Vedanta in Motion
Three Major Schools of Hindu Philosophy
From Shankara to Ramanuja
to Madhva and Beyond
‘Custodians of One
Timeless Sanatana Dharma’
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
November 7, 2025
Over time, I had the
divine privilege to interact with and seek blessings from representatives of
Advaita, Visistadvaita, and Dvaita philosophies of our times, which subtly
transformed my understanding of India’s Living Philosophical Heritage.
In fact, I found myself comforted in the holy presence of four luminous
pontiffs, amidst the resonance of Vedic Chants. I felt the meets less like an
encounter and more like an initiation into the continuum of Vedantic Realization,
a reminder that Indian philosophy is not an abstraction buried in ancient
commentaries but a living current that flows through realized beings who carry
forward the quest for truth with grace and clarity.
The four learned
pontiffs are: Jagadgurus Sri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swami of the Kanchi
Kamakoti Peetham and Sri Vidushekhara Bharathi Swami of the Sringeri Sharada
Peetham (both continuing the Advaita wisdom founded by Adi Shankaracharya), Sri
Subudhendra Tirtha Swami of the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt at Mantralaya
(professing the Dvaita tradition propounded by Madhvacharya), and Sri Tridandi Srimannaarayana
Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swami of the Ramanujacharya Sampradaya, the radiant
messenger of Visistadvaita whose compassion embraces both scholarship and
service.
Over centuries, India’s
philosophical quest for truth has never been a static pursuit of metaphysical
speculation but an unbroken stream of realization flowing through the
Upanishadic Wisdom, tempered by time and rediscovered by great seers. Among
them, Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, and Madhvacharya stand as luminous
milestones who gave form and focus to Vedanta through their distinct visions.
Advaita, Visistadvaita,
and Dvaita the three major schools of Hindu philosophy differ sharply on
the relationship between the individual soul (Atman) and the ultimate reality
(Brahman). Advaita (Absolute Non-dualism) postulates non-duality,
where the individual soul is identical to Brahman, viewing the world as an
illusion (Maya). Dvaita is dualistic, holding that the individual
soul and Brahman are completely separate
entities. Visistadvaita presents qualified non-dualism, stating the
individual soul is part of the supreme soul but remains distinct, with the
world being real, not an illusion.
These philosophies were
established by key acharyas (teachers) within the Vedanta Tradition, each
offering a distinct interpretation of the relationship between the individual
soul (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman). These schools of thought
are rooted in the interpretations of foundational Hindu Texts, primarily the
Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras. While the foundational
texts are ancient, these specific, formalized philosophical schools developed
and gained prominence during the medieval period in India.
These philosophies are
not relics confined to manuscripts. They continue to breathe through the lives
and teachings of the spiritual masters who embody them in the present day. In
that living continuum, one encounters with deep reverence the grace and
guidance of pontiffs such as the Sringeri Jagadguru Vidushekhara Bharathi
Swami, the Kanchi Kamakoti Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swami, the Mantralaya
Head Subudhendra Tirtha, and the Tridandi Srimannaarayana Ramanuja Chinna
Jeeyar Swami, each carrying the flame of their respective philosophical
traditions with purity, discipline, and profound compassion.
The journey began in
the eighth century when Adi Shankaracharya, as if divinely ordained, arose at a
time of spiritual disarray. When the decline of Vedic Authority, the rise of
ritual orthodoxy and sectarian friction, and the spread of unorthodox ideas
from Buddhism and Jainism had fragmented the Indian mind, Shankara’s Advaita
Vedanta emerged not as a dogma but as a synthesis, a grand metaphysical
reconciliation proclaiming the oneness of Brahman and the essential identity of
the individual soul (Atman) with that Absolute Reality.
Prior to Shankara, the Mimamsa
school emphasized strict ritualism (karma-kanda) as the primary path to
liberation, often sidelining the philosophical and introspective portions of
the Vedas and Upanishads. Shankara sought to restore the pre-eminence of the
Upanishadic teachings (Jnana-Kanda) which focus on self-knowledge. Shankara
engaged in extensive debates with scholars from these traditions, aiming to
demonstrate the supremacy of Vedic philosophy and differentiate Advaita concept
of an eternal Atman (Self) from the Buddhist concept of anatta (no-self).
When
Hinduism was fragmented into various warring sects (Shaivism, Vaishnavism,
Shaktism, etc.) and each often claiming its chosen deity was supreme and
engaging in morally questionable practices, leading to spiritual confusion and
disunity, Shankara philosophy provided a cohesive framework to address these
challenges. And accordingly, the Key Thoughts Behind Shankara Philosophy were: Brahman is
the Sole Reality, Atman and Brahman are Identical,
Knowledge (Jnana) as the Path, Harmonization of Deities, Logic and Reason,
create an organized monastic order through Establishment of Centers to
systematically transmit knowledge of Advaita Vedanta, and ensure the
preservation and spread of Vedic Sanatana Dharma across the subcontinent.
The world, Adi
Shankaracharya declared, was not unreal but transient and relative, a
manifestation of Maya, which veils the truth of unity. His emphasized Jnana,
knowledge born of inner awakening, became the royal path to liberation.
Shankara’s brilliance lay not merely in argument but in organization. Adi
Shankara established four great Peethams at Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri, and
Badrinath, ensuring that the Advaita flame would never fade. Kanchi Kamakoti
Peetham though not one of the four, is part of the monastic tradition that
originates from Adi Shankara, often associated with the Saint Paramacharya who
greatly contributed to it in the 20th Century.
Sringeri Sharada
Peetham and Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham remain twin pillars of Advaita Tradition.
The Sringeri Peetham continues as an intellectual and spiritual beacon for over
a millennium. Its 37th pontiff, the Jagadguru Sri Vidushekhara
Bharathi Swami, represents a rare confluence of youthful energy and ancient
wisdom. His erudition, simplicity, and emphasis on Vedic Learning reflect the
continuing strength of Advaita’s inner discipline. His discourses radiate the
message that, Advaita is not relaxing philosophy but the practical way to
dissolve ego and foster unity amid diversity.
Complementing Sringeri
in the Advaita chain has been the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, especially through
the long and luminous line of Paramacharya the 68th Jagadguru,
Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Shankaracharya Maha Swami, who carried
the tradition forward with spiritual refinement. Its current 70th Pontiff,
Jagadguru Sri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swami, upholds that legacy
with scholarly insight and quiet activism. His life reflects Jnana in
action, blending contemplation with compassionate engagement.
His visits to various
parts of India, including recent one to Skanda Giri Temple in Hyderabad, evoke
the living presence of Advaita as he harmonizes Vedic Ritualism with inner
knowledge. Under His guidance, the Kanchi Tradition continues to link
metaphysical subtlety with cultural preservation, encouraging the study of
Sanskrit, Logic, and Classical Arts, while spreading the message that knowledge
without humility is incomplete. Both Sringeri and Kanchi thus stand as mirror
images of the same luminous Advaita truth and the same divine consciousness.
A few centuries after Adi
Shankaracharya (In the Eleventh Century), Ramanujacharya through His Visistadvaita
Vedanta, reshaped the devotional landscape of India. He accepted the
Upanishadic essence of unity but qualified it with individuality, asserting
that the soul and the world are real yet inseparable parts of Brahman, who is
endowed with infinite attributes. His Saguna Brahman, a personal God,
Vishnu or Narayana, became both the goal and the means of liberation. For
Ramanuja, love transcends logic, Bhakti and Prapatti (complete
surrender) replace intellectual abstraction with intimate relationship. His
philosophy emerged from compassion, by opening gates of spiritual participation
to all castes and communities.
In our own time, the
radiant torch of Ramanuja Visistadvaita Tradition is held by Sri Tridandi Srimannaarayana
Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swami, a contemporary visionary who has made Visistadvaita
not only comprehensible but globally resonant. His establishment of the
colossal Statue of Equality near Hyderabad, which was inaugurated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5, 2022, is not mere architectural
grandeur, but it symbolizes the equality of all beings before God, a principle
Ramanuja lived and died for.
His discourses,
delivered with logical clarity and emotional warmth, transform theology into a
moral movement. His mission at JIVA Ashram near Muchintal, established in 2008
as an offering to Sri Srimannaarayana Pedda Jeeyar Swamiji on the occasion of His
centenary celebrations, integrates ancient wisdom with modern technology,
combining Vedic Education with humanitarian projects. In Him, one witnesses how
the essence of Visistadvaita, the harmony of unity and diversity, translates
into social inclusiveness and active compassion.
In the thirteenth
century arose Madhvacharya, the robust exponent of Dvaita Vedanta, who
reasserted the eternal difference between the individual soul and the Supreme
God. To him, duality was not a defect but divine design that, God is
independent, while the soul and the universe depend on Him absolutely. Madhva
philosophy was realistic, devotional, and unambiguous. Against the monistic
tendencies of his time, he asserted the Panchabheda, the five eternal
distinctions between God, Soul, and Matter. His vision affirmed that liberation
is not merging into Brahman but realizing one’s bliss in eternal service to
Vishnu. This pluralistic realism preserved individuality within devotion and
inspired a deep personal relationship with the Divine.
Dvaita finds
contemporary expression through the Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, whose
spiritual magnetism radiates from Mantralaya. Its present head, Sri
Subudhendra Tirtha Swamiji, the 40th Pontiff in the Madhva line,
combines scholarship with serene devotion. His teachings and discourses
reaffirm the rational and emotional balance of Madhvacharya Philosophy. The
Mutt at Mantralaya and its centers such as Barkatpura in Hyderabad continue to
attract seekers who value faith anchored in intellect. His message emphasizes
that surrender to God need not deny the world but can transform it into an
arena of divine service. His outreach and disciplined monastic leadership keep
alive the spirit of Raghavendra Swamy.
These three Vedantic
systems, Advaita, Visistadvaita, and Dvaita, are not rival claims to
metaphysical supremacy but complementary articulations of the same ineffable
truth. Advaita reveals the unity underlying multiplicity, Visistadvaita
celebrates the unity that accommodates difference, and Dvaita protects the
individuality that makes love possible. The three together form a complete
circle of realization, thought, devotion, and grace. Each philosophical path
meets the seeker where they stand: Shankara’s through introspection and
knowledge, Ramanuja’s through surrender and love, and Madhva’s through devotion
and faith. What unites them is the central conviction that human life finds
fulfillment only when ego dissolves in awareness of the Supreme.
In the contemporary age
of material distractions and spiritual confusion, the continuing presence of
these pontiffs is not merely institutional continuity but civilizational
reassurance. They demonstrate how ancient wisdom can be lived, not just
learned. The Sringeri and Kanchi Peetaadhipathis inspire disciplined
contemplation, the Jeeyar Swami inspires compassionate activism, and the
Mantralaya Pontiff inspires faith and intellectual devotion. Each, in His own
sphere, becomes a living commentary on the eternal scriptures. The challenge
they address is not philosophical debate but existential disconnection, the
need to rediscover divinity within daily life. Through their teachings, the Vedic
and Upanishadic Message regains contemporary meaning for ‘Tat Tvam Asi-That
Thou Art’ which signifies the ultimate unity between the individual self
and the universal consciousness, thus not as metaphysical jargon but as existed
experience.
Philosophy in India has
never been divorced from practice. The seers of the past and the pontiffs of
the present have known that realization is not in argument but in alignment of
thought, word, and deed. Adi Shankara wrote commentaries, and is widely
believed to have walked barefoot across the Indian
subcontinent multiple times (or two times as some say) during his short
life of 32 years (788–820 CE) to propagate his philosophy of Advaita Vedanta.
This extensive travel, known as the Digvijaya Yatra (tour of
conquest), is a core part of his traditional biography and legacy.
When Ramanuja expounded
Bhakti, he built temples and communities where equality could be lived.
When Madhva taught dualism, he established Mathas that preserved both
learning and service. Their modern successors mirror the same mission, scholarship
fused with humility, ritual linked with meaning, devotion allied with
understanding. If one listens deeply, one hears in their voices the same cosmic
dialogue between God and Human Being, Self and Soul, Reason and Revelation. It
is this dialogue that keeps Vedanta alive and in motion, flowing from
Shankara to Ramanuja to Madhva and beyond.
For beyond them lies
not a new philosophy but the eternal possibility of synthesis, the realization
that truth is many sided, and that the Divine accommodates all seekers, from
the philosopher in meditation to the devotee in prayer. Vedanta thus remains
not a closed system but a living conversation, dynamic, inclusive, and
compassionate. And in that conversation, the four Southern India Pontiffs of
our time, but equally celebrated Allover India and Globally, are not merely
guardians of tradition but interpreters of eternity, showing that in every age,
truth renews itself through those who live it.
India, long celebrated
not only for its religious tolerance but for its unique ability to nurture and
propel entire streams of thought from the fountain of the Vedic Religion, the
Hindu Way of Life that is far more than a religion, stands today as the living
cradle of plural spirituality. Yet, in some uninformed and unconcerned circles,
one occasionally hears the critique that the three great Vedantic Philosophies,
or even the broader traditions of Vaishnavism and Shaivism, represent incompatible
divisions within Hinduism. The truth, however, lies in a deeper synthesis that,
these are not contradictions but supplementary and complementary expressions of
the same eternal search for the Absolute.
Still, for the world to
perceive this unity beyond diversity, it would be an epochal moment, if and
only the four Illustrious Pontiffs, the live Gods of our times, Sri Shankara
Vijayendra Saraswathi Swami, Sri Vidushekhara Bharathi Swami, Sri Ramanuja
Chinna Jeeyar Swami, and Sri Subudhendra Tirtha, were to share a common Divine
Platform, as ‘Custodians of One Timeless Sanatana Dharma.’ If they,
together and consciously, declare from a shared platform that all philosophies
ultimately converge into the boundless expanse of Sanatana Dharma, it
would silence every superficial distinction and reaffirm India’s Spiritual Integrity
before the world.
Well then, here is a
conscious plea to ponder: the one who takes the first step toward that sacred
convergence would indeed be remembered as a Mahatma Among Pontiffs,
a true bridge between the past, present, and the future of the Great Indian Thought.
Let us await for that auspicious day when the unity in diversity, that already
exists in essence shines also in expression, and when Sanatana Dharma
once again reveals itself as the undying heart of India’s soul.
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