Vedantic God

VEDANTIC GOD

TOI in it its issue of 1.8.2001 carried an article titled “Unravelling the Mystery of God” by Swami Parthasarathi an exponent of modern day Vedanta in the column “Speaking Tree”. After repeating some banal questions that the writer assumes as being asked by mass of people around and tries to answer them at an intellectual level. Thereafter he comes to the reality and admits that “To them existence of god is obvious.” But the author is not satisfied and he tries again to answer the questions. He claims that “The intelligent became conscious of their incapacity and give up their chase.” But he did not give up, the Swami being far superior in his intellect and understanding of Sankara’s Vedanta has interpreted them to suit the modern times. Even though no Vedanta scholar attributes to it all that the Swami claims thus “It explains thoroughly, clearly and scientifically the facts of life” and persists in his assertion. He says that “Vedanta reaches you wherever you are. It takes you from the lowest dept of ignorance to highest peak of knowledge.” What knowledge? “Aham Brahmasmi. Tatvamasi”. If at all one realises these words of wisdom the same is just a state of mind and nothing to do with the vast facts of life. This knowledge does not equip one to cop up with the problems of living in a complicated and diverse world but to withdraw and isolate yourself from all life. The modern terms of interpreting Vedanta peddled and propagated by people like Swami is nothing but a dishonest attempt at rationalising and justifying a Hindutva based superiority.

This dishonesty is more evident when the Swami himself says that “The introduction of god as creator or originator is mere proposition, an intellectual supposition” and thereafter introduces him own suppositions based on his own thoughts of Vedanta and then says that “you will then realise your own godhood”. So in the Swami’s thought there is a Vedantic god, not a mere supposition.