Vaiṣṇavism: Its Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Discipline

Front Cover
Motilal Banarsidass Publishe, 1994 - Philosophy - 383 pages
This is a scholarly book on one of the oldest living relgions of India. Tracing the basic tenets of Vaisnavism to the hymns of Rgveda the earliest religious literature of the world, the author has shown how an ancient cult has developed itself by successive stages into a well formulated monotheistic system in the hands of Ramanuja and his illustrious followers. In the second part of the book the fundamental philosophical theories of Visistadvaita Vedanta are presented to prove that Vaisnavism is not a mere religious cult, but has a credible philosophic foundation.
 

Contents

Monotheism of Rgveda
3
Vişņu in the Upaniṣads
13
Vaisnavism in the Tamil Hymns of Aivars
19
Development of Vaisnavism in the PostRamanuja
26
Sourcebooks for Vaisnavism
35
PART II
49
THE DOCTRINE OF INDIVIDUAL SELF
67
THE DOCTRINE OF COSMIC MATTER
83
VIŞŅU AND HIS INCARNATIONS
207
Vibhava Avatāra
218
Antaryami Avatara
226
VIŞŅU AND NITYAVIBHŪTI
233
VIŞŅU AND JIVA
245
Freedom of the Soul
251
Obstacles for Attainment of Supreme Goal
257
VIŞŅU AS SUPREME GOAL OF LIFE
287

Viśiṣṭādvaita Theory of Material Causality
90
The Theory of Time
96
The Concept of Bhaktiyoga in the Bhagavadgītā
103
The Theory of Bhaktiyoga
111
THE DOCTRINE OF MOKŞA
121
VIŞŅU AS SUPREME BEING 131156
131
VIȘŅU AND GODDESS ŚRĪ 157183
157
VIŞŅU AND HIS ATTRIBUTES 185205
185
RELIGIOUS DISCIPLINE OF VAIȘNAVISM
303
Universal Character of Vaisnava Ethical Values
327
CONCLUSION
333
GLOSSARY
345
BIBLIOGRAPHY
365
INDEX
373
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