Madhuvidyā: The doctrine of the honey and its vedānta commentaries based on Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 2.5
Abstract
Ever since Western philosophers started studying Indian wisdom, there has been a special interest in the vedānta school due to its central concern in the relationship between the Ultimate Principle, i.e. Brahman, and the Self, i.e. ātman. Numerous subschools were formed within the school with foundations stretching on a wide scope ranging from strict monism to dualism. These subschools, although discrepant regarding their principal tenets, all subscribe to the same canon, and it is reading the same texts that they arrive at completely differing conclusions. The present study compares various vedānta commentaries written to the so-called Madhuvidyā subchapter of Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad (2.4): the commentary written by the „strict non-dualist” (kevalādvaita) Śaṅkara (eighth century), the „qualified non-dualist” (viśiṣṭādvaita) Raṅgarāmānuja (1550–1630), and the dualist (dvaita) Madhva (1238–1317).
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