Book Title: World of Philosophy
Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
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Vedanta. Liberation is self knowledge and Shiva is the self. Thus to realise one's identity with all by recognising oneself as Shiva is true liberation. Parama-Shiva is what Jiva is in its unfettered essential state. And that is freedom and unrestricted enjoyment of perfect 'I-hood'.
While Pandit Kaviraj evaluated Trika philosophy as the most comprehensive formulation of the nature of Reality, he was also deeply influenced by the acintya bhedabhedavada of Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy. The doctrine of the inconceivable identity-cum-difference of Bengal Vaishnavism was very dear to the heart of Pandit Kaviraj. This is primarily because the great emphasis given in this philosophy on the idea of the Supreme Reality as prema or Love. The individual spiritual soul is, in essence, one with the advaya-jnana-tattva, the Ultimate Reality according to this school. But the Supreme has three aspects-Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. Bengal Vaishnavism also accepts the concept of conscious Force which has three aspects - sandhini, samvit and hladini, respectively power of existence, consciousness and enjoyment. The criterion of the distinctions between the three aspects of the suprerne Reality is the manifestation of otherwise of conscious force in them. In the scheme of this school the lowest aspect is Brahman because here conscious force is not at all manifest. Brahman is purely passive; it is possible to realise identity of the individual soul by knowledge wilh this aspect. But spiritual seekers are not encouraged to seek this realisation. Paramatma, The Great Self is The Master of Maya which is the force of ignorance. It is possible to realise union with Paramatma by Yoga. Bhagavan is the highest aspect of the Reality. In this aspect conscious Force is fully manifest, especially as hladini sakti, the power of enjoying and sharing love. This idea of loving God and sharing the delight of Love with the Beloved deeply attracted Pandit Kaviraj.
Pandit Kaviraj had implicit faith in the Scripture, the Veda, which according to him is not primarily a book but supra-sensuous and supra.intellectual Wisdom eternally existent in the inner heart of man. But the Vedas, records of the revelation of this Wisdom also claimed his reverence, Shraddha, yet he was constantly engaged in vicara, in intellectual appraisal of the truths contained in the Shastras not as a doubting Thomas but to understand as far as possible, those truths to make them clear to the mind, to show that though they were suprarational they were not irrational. But in the last analysis he put his trust in spiritual experience as the best means of realising Truth. Does this conflict with reverent acceptance of Veda or other revealed Scriptures? I would think Pandit Kaviraja's answer would be in the negative. For what is the Shastra but the records of spiritual experiences of intuitively gifted seers and mystics? So there is no contradiction between reverent acceptance of Shastra and personal experimental knowledge of Truth proclaimed in it. Shraddha
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