3 Answers

  1. According to the” Dictionary of Hinduism ” by E. A. Torchinov,

    VEDANTA (from Sanskrit veda + anta – 'end of the Vedas', 'end of the Vedas') – 1) designation of the Upanishads (see); 2) orthodox religious and philosophical system (darshana) of Brahmanism, based on the Upanishads. Another name for V. uttara mimansa is higher (final) research.

    Badarayana, a philosopher (c.5th century) who wrote the Brahma (or Vedanta) sutras and aphorisms describing the system, is considered the creator of the system. Apart from the Badarayana sutras, it is also believed to be based on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, which form its “threefold basis.” Historically, there have been three directions of Divinism, in accordance with the proposed solution of the main problem of Divinism – the question of the relationship between Atman and Brahman.:

    1. Advaita Vedanta (non-dual or non-dual form), created by Gaudapada (6th century) and Shankara (8th-9th centuries). Its main principle is: “Brahman is real, the world is unreal, the soul is the same as Brahman.” Thus, advaita-B. proclaims the absolute identity of the true Self and the Absolute (Atman is Brahman). This qualityless and impersonal nondual Absolute, sometimes conventionally characterized as being-consciousness-bliss, is the only reality. The whole plural world with its subject-object duality is nothing but an illusion (maya) based on an inexplicable transcendental ignorance (avidya). The sage who has realized and directly experienced the identity of Atman and Brahman through this intuitive knowledge (jnana) is freed from ignorance and existence in the cycle of samsara (see). This is liberation (moksha).

    2. Vishishtadvaita vedanta (limited non-dual Form), created in the second half of the 11th century. Ramanuja. This branch of philosophy is both a theistic and a personalistic version of it. According to Ramanuja, the Absolute (Brahman) is a personal God, usually identified with Vishnu, who is the creator and ruler of the world. The True Self (Atman) It relates to God as part and whole, and the universe and God relate like body and soul. Maya is not a complete illusion, but the creative creative power of God. Liberation consists in experiencing the identity of the Self and God, and in achieving the relative unity of the soul and the Absolute, realized through bhakti – an all-consuming love for God and selfless devotion to him.

    3. Dvaita-vedanta (dual Form), created in the 13th century by the brahmana Madhva. This line of reasoning is a further development of Ramanuja's position, emphasizing the absence of even the relative consubstantiality of the Ego (soul) and the Absolute, which acts exclusively as a personal God. Like Ramanuja, Madhva recognizes the highest value of bhakti and understands liberation as the union of the soul and God, similar to the love of lovers. The presence of some specific features in this area. This (for example, the doctrine of eternal hell torment of certain categories of sinners) supports the hypothesis of Muslim influence on Madhva.

    In addition to these three main directions of Religion, there were also numerous intermediate currents that sought to reconcile the various theological and philosophical positions of the representatives of Religion (the Nimbarka and Vallabha systems, etc.). In the 20th century, the famous religious philosopher and mystic Aurobindo Ghosh attempted to reconcile the three main directions of Religion on the basis of the idea of evolutionism.

    In the late Middle Ages, Hinduism gradually supplanted other religious and philosophical systems of Brahmanism, and by integrating a number of samkhya and yoga principles, it became the generally accepted theology of Hinduism.

    According to the pocket dictionary “Hinduism” by S. V. Pakhomov,

    VEDANTA (lit. completion of vedas) – 1) The same as the Upanishads, the last section of Vedic literature; 2) one of the six traditional schools of Indian philosophy (darshana). In turn, philosophy as a system of thought breaks down into a large number of areas that address common issues in different ways. The Upanishads and the Brahma-Sutras (or Vedanta-sutras)are authoritative for all branches of Buddhism Badarayana (basic text of the Century, created between the fifth and second centuries BC) andThe Bhagavad Gita. The five best-known trends of buddhism are the nondualism (Advaita) of Shankara (788-820), the nondualism-with-differences of Ramanuja (1027-1137), the dualism of Madhva (1238-1317), and dualism-nondualismNimbarki (XI century), pure nondualismThe Vallabhacharyas. The last four schools of the century, as well as the Gaudiya movement founded by Chaitanya in the sixteenth century, are the main schools of Vishnuism-Krishnaism. From a philosophical point of view, Advaita-V is the most interesting. Here, the absolute reality is the impersonal, incomprehensibleBrahman, whose essence is pure consciousness. The physical world is unreal, it is “imagined”because of the game of the world illusion (maya), the eternal power inseparable from Brahman. The illusion also gives rise to the false idea of the limited Self. Liberation consists in overcoming this false idea and realizing the inner relationship between Brahman and God.The Atman, the true Self. Liberation can be achieved while still alive (jivanmukti). Shankara has an impersonal Atman (nirguna) it is placed higher than personal, qualitative, and worshipable Brahman (saguna). In the Vishnu Tradition, a Brahmana is primarily a “Brahmana with qualities” or a “divine person”, an object of religious worship and an intelligible primary source of being. It is recognized that there is no absolute identity between man and Brahman (Ramanuja), or even cardinal differences (Madhva). Maya as an illusion is denied, it is considered, rather, as the creative power of God. The material world is real and depends for its existence on God. The individual soul is also dependent on God, but qualitatively it is on a higher level than matter. Liberation is achieved mainly through bhakti: God, by His grace, can “pull” the soul out of the karmic cycle. The formation of Tantrism was primarily influenced by the Shankara school. However, unlike it, tantra does not recognize the illusory nature of the world, considering the world as a manifestation and body of God, and absolute knowledge as endowed with dynamic power.

  2. Vedanta – 1) completion, end of the Vedas 2) texts of religious and philosophical content adjacent to the Vedas (Upanishads and various commentaries) 3) the name of one of the 6 Orthodox philos. systems of ancient India, the main source of k-swarms are the above-mentioned. texts. It originated in the early AD as a theoretical justification of Brahmanism as opposed to atheistic, materialistic. Philos attaches special importance to the teachings of that time. on the side of the Vedas. According to V.'s teaching, the true being is possessed by tk. brahma or the deities. substance. The world is a manifestation of the deities, illusion or maya inherent in brahma and has no real existence . His ideas are set forth in Badarayana's Brahmasutra. “Sanskrit-Russian dictionary”, V. A. Kochergina.

    By V. Kostyuchenko: 1) the later layer, which is mainly related to knowledge rather than action, and 2) the interpretation of this layer, the so-called second mimansa.

    Thus, it is a religious and philosophical trend with many branches, and a number of texts: the Vedas-Rigveda, Atharvaveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Upanishads, aranyakas, etc.)

  3. Vedanta is one of the directions within Hinduism. It should even be called a philosophy rather than a religion.

    But there is also a book called Vedanta-sutra.

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