[Advaita-l] Very clear short discourse on the three systems, Tamil. One can perhaps use Gemini to get an English version.

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 8:19 AM Raghav Kumar Dwivedula via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste Subbu ji
>
> People often ask - why are there three systems instead of just one. In
> fact, i would say there are more than three if we include Vallabhacharya
> and Nimbarka’s systems.
>
> I hope the speaker made it clear that Advaita,  if not misrepresented,
> subsumes these other systems by validating all devotion, worship and
> meditation upon Mahāviṣṇu etc. Only the sectarian theology of these Hindu
> cults is dismissed.
>

Dear Raghav ji,

I felt exactly the same as above.  While there is enough quota of Bhakti to
Vishnu in Shankara's prasthana traya bhashyas, no one can call Advaita
wanting in that. Just a couple of examples:

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीताभाष्यम्नवमोऽध्यायःश्लोक २२ - भाष्यम्………न हि ते जीविते मरणे
वा आत्मनः गृद्धिं कुर्वन्ति ;* केवलमेव **भगवच्छरणाः ते ; अतः भगवानेव तेषां
योगक्षेमं वहतीति* ॥………

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीताभाष्यम्त्रयोदशोऽध्यायःश्लोक १८ - भाष्यम्

………वासुदेवे समर्पितसर्वात्मभावः, *यत् पश्यति शृणोति स्पृशति वा ‘सर्वमेव
भगवान् वासुदेवः’ इत्येवंग्रहाविष्टबुद्धिः मद्भक्तः स एतत् यथोक्तं
सम्यग्दर्शनं विज्ञाय, मद्भावाय मम भावः………*

The above reminds one of the state of Prahlada described in the Bhagavatam:
कृष्णग्रहाविष्टचित्तः as though he was possessed by the spirit called
Krishna.

Here is what Sri Maheshananda Giri wrote in an introduction to the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhashya published by his institute in Varanasi:

// We have been studying the different commentators, such as
Srikantha, Ramanuja,
Vallabha, Nimbarka, Baladeva, Srikara, Madhva and the moderners, for over
fifty years now. We have seen that apart from the criticism of the
Advaita-view,
there is little more in the content of their traditional view that is not
found in Shankara, or is not just a logical corollary of what he has said.

It is our challenge that apart from logic-chipping, not a single spiritual
fibre, which has not been either supported or contradicted by Shankara, can
be shown in the works of these commentators. All the statements of the
other commentators about God, are melted down in the crucible of the
concept of Saguna Brahman of Shankara. The concept of Brahman of Srikantha
and Ramanuja is practically identical with Shankara's concept of Ishwara,
and they rarely try to contradict it.

Similarly, Shankara's concept of Virat or Sutratman takes care of
Madhva, Vallabha
and others.

Thus, what they contradict, is the range outside their vision. Had they
been true traditionalists, they would have presented differentfacets of the
same Truth which Shankara had presented. When it comes to present a
positive aspect of the spiritual Being, they have little to say, though they
roar to assert what it is not. This gives the lie to their having received
a different unbroken tradition.

......but the traditionalist that Shankara was, he never criticised or disowned
the views of Virat,Hiranyagarbha or Ishwara. He rather developed complete
harmony between them. Thus, without any fear of contradiction, we can say
that Shankara's is THE Hindu tradition. //

warm regards

subbu



> Om
> Raghav
>
> On Sun, 25 Jan 2026 at 11:22 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > https://youtu.be/4lxQZQaiN0s?si=ZNjtSYXUowSPu7mL
> >
> > Very clear discourse on the three systems, Tamil. One can perhaps use
> > Gemini to get an English version.
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