Tattva Sankhyanam- The Classification of Reals (Volume- I)

About the Book The book presents a literal English translation, transliteration, scholarly comprehensive English commentary following the classical Sanskrit commentaries and glosses on the text of Tattva Sankhyanam with recension, notes and references with research aids by the learned author. It serves as a book for understanding the Tattva Sankhyanam of Sri Madhavacarya in general, to contemplate deep on the sayings of Sri Madhavacarya in particular, and enrich the Indian philosophy academia as well.

About the Author Dr. P. Vinay (respectfully addressed as Vinayacharya as per the tradition), M.A. Vidwat Ph.D. D.Litt, is an authority on the Dvaita school of Vedanta of Sri Madhavacarya. He has authored many original works in Sanskrit and English on Vedanta and other philosophical subjects. He is currently the assistant professor in the Department of Vedanta in Karnataka Samskrit University (KSU), Bangalore, India and also the Principal of Samskrit Evening College, KSU. Dr. Vinayacharya is a streak of the intellectual lightning in the modern Indian philosophy scenario.

Foreword Philosophy is one of the noblest endeavors of the discerning man. It is both science and art. It is a careful study of nature of things, of the divine underlying current in nature and goal of human life. It has a practical application of Sadhana which is an art of realizing the independence of the Brahman and dependency of all the cosmic world of matter and souls. In the Indian soil, innumerable schools of thought originated and all have many views about the world and the Brahman. However, Sri Madhavacarya gave a conclusive stance of philosophy which is unrefuted by any other later thinker.

Sri Madhvācārya's works are highly philosophical and full of quotations, unassailable logic and brevity. The Tattva Sankhyanam is a work of division of things from a philosophical point of view. It shows how the entire universe is dependent on the supreme being-Brahman. As Sri Jayatirtha remarks, it is this knowledge of Brahman as the regulator of the entire universe that fetches liberation to the aspirant.

I most delighted that the complete works of Sri Madhvācārya is appearing in English with critical study from Tara Prakashan and Foundation for the Preservation of Knowledge. The author, Vidwan Dr. P. Vinayacharya is a well-known scholar of high merit who has in-depth knowledge in various Šāstras traditionally. He is equipped with the knowledge of western philosophy as well. He is a writer who wields his pen effectively in English. I congratulate him for this scholarly work. I wish to say that the entire series shall be a great achievement of the scholar and shall be in the book-racks of world philosophy forever.

Preface It was the year 1993, that I as a studious and reading-oriented pupil came across the works of Sri Madhavacarya: the Sarvamüla Grantha. As my philosophical readings were wide and ranging across almost all branches of Indian philosophy, particularly in English, I looked out for an authoritative English translation of the works of Sri Madhvācārya. My natural legacy of belonging to the glorious tradition of Sri Madhavacarya by family lineage brought me much closer to the works. My spiritual preceptor and grandfather. Sri P. Vishnu Tirtha, who practiced penance and writings in Navabrindavana for about 5 decades, sparked and fostered the lamp of spiritual knowledge in me. My salutations to him at this great juncture. My salutations are also to my father and mother in guiding me in the path and also going out of the way to foster my potential.

Strangely enough for the times where philosophical works English versions, all of Sri Madhvacärya's works were not available in English. The well-written works of Dr. B.N.K Sharma no doubt had filled the gap of standard works on Sri Madhvācārya, but the complete works of Sri Madhvācārya was yet unfulfilled. English translations of individual works appeared about 8 decades ago by Sri Subba Rao and others. However, a complete set of all the available works of Sri Madhvācārya was yet pending. This major lacuna for so long a time had adverse effect on academia as well. Many writers like Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Prof. M. Hiriyanna, Swami Tapasyananda and others could not. gain access to the rich material of the Dvaita Vedanta School comprehensively. This naturally paved way for a lack of proper rightful place for Sri Madhväcārya's philosophy in the academia. After about 5 decades of this scenario, as a god-commissioned task in the true sense, the divine grace has been showered upon me to write English translation and commentary critically to all the available works of Sri Madhvācārya.

I profusely thank Sri Prof. P. R. Mukund, Founder Trustee of the Foundation for the Preservation of Knowledge, New York and also Tara Prakashan, Bengaluru, for making this great work really happen today. Sri Prof. P. R. Mukund is himself a philosophically oriented personality who has penned many such works. I am also happy to say that myself and Prof. P. R. Mukund belong to the same family-tree, where my great-great -grandfather and his great-grandfather were brothers! The organization founded by him has envisioned to bring out all the works in international standards, which I believe shall be inimitable versions and shall be in vogue as long the English philosophical works are read, if I err not. I believe this year 2022 is an epoch period in the Indian philosophical academia at large, particularly in the academics of Dvaita school of Vedanta.

Introduction Philosophy is a science, a way of life and a pursuit of the highest good of man. It is a natural trait of the human, debatably of any being, to think about the nature of things, their utility, deeper unknown workings and the wonder it evokes. All ancient texts across the world are philosophical in one way or the other, even though grounded with regional and anecdotal theological tendencies. This general character of philosophizing has made us to realize the unity of philosophical pursuit and comparative study.

Philosophy in India has been existent since time immemorial. Philosophical pursuit in general is a musing on the general nature of things and ideal ways of society in the west. But in India, philosophy is at much higher stance of contemplation on the deeper workings of nature, with an immediate sense of a power regulating the orderly universe. Seers and sages of India have expressed awe, and have gone into deep meditation on the glory of the power existing within and without. Even as the western critics recognize any Vedic passage as more ancient than any other, it is far advanced a thinking of the highest. power orderly regulating the universe, and is not a mere speculation of nature of things nor ethic-centered. This advanced development, even in the so-called early stages of the Vedic passages, is unexplained by western critics, and must only be reconciled by the vision of the sages and the impersonal nature of the Vedas.

The land of Indian sub-continent, being rich with the legacy of ancient civilization, naturally provided enough ground for the flowering of innumerable schools of thought in philosophy; it was not a pastime of the pedant, but a serious exploration of the inner cosmos. It is in this sense that the schools of Indian philosophy are termed as "Darsana" - the insight. Since the schools of philosophy are varying from one another in many ways, divergent and even refuting one another, the term "Darsana" to each of them is from the view of they all being centered upon the topic of inner consciousness, and does not necessarily mean the authenticity of all of them, which is frankly wishful, far-fetched and unjustified.

Indian philosophical schools are broadly classified as orthodox (astika) and heterodox (nästika), which may not be confused with another division of theistic (sešvara) and atheistic (nirisvara). The former classification was found more convenient for the writers of Indian philosophy, since the acceptant or rejection of Vedic authority is a pivotal point in discussions and debates. Among the heterodox schools, the Caraka, Jaina and Bauddha are important ones. In the orthodox systems, the Nyāya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Pūrva mīmāmsã and the Vedanta are the six famous systems.

**Contents and Sample Pages**