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Essay name: Sankalpa Suryodaya of Venkatanatha (Critical Study)

Author: R. Laxmi
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit

This is an English study of the Sankalpa Suryodaya—an allegorical Sanskrit drama by Venkatanatha, a distinguished philosopher-poet and dramatist of the Vishishtadvaita Vedanta tradition. This work of Venkata-natha (or, Vedanta Deshika). stands out for integrating allegory to convey moral and philosophical truths. The thesis examines its place in Sanskrit literature.

Chapter 5 - Philosophical doctrines

Page:

19 (of 28)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


Download the PDF file of the original publication


Warning! Page nr. 19 has not been proofread.

281
In the Visiṣṭādvaita Philosophy and religion Goddess Lakṣmi is given prime
importance next to Lord Nārāyaṇa. Venkaṭanātha enlaces this Tattva also in the
garland of other important tenets. This Tattva is described as below:
38 "The Goddess Lakṣmi is the divine wealth of Viṣṇu who is the Celestial Cow
that yields whatever is asked for by the world, who is the fullest treasure of all lovely
and auspicious things, who is the extreme limit of compassion and who is the
eternally fragrant garland on the head of the Vedas (i.e., the Upanisads) It is
further said that Goddess Laksmi, the Consort of Lord Nārāyaṇa assumes different
forms appropriate to the forms of the Lord in his manifestaions.³
Goddess Laksmi points to Her Nityaviyogittva with the Lord.
This role of
So far as the concept of Jīva is concerned, Venkaṭanātha refers to another
type of the Jīva i.e. Baddha or the bound Jīva. The bound Jīvas are those who are
not freed from the empirical existence. These bound Jivas are again divided into
many groups. The Puruṣa or the Individual Soul who is boosted up from all corners
in the drama by Viveka comes under the group of Dharmapara Jīvas who are
devoted to none other than Lord Nārāyaṇa. The Puruṣa spoken of in the drama may
be called Jijñāsu or the seekers of Knowledge. Such a seeker of Knowledge is a
votary of self realization and of release from Saṃsāra. Self-realization arises from
pure Knowledge of Brahman. The votaries of Mokṣa are the devotees of Lord as
well as Prapannas i.e. those who have completely surrendered themselves to God
and through the means of Prapatti attain Mokṣa.
The Visiṣṭādvaita Vedānta ordains some means to liberation when the Jīva is
treading the path of Mokṣa, he has to offer eight flowers to the Lord i.e. he has to
observe Ahimsā, Indriyajaya, Dayā, Kṣamā, Jñāna, Tapas, Dhyāna and Satya. By
following all these disciplines strictly, all sins are removed. He should possessed
38.
कल्याणानामविकलनिधि� कापि कारुण्यसीमा नित्यामोदा निगमवचसा� मौलिमन्दारमाला �
संपद्दिव्य� मधुविजयिनः संनिधत्तां रादा मे सैषा देवी सकलभुवनप्रार्थनाकामधेनुः �
[kalyāṇānāmavikalanidhi� kāpi kāruṇyasīmā nityāmodā nigamavacasā� maulimandāramālā |
saṃpaddivyā madhuvijayina� saṃnidhattā� rādā me saiṣ� devī sakalabhuvanaprārthanākāmadhenu� ||
]
S.S. VII-24, p.631
39.
यद्भावेष� पृथग्विधेष्वनुगुणान् भावान् स्वय� बिभ्रती
यद्धमैरि� धर्मिणी विहरते नानाकृतिर्नायिका ||
[yadbhāveṣu pṛthagvidheṣvanuguṇān bhāvān svaya� bibhratī
yaddhamairiha dharmiṇ� viharate nānākṛtirnāyikā ||
]
S.S. 1-6, p.23

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