scholarly journals An Examination of ‘Brahmavādinī’ in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

2011 ◽  
Vol null (33) ◽  
pp. 31-58
Author(s):  
성청환
Keyword(s):  
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

scholarly journals The Food, Water, Air and Fire Doctrines in Ancient Indian and Greek Philosophies from a Comparative Perspective

Asian Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-320
Author(s):  
Lenart Škof
Keyword(s):  
Natural Philosophy ◽  
Comparative Perspective ◽  
Natural Philosopher ◽  
Ancient India ◽  
Vedic Period ◽  
Chāndogya Upaniṣad ◽  
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ◽  
Intercultural Philosophy

The main aim of this article lies in the comparison of ancient cosmico-natural elements from the Vedic period with their counterparts in the Presocratics, with a focus on food, air, water and fire. By way of an introduction to the ancient elemental world, we first present the concept of food (anna) as an idiosyncratic Vedic teaching of the ancient elements. This is followed by our first comparison—of Raikva’s natural philosophy of Vāyu/prāṇa with Anaximenes’s pneûma/aér teaching in the broader context of both the Vedic and Presocratic teachings on the role of air/breath. Secondly, water as brought to us in pañcāgnividyā teaching from Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad and Chāndogya Upaniṣad is compared to the teaching of the Greek natural philosopher Thales. Finally, the teaching on fire as heat being present in all beings (agni vaiśvānara) and in relation to cosmic teachings on fire in the ancient Vedic world are compared to Heraclitus’ philosophy of fire as an element. Additionally, this article also presents a survey and analysis of some of the key representatives of comparative and intercultural philosophy dealing with the elemental and natural philosophy of ancient India and Greece.

scholarly journals Bhartṛprapañca and the Eight States of Brahman

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Ivan Andrijanić
Keyword(s):  
Tentative Conclusion ◽  
Ancient India ◽  
Gradual Evolution ◽  
Religious Systems ◽  
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

<p>A gradual evolution of Brahman in eight successive states is described and criticized in Śaṅkara’s commentary on <em>Bṛhadāraṇyaka-Upaniṣad</em> and in Sureśvara’s and Ānandagiri’s sub-commentaries where the teaching is attributed to Bhartṛprapañca, an ancient Bhedābhedavādin whose commentary on BĀU is now lost. This paper examines fragmentary records of the teaching of Brahman’s evolution and tries to interpret different categories mentioned in different accounts of the teaching by comparing these terms with same or similar categories in other philosophical and religious systems of ancient India in order to understand Bhartṛprapañca’s original eight-fold scheme and its meaning. Tentative conclusion might be that Ānandagiri conveyed Bhartṛprapañca’s scheme literally while Śaṅkara and Sureśvara paraphrased it very freely. </p>

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