World View

World View

The school of Madhva is a realistic school of Vedanta Philosophy . The main feature of the realism is that it accepts the objective world as real, that is to say, the world is not a mere mental projection. It is there in space and time as different from the mind.

MadhvAs would like to view Reality as divided into two categories

1. Independent Reality (Svatantra Tattva) and

2. Dependent Reality (Asvatantra Tattva).

The necessity of the Knowledge of Svatantra Tattva and Asvatantra Tattva

There are certain souls in this universe, which desire pure happiness not mixed with sorrow. Such happiness can be attained only if one is liberated from bondage of this Samsara. The means of liberation, as categorically stated in all the Holy Scriptures, is the knowledge that Ishvara is the chief efficient cause of 8-fold activity viz., creation, protection, destruction, sustenance, knowledge, ignorance, bondage and liberation of this Universe. Thus the knowledge of Ishvara is most essential for obtaining liberation. Also, to know that Ishvara is creator etc, one has to first have the knowledge of the created etc. Thus we conclude that the knowledge of the Universe with all its diversities also becomes essential for a person desiring liberation.

Here one can ask a question – What is the topic of all Holy Scriptures? Is it Ishvara or the Universe or both?

If Ishvara is the topic of all Scriptures then the knowledge about the Universe becomes unnecessary. Similarly, if Universe is the topic of all Scriptures then the knowledge about Ishvara becomes unnecessary. The third option is also ruled out as one Text cannot have two main topics.

True. We accept that main topic of all Scriptures is no doubt Ishvara himself. By this one need not question the need for the knowledge of the Universe. It is also essential, though its status is not same as that of Isvara’s knowledge. Ishvara is the primary topic. The universe is the secondary topic. A text can have only one main topic but there can be many secondary topics. Therefore there is no question of any inconsistency.

Categorizing Reality into Independent and Dependent is one of the unique features of Madhva’s realism. Reality, on the other hand, could have been categorized as Existent and Non-Existent reality. But according to Madhva, this kind of view would have been fruitless. One should attempt to understand the world in such a way that it would bring him utmost good (Liberation). This is only possible if the entire world is understood as dependent upon one single all power-full independent entity called Ishvara. Understanding in any other way would be futile like counting the sand particles on the banks of the Holy River Ganga. A dip in that holy river instead would cleanse one off all his sins.