prama & brama as propounded by vedanta desika

following bagavan shri Ramanuja, the giant logician shri venketesha explains the valid knowledge{PRAMA} , the cause {prameya} , and the difference between Brama or illusion and prama , using the central theme of vishistadvaitha called {APRTHAKSIDDHI OR INSEPARABLE DISTINGUISHED WHOLE} .
The ultimate reality as propounded by vedas- Shriman Narayana is the absolute reality , he is sarva lokha sharanya , param dhaman, paramatma, etc. the absolute reality allows differentiation through its modes {PRAKARAS} without undergoing any fundemental change in itself as a whole. the CHIT{JEEVAN} AND ACHIT{PRAKRITI} are its modes of expression .
together all the afore mentioned three form an inseperable yet differentiated whole. lets take an example of a mango fruit. its various elements are flesh, peel, colour, taste, smell, size, shape etc. out of all these elements the fundemental element is the main gene of the mango , called VISHESHYA and others become attributive elements called VISHESHANAS. the attributive elements qualify the flesh as mango. these elements are different from each other and from the flesh yet together they form a synthetic whole. the colour, taste smell , size may vary but in accordance with the fundemental gene and yet remain one as mango. similarly ishwara the substantiative one drives the attributive elements {chit and achit} and to gether they form a unified reality.
vedanta Desika says, prama should satisfy two conditions . it should reveal the existence of an object which should be practical. PRAMEYAM is the distinctive cause of prama in sofar as knowledge arises through its agency without delay. Desika admits there are three methods of knowing namely, pratyaksham, anumanam, sabdam meaning perception, inference and scriptual testimony. regarding the two kinds of perception refer to my previous article on savikalpa and nirvikalpa . Desika further continues that , the act of cognition involves the knowing subject, the knowable object different from the subject and the consciousness. perception is always of an object marked by some qualities . this perception leads to jnana which is ajada and in its expanded state during moksha its called dharmabhutajnana or attributive consciousness whose nature is to reveal the relationship of the self as an attribute of the supreme Hari.
the doctorine of illusion is not admitted by Ramanujas school of thought and its countered by the brilliant logic of "SATKYAATHI". Ramanuja says even illusion is a partial knowledge about an onject because of our defective consciousness in samsara. all the objects are formed by the vedic doctorine of PANCHIKARANA , according to which each of the five main elements of fire, air, akasha, water ,earth is a compound of 1/8 th part of the other four and half of its pure form. so during illusion the insignificant elements of a substance are revealed which may not serve any practical purpose and hence called BRAMA instead of PRAMA.
take any illusion like mirrage in desert , even science agrees that desert sand has little composition of water though insignificant for practical purposes. but if it is revealed disproportionately due to our defective consciousness only partial reality of the desert is perceived and the whole perception may be called distorted but not unreal , for it reveals partial information about the desert - that sand is present , heat is present but water alone is amplified. thus brama is not revelation of an non existing substance but partial and distorted revelation of an existing object .
the kind of logic applied by Ramanuja and Vedanta Desika is beyond any words i can use to express. In depth of thinking, adherence to relentless principles of logic , in exemplication and in darshana Ramanuja & Vedanta Desika go beyond what we call excellence. let us pray to lord venketesha and acharya vedanta Desika so that we realise our dharmabhutajnana .