The Philosophy of Pancaratra: An Advaitic Approach

The Pancaratra school has an important place exerting its great influence on the culture, philosophy and religion of India. It has a very ancient origin shrouded in mystery. The scholars have not given the same attention to the Agama literature as they have done as regards the Vedic literature. Whatever notice has been taken of the Pancaratra literature. Whatever notice has been taken of the Pancaratra literature by some eminent scholars both in the east and in the west, is not adequate.

It is generally supposed that the Pancaratra teaching is more inclined towards Ramanujacarya's Visistadvaita than to Sankaracarya's Advaita. It is the main contention of the present author in tis study that it is a superficial understanding of the Pancaratra that has led to this misconception. He is of the firm opinion that in spite of some of the doctrines which are suggestive of the Visistadvaita Philosophy, there is an overwhelming evidence in the texts which convincingly indicates the basic advaitic position of the Pancaratra school.

About the Author:

Professor Siddheshwar Rameshwar Bhatt, Chairman, ICPR, is an eminent philosopher and Sanskritist, He was General President of Indian Philosophical Congress and Akhil Bharatiya Darshan Parishad (All India Philosophy Association). He retired as Professor and Head, and Coordinator of UGC Special Assistnce Programme, Department of Philosophy, University of Delhi, Delhi. For some time he was Professor and Head, Department of Philosophy, M.S. University, Vadodara.

He has authored and edited 21 books and has more than 200 published research papers to his credit. His important publications are Studies in Ramanuja Vedanta; Knowledge, Values and Education; Buddhist Epistemology; The Concepts of Atman and Paramatman in Indian Thought; Vedic Wisdom, Cultural Inheritance and Contemporary Life; Major Religions of the World; Applied Philosophy, Value Theory and Business Ethics; Nyayamanjari of Jayanta Bhatta (Hindi translation of one part from Sanskrit). This apart he got collected and classified in eight volumes all the papers on Buddhism published in Indian Antiquary and Indian Historical Quarterly since the inception of these journals.