It gives the Academy much pleasure to offer this the third volume of SRIBHASHYAM. The preparation and publication of critical editions of the works of Acharya Sri Ramanuja is one of the major undertakings of the Academy. The critical edition of Sribhashyam, the Acharya's masterly work, is the first project in this effort. The first volume of Sribhashyam was published in 1985 and the second in 1987.
The first volume presented the introductory portion of Sribhashyam in which Acharya Sri Ramanuja dealt with the opening four Brahmasutras of the first chapter. The exigesis of the rest of the chapter was included in the second volume. This volume presents the second chapter of the text, known as Avirodhadhyaya. This is the penultimate volume. The last volume will take us to the end of the text covering the last two chapters, Sadhanadhyaha and Phaladhyaya.
Acharya Sri Ramanuja has devoted his discussion in Avirodhadhyaya to the inconsistencies that are seen in the earlier schools of thought and has put forward his thesis by meticulously resolving the contradictions seen in these schools. It is in this chapter that the Acharya has firmly argued the case for depicting Parabrahman as the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the Universe comprising both sentient and insentient beings.
In the foreword to the first volume a brief account of the place of Sribhashyam in Vedic literature was given.
Some extracts from it were presented in the second volume. I wish to take the liberty of inviting the reader to peruse the former, instead of burdening this foreward with a repetition.
However there is one point which bears repetition here. The volumes on Sribhashyam are the first in a series which will include critical editions of all of Sri Ramanuja's writings on Visistadvaita. The Academy hopes to follow on with the publication of other works of the Visistadvaita school. All of this effort will have yielded research by-products. And it is the cherished hope of the Academy that such research in turn will be a step in its endeavour to build up comparative studies which would illuminate various other schools of philosophical thought prevalent in the country and elsewhere.
A basic aim of the Academy is to offer the principal works of our scriptural literature to the present generation of scholars and researchers in authoritative, well-referenced user-friendly editions. As in the case of the earlier volumes the signal contribution of this volume is in the appendices. The appendices are an attempt to provide in condensed form all the adjuncts and facilities needed by the scholarly reader.
The working Editor of this series, Vidwan N. S. Ramabhadracharya has continued his good work to produce a volume of high excellence. My thanks on behalf of the Academy are due to him. The scholars associated with him have worked with single-minded devotion and to the best of their ability. The Academy is grateful to them.
In this connection the Academy is much beholden to the distinguished scholars, who as members of the Scrutiny Committee, have contributed to the merits of this work.
It gives me pleasure to present the THIRD VOLUME of the critically edited SRIBHASHYAM in the hands of lovers of Sanskrit and Philosophy. Volumes I and II were published in 1985 and 1987 respectively. The fourth and final volume is in the press.
Sribhashyam, a voluminous commentary written by Sri Ramanuja is the most faithful exposition of Maharshi Badarayana's BRAHMASUTRA. Any ardent student of philosophy cannot but appreciate the vehemence and impre-gnability of his argumentation in support of Savisesadvaita. The text is divided into four chapters (adhyayas) of which Chapter I, called Samanvayadhyaya was covered in Volumes I & II.
In the first chapter it is conclusively proved that the Supreme Brahman is distinct from the matter (insentient) and from the individual self (sentient) both in the state of liberation and that of bondage. It is also shown that it is an epitome of perfection, the repository of infinite good qualities.
Chapter II is the subject matter of the present volume. This is called Avirodhadhyaya, since the conclusion that Brahman is the sole cause of this universe is demonstrated to be unassailable from every possible objection with powerful logic in this chapter.
In the first two sections of the second chapter the views of two respected authorities viz., Kapila & Hiranyagarbha, which are at variance with the Vedantic point of view are examined and set aside. In the other eight sections, different arguments assailing the view that Brahman alone is the cause of the universe, based on independent reasoning and logic, are examined and refused.
The Academy is thankful to Vidwan N.S. Ramabhadracharya and his assistants for their sincere and devoted work in this volume. The Academy is indebted to Panditaratnam K. S. Varadacharya and other scholars who have scrutinized the manuscript thoroughly. Thanks are due to Sri N. S. Janardanacharya who has read the press proofs.
I remain grateful to our President Sri M.A.S. Rajan for his personal guidance at all levels in the activities of the Academy. It is my duty to pay my respectful thanks to the Secretary of the Academy, Sri Gururaj, Commissioner for Religious and Charitable Endowments in Karnataka and the other members of the Managing Committee, who are whole-heartedly supporting these research and publication activities.
do Sincere thanks are due to M/s. Vivek Printers of Mysore who have printed this work nicely.
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