Abstract
The idea of avatāra no doubt presents a philosophical challenge, as it appears to stand in contrast to the Vedāntic principle of non-duality; the Bhāgavata purāṇa (BhP) offers an opportunity to look into this question due to its unique structure, which combines the Vedānta and Rasa traditions. As such, this paper looks into the theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata purāṇa; it argues that reading the purāṇic genre in light of Śaṅkara’s Advaita Vedānta is not as conducive to the understanding of the avatāra as reading it in light of Rāmānuja’s Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta, which indeed is compatible with the purāṇic genre. Moreover, uncovering the underlying assumptions of Western notions of personhood, it seems that classical ideas of “the person” have to be looked into, and offering an alternative idea of personhood may be necessary in order to better understand the theology of avatāra.
Highlights
The idea of avatāra no doubt presents a philosophical challenge, as it appears to stand in contrast to the Vedāntic principle of non-duality; the Bhāgavata purān.a (BhP) offers an opportunity to look into this question due to its unique structure, which combines the Vedānta and Rasa traditions
Despite the importance of the avatāras, scholars find it difficult to point out their theological significance; as such, this paper argues that in order to understand the avatāras’ theological significance, one would have to look at them through a non-Western notion of personhood, a notion which highlights their dramatic nature as an essential component
As the BhP gradually leads the reader into higher stages of emotional understanding of the divine, the stories of the various avatāras foster various devotional emotions, based mainly upon dāsya or servitude
Summary
The idea of avatāra no doubt presents a philosophical challenge, as it appears to stand in contrast to the Vedāntic principle of non-duality; the Bhāgavata purān.a (BhP) offers an opportunity to look into this question due to its unique structure, which combines the Vedānta and Rasa traditions. Daniel Sheridan holds the view that the doctrine of avatāra does not contradict the non-dual doctrine of the BhP, and hints that his position on the question of the BhP’s doctrine may be somewhat close to Viśis.t.ādvaita: “The avatāra, is a particular immanent form of the Supreme Deity within his non-duality, the transcendent becoming immanent within the phenomenal which is not other than the Deity”
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