Jainism from the View Point of Vedantic Acaryas

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: B J Institute

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Jainism from the view point of Vedantic Acaryas
cause Nimbārka does not refute Advaita Vedāntic doctrines of Māyāvāda, Jīvabrahmaikyavāda, and non-dual nature of Brahman. If he is aware of Śankara's view, he might have refuted it as other Vaiṣṇava Vedāntins like Bhaskara, Rāmānuja, Madhva and Vallabha have done in their bhāṣyas. It seems that Nimbārka was aware of only Sankhya, Jaina, Bauddha, Śaiva and Śākta views and refuted them, but unaware of views of other Vedāntic Acāryas including Sankara. Śankara in several places in his Brahmasūtrabhāṣya, puts forth opponent's view (as Pūrvapakṣa) and refutes without naming the opponent, which certainly seems to be Nimbarka's view, (Brahmasūtraśāṁkarabhāṣya, II. III. 1931, 50; and Vedāntapārijātasaurabha, II. III. 19-31, 50). Even some scholars think that Gauḍapādācārya refers to Dvaitadvaita view in his Advaita-prakaraṇa of Māṇḍūkyakārikā (Kārikā. 18), which is none other than Nimbārka's view. From all these references, we can draw rough conclusion that, if Nimbārka is pre-Śankara Vedāntin, then he might have flourished in the 6th century A.D., because he refutes highly developed form the Saiva and Śākta Schools which were very powerful and popular in the Gupta and post-Gupta period. Works of Nimbārka :
Nimbārka's commentary on Brahmsūtras of Bādarāyaṇa is known as Vedāntapārijātasaurabha (=V.P.S.). This is the basic work in which he expounded his philosophy of Svābhāvikabhedabheda. Thorough study of other works attributed to Nimbārka makes us
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