THE ADVAITIN SCHOOL OF THOUGHT -a brief summary

THE ADVAITINS ALSO REFERRED TO AS VIVARTHA (MAYA) VADAS, BELIEVE THAT THE JNANA KANDA OF VEDAS ARE SUPERIOR TO KARMA KANDAS. THEY BELIEVE ALL OF UPANISHADS SPEAK ABOUT AN ATTRIBUTELESS(NIR VISHESHA) BRAHMAM, WHICH IS THE SUBJECT, WHICH IS SAT, CHIT AND ANANDAM ITSELF,WHICH IS UNDIFFERENTIATED CONSCIOUSNESS. THERE IS NOTHING APART FROM THIS BRAHMAM, AND THE WORLD AND ALL THE OBJECTS ARE DUE TO UPADHIS THAT GETS SUPERIMPOSED ON THE BRAHMAM WHICH IS CALLED AVIDHYA. THIS IS DUE TO A FORCE CALLED MAYA ( ANIRVACHANIYA) WHICH HAS THREE QUALITIES SATTVA, RAJAS AND TAMAS. THIS MAYA IS UNDEFINIBLE ELEMENT AND ANY DEFINITION RUINS THE CORE OF ADVAITHA. SAMKARA SAYS"BRAHMAM SATYAM JAGAT MITYA" - ONLY BRAHMAM IS TRUE AND ALL THE UNIVERSE WITH DIVERSE OBJECTS INCLUDING ISHVARA OR GODS ARE FALSE. SAMKARA OPINES THAT BRAHMAM DUE TO MAYA GETS AVIDYA AND UNDERGOES MODIFICATION(APPARENT) WHICH IS UNREAL(VIVARTHA). THUS THE ONE UNDIFFERENTIATED NIRVISHESHA BRAHMAM IMAGINES TO BECOME JIVAS AND MATTER . REALITY IS IN REALISING THE IDENTITY WITH BRAHMAM WHICH IS MOKSHA. EVEN ISHWARA IS LOWER TO BRAHMAM AND SOULS GOING TO HEAVENS OR BRAHMALOKHA FINALLY ATTAIN BRAHMAM AFTER DISSOLUTION. ISHVARA IS PARAMATMA BUT PARABRAHMAM WHICH IS DEVOID WHICH IS EXISTENCE ITSELF IS THE ULTIMATE REALITY. ALL SHASTRAS AND VEDAS ONLY HELP IN ATTAINING PARA VIDYA AFTER WHICH NEITHER VEDAS NOR THE WORLD EXISTS.
THE ADVAITINS THUS ESTABLISHED ON FIRM GROUND THE EXISTENCE OF A ATTRIBUTELESS BRAHMAM WHICH CANNOT BE DISPROVED BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING APART FROM IT TO DISPROVE OR VALIDATE.
THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT DEMOLISHED BUDDHISTIC AND JAINA PHILOSOPHIES WHICH WERE LOGILICALLY FLAWED. THIS SCHOOL BELIEVES THAT ONLY KNOWLEDGE IS THE ROAD TO SALVATION AND KARMA AND BKHAKTI ONLY LEADS A PERSON ON THE RIGHT PATH BUT ATE NEITHER ESSENTIAL NOR A PREREQUISITE FOR LIBERATION.