of brahma, while manifested with respective names forms and functions, have a
cause-and effect identity with Brahman, as we saw the example of Gold ornaments.

The multiple chit ansha of Brahma that the Jivātmā that have sprung forth like sparks from fire
are, do not display any variety of functions or qualities so long as they have not taken up any
definite name and form. Therefore, a Jiva is recognized as अज and अमि. Hence. they do not have
a cause and effect identity with brahma but a part and the whole identity. For that matter, the jada
name-forms are also a part of brahma for being sat ansha, there is karya in them atleast of
expressing their respective name and form, which takes precedent to call them a karya of Brahman,
whereas the jiva are better known as ansha. Both Jada and Jiva retain their identity with Brahman.

In another form of relationship, the ultimate Parabrahma also is identical with the all-pervasive
aksharabrahma, which is again another variety of Tādātmya between Dharma and Dharmi, as well
as Dhām and Dhāmi, who reside within each other being one.
 9. लीलार्मसृविवाद

रूपिामनवभेदेि जगत् क्रीडनत यो यताः ।। (त दी नि १)

रूपिामनवभेदेि याः क्रीडनत । रूपिामनवभेदेि यो जगत् । रूपिामनवभेदेि यतो जगद् इनत ।।

अिेि क्रीडायां स्बातन्त्र्यम् उिम् ।

निलेपत्वाय आि एतादृशं जगद् यताः इनत ।

एवं ज्ञािेि मतच्यन्ते इनत सक्ष्ङेपाः ।।

Brahma being in the form of infinite bliss, does not manifest Srusti with some motive. Just as an
expression of joy, as a sport does He brings forth the creation. Doing so simply in order to relish
his own blissful self which would not be possible if Himself is just one. While Advaita ensures
Nirbhaya which Vedas do describe the Brahman as being, relishing or Ramana is only possible
when there is more than one. एकाकी ि िमते । As such, the Dvaita Advaita Mahotsava of Nirbhaya
Ramana goes on for eternity, while essentially it is the one and only Brahma playing as many.

Thus, as different from पािमानथथक अद्वै त and मानयक प्रपंच द्वै त in Shānkara Advaita, we see
स्वाभानवक अद्वै त and लीलाथथ ऐक्तच्छक द्वै त in Vāllabha Vedānta.

Conclusion

These nine are the fundamental postulates which form the basis of Shuddhādvaita. Knowing which
the Sādhana as well as Fala takes form of Bhakti, through ananya ashraya and samarpan.

शास्त्रम् अवगत्य मिो-वाग्-दे िै: कृष्ण: सेव्य: ।।

While being engaged in the study of the scriptures, one engages the mind, speech and body in
KrsnaSeva, taking total refuge in the PoornaPurushottama SriKrsna who is the Sākār Brahman
himself.
साकािं ब्रह्म शतद्धं नि माया तच्छक्तिाः उत्तमा तया सवथत्र सम्मोिाः साक्षाद् भक्तिाः च मोनचका ।

(सतबोनििी १/७/४)

Here, the अच्यथ मूनतथ of Ishwara is not a product of Maya to be suitable for the purpose of upasana,
but is पूिथ पतरुषोत्तम who is पतनष्टक्तस्थताः – that is, conferring upon the devotee His grace, He accepts
the seva. Knowing that while a moorti by itself may not be capable of acting as Parabrahma, yet,
when a Bhakt has Bhāva, the Poorna Purushottama is definitely capable of residing in the home of
Bhakta as bhava-pratishthita Swaroop.

As Bhakti progresses from ruchi to sneha to āsakti or even vyasana, there is nivrutti of avidya,
sarvatmabhava arises, all the ahanta-mamatatmaka tendencies of mind get focused on the Sākār
Swaroopa of SriKrsna, which the bhakta relishes with her entire being, and the tadrishijana aspires
to relish the swaroopananda for the eternity.

*** ShriKrishnarpanamastu ***

Bibliography

 Shuddhadvaitavada ki rooparekha
(A preface written by Sri Shyamamanohar Goswami to Sri Vallabhāchārya’s
SrimadBrahmasutra Anubhashyam)
 Brahmavada – The system of Shuddhadvaita Vedanta of Sri Vallabhācārya
- A Thesis by Sri Raghunath Sharma

 Prameyaratnasangrah
A translation by Sri Sharad Goswami of Prameyaratnarnava granth

 Brahmavada
By Sri Shyammanohar Goswami

 SriVallabhacharya virachit Tatvadeep Nibandha

 Pushti Vidhanam
Published by SriVallabhacharya Trust, Mandvi – Kutch

 Advaita Vedanta Darshan me Mukti

A chapter retrieved from shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in
 Pushtisahitya.org and Pushtimarg.net for various reference material online

*****

Author
Bhairavi Parag Ashar
23/27, Bhatia niwas, 17, Gazdar Street, Mumbai 400002
Contact. 9892803447 Email:bhairaviparag@gmail.com