DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEVALADVAITA AND SUDDHADVAITA

What is the difference between Kevaladvaita and Shuddhadvaita?

Following are the differences between 2 Acharyas:
(Note: A) Shri Vallabhacharya B) Shankaracharya)

1) A) Vallabhacharya’s philosophy is characterized as Suddhadvaita. Also known as Brahmavada.

B) Shankaracharya’s philosophy is known as Kevaladvaita or Mayavada.

2) A) To him, Brahman is both Indeterminate and Determinate. It is Indeterminate because the qualities and forms are negatived. Negation of attributes means negation of worldly qualities. Viewed positively Brahman is determinate i.e. Possessed of divine qualities. These 2 are the aspects of one and the same Brahman.

B) Brahman is Indeterminate, but due to Maya it appears as Determinate. Indeterminate Brahman is principal and Determinate is secondary.

3) A) Purushottama is Supreme God. He is superior to Akshara Brahma.

B) Akshara Brahma is a highest concept of Brahma.

4) A) Brahma is Being, Consciousness and Bliss. It manifests itself as a Knower, Knowable and Knowledge.

B) Essence of Brahma is Knowledge.

5) A) Brahman is a Material as well as Efficient Cause of the Universe.

B) Brahman has nothing to do with the Creation; but due to Maya it appears as a Material and Efficient Cause.

6) A) Maya is an instrument by which God reveals the world from Himself. It is his divine power.

B) Maya is an illusion or ignorance which is the cause of misapprehension of the world as world and not as Brahman.

7) A) Brahman is a substratum of the opposite qualities.

B) Brahman is destitute of qualities the supposition of qualified Brahman is due to Maya. It is not real.

8) A) The world is a part of God’s ‘Being’. It is real.

B) The world is not ‘Being’ but ‘Becoming’ and appearance is due to Maya. It is Phenomenal.

9) A) The world is not Production but manifestation of God.

B) The world is a product, an appearance and not a manifestation.

10) A) The Manifestation of the world from Brahman is not a modification, but an essence of Brahman.

B) The world is a modification.

11) A) Verbal Testimony is the only Praman for knowledge about God i.e. Veda, Brahma Sutra, Bhagwat Geeta and Bhagwat, alone are authoritative. The Mimansa, the Smriti work and the other works are also accepted; provide they do not conflict with the first four.

B) Verbal Testimony i.e. Veda, Brahma Sutra and Bhagwat Geeta is no doubt considered authority but Reasons and Intuitions are also accepted.

12) A) Souls are part of God’s consciousness. They are many and also knowers.

B) Souls are not parts of God but Brahman. They are supposed to be many, on account of ignorance. In fact they are Brahman, their essence is knowledge. They are not knowers.

13) A) There is a difference between Jagat and Samsara. The world is gods work where as the Samsara is the work of the soul, under the influence of Avidya. The Jagat is Real but the Samsara is Unreal. The Samsara can be ended by the soul, but the Jagat cannot be ended except by god.

B) There is no difference between the Jagat and Samsara. Both are identical and unreal. Its apprehension can be ended only by removal of ignorance.

14) A) Devotion is the only means of the Souls union with God.

B) Knowledge is the only means for Moksha.

15) A) Moksha is the state of soul’s participation in the bliss of God.

B) Moksha means merging into Brahman.

16) A) Work and Knowledge are auxiliary to devotion only in the preliminary state.

B) Devotion is subsumed under knowledge. Work is accepted as an aid to knowledge, only for purification of mind.

17) A) Devotion is not a means but an end. It means love for God.

B) Devotion is a means and it is of nine fold nature. It is subsidiary to knowledge in the highest stage.

18) A) The soul is not only a knower, but, also a doer and an enjoyer of the fruits of the deeds.

B) The soul is neither a doer, nor an enjoyer, but its very nature. It seems to be so on account of ignorance.

19) A) Purpose of God’s creation is his Lila or Sport.

B) Brahman has no such purpose.

20) A) The relation of the soul to God is that of the part to the whole.

B) Shankaracharya says “the soul and Brahma being identical the part and whole relation between them does not exist”.

21) A) The world is a Physical (Adhibhautik) form of Brahman.

B) It is not any form of Brahman but simply an appearance.

22) A) He believes in Avikruta Parinama Vada – Theory of the change from god without modification.

B) He believes in Vivarta Vada – Theory of illusion.

23) A) All the means such as work, sacrifice, worship etc have their value in a religious life and they lead to fruit.

B) No other mean except knowledge, have any value. They are useful only in the initial stage of spiritual life.

24) A) The fruit attainment of bliss of God is Positive.

B) The goal of Moksha attained by removal of ignorance through knowledge is Negative.

25) A) The Moksha state is Blissful. It is not simply release from the worldly bondage.

B) There is no bliss in the Moksha state.

26) A) He establishes Non-Dualism of Brahman, by holding that everything is Brahman. Even objects like jars etc. are non different from God. They manifest God’s particular attributes. "Brahma Satyam Jagat Satyam".

B) He establishes his Theory of Non-Dualism by holding that the world is unreal. The object Jar etc are unreal. "Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya".

27) A) Moksha is either, by Gods entrance in the soul or by soul’s entrance in God. It is a state in which the soul’s separate entity is not lost.

B) Moksha means identification of the soul with Brahman. It is a state, in which the soul’s separate entity is lost.

28) A) The soul is Anu-infinite-Simply small, but in the state of God realization, it attains likeness and also pervasiveness of God.

B) The Soul is not Anu. It is Vibhu (Pervasive). It seems to be Anu; because of its contact with intelligence.

29) A) He accepts entire Veda as an authority for the knowledge of God.

B) He accepts only the Upanishads as an authority. Here also he accepts only that part of the Upanishad which supports his theory of the Indeterminate Brahman.

30) A) The inequalities in the world are explained by him as due to God’s will or his Lila.

B) He attributes the inequalities to Maya.

31) A) Brahma as supreme God is not only Truth and Knowledge, but also Bliss and Love. Lord Krishna represents the highest concept of Brahman.

B) Brahman is impersonal Lord Krishna is personal God and as such inferior to Impersonal Brahman, the Absolute.

32) A) Truth is both Absolute and Relative. Relative truth is empirical. They are like two side of a coin. Even Empirical truth is as real as Absolute, only it’s relatively real.

B) Truth is one and Absolute. The Empirical truth is only truth in name. It’s not ultimately real.