Indian philosophical classic

SHRI NYAYA SUDHA OF SRI JAYATIRTHA — Volume III (Second, third and fourth Adhyayas): English rendering by Dr. B. N. K. Sharma; Published by Vishwa Madhwa Maha Parishat, Sri Uttaradi Mutt, Pampa Mahakavi Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore-560004. Rs. 120.

THE BOOK under review, which is the magnum opus of Sri Jayatirtha, (14th Century A.D.), the celebrated commentator par excellence, of the Dvaitha Vedanta School, occupies a unique position among the great Indian philosophical classics.
This work is an exhaustive and detailed commentary on the Anuvyakhyana of Sri Madhwa, the founder of the Dvaita School of Philosophy, which in its turn, is a gloss on the Brahma Sutras. Sumadhvavijaya records that Madhwa wrote Anuvyakhyana at the request of his disciples, in addition to his original Brahma Sutra Bhashya to cover in great depth all the finer and esoteric points of his philosophy, which could only be briefly touched upon in the original Bhashya for contextual reasons.
It is universally admitted in the Dvaita tradition that the depth and breadth of the philosophical ocean of Tatvavada can only be appreciated with the help of the Nyaya Sudha. In a very attractive and lucid style, Sri Jayatirtha not only presents and strongly defends almost all the important philosophical and epistemological issues from the Dvaita point of view, but also severely criticises other major philosophical systems of this country such as the Bauddha, Jaina, Nyaya-Vaisesika, Bhatta-Prabhakara Mimamsa, Advaita and Visishtadvaita.

Thus, in the Dvaita tradition, the work is held in very high esteem and it is believed that scholarship in Dvaita Vedanta is incomplete without a thorough study of this monumental work.
The present volume by Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. B.N.K. Sharma, the internationally reputed scholar in Dvaita Vedanta, is an abridged English rendering of the last three chapters of the Nyaya Sudha, namely Avirodha-adhyaya, Sadhana-adhyaya and Phala-adhyaya.
Dr. Sharma, whose outstanding contribution to the studies in Dvaita Vedanta, has enabled the system to earn its rightful place among the Indian philosophical systems in the present time, has brought out the essence of the Samanvaya adhyaya of the Nyaya Sudha in the first two volumes.
As in his earlier two volumes, here also he has brought out the essence of the work in a manner, which can be aptly described as marvellous.
However, it seems he was constrained to finish the work in a relatively small gloss as is evident from the fact that while he devoted two volumes to discuss the points made in the Samanvaya adhyaya, he has covered the whole of the remaining three chapters in just one volume, in just 110 pages.
But, this has not seriously detracted from the value of his contribution, as he brings to full play his own mastery of the subject, erudition, conviction, great devotion to the lineage of Madhwacharya and authority on a difficult subject.
One wishes that a more detailed explanatory effort would be available in course of time. Nevertheless, what has been summarised and discussed in this small volume, is sufficient to throw light on the important points discussed in the Anuvyakhyana and Nyaya Sudha and to arouse our curiosity about the original text. The author is well known for his penchant in highlighting the original contribution of Madhwa and Jayatirtha to Indian philosophy.
In the present work also, he has shown as to how Madhwa and Jayatirtha not only stand apart from the other philosophers of this country due to the originality of their interpretations, but have also successfully given a total, consistent system with wide spread roots based not only on Upanishads, but on Vedas themselves, supplemented by Smrithi literature.
Citing the interpretation of the first Sutra of Smrtyadhikarana, he shows as to how the gloss of Madhwa on this adhikarana and also the commentary thereon by Jayatirtha makes the Sutra "Smrtyanavakasha... " more effective in presenting the Purvapaksha and Siddhanta which otherwise would appear to be equally strong.
Again, in the next adhikarana called "Na-vilakshanatvadhikarana" which is considered as an important one, as this, according to Madhwa, upholds by various means, the self-validity of Vedas — the absolutely basic foundation for the later development of philosophical thoughts, implicitly accepted by all Vedanta schools.
In this adhikarana, Madhwa makes a presentation of epistemology, from the Dvaita point of view. Dr. Sharma here draws our attention to the contribution of Madhwa in upholding the validity of Smrithi (recollection).
Madhwa anticipates and convincingly answers the objections raised by some modern philosophers as to how the cessation of the previous state could be the object of memory.
In these three chapters Madhwa and Jayatirtha discuss many interesting and core metaphysical issues such as, Bimba-Pratibimba relation and the Amsha-Amshi relation between the Jivas and Brahman, the agency of the Jivas, the nature of Bhakti, the nature of Moksha etc.
Dr. Sharma, though very brief, has been successful in highlighting the unique contribution of the Dvaita School on these issues. The scholarly preface and appendices, particularly the one, which sheds new light on Acintya bhedaabhedavada of Gaudiya Vaishnavism vis-à-vis Madhwa view, have enhanced the value of the volume.
One wishes that it could have been more detailed. But, Dr. Sharma's contribution is still very useful to the serious students of Tatvavada, to be used as an authoritative source for reference material to be supplemented by the original quotations and glosses for an in-depth examination or study.

-Prof D. PRAHLADA CHAR
Fromer Vice Chancellor SV Samskruta vidya peetham Tirupathi

Courtesy : THE HINDU Tuesday, May 21, 2002