The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa
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 su...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/9/457 |
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| author | Ithamar Theodor |
| author_facet | Ithamar Theodor |
| author_sort | Ithamar Theodor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:31:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-349b6bcac5e34a588b69251017bcb0ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:31:37Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-349b6bcac5e34a588b69251017bcb0ab2023-11-20T12:47:23ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-09-0111945710.3390/rel11090457The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata PurāṇaIthamar Theodor0Deptartment of Mysticism and Spirituality, Zefat Academic College, 11 Jerusalem St., Safed 13206, IsraelThe 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/9/457avatāraBhāgavata purāṇapersonhoodViśiṣṭādvaita |
| spellingShingle | Ithamar Theodor The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa Religions avatāra Bhāgavata purāṇa personhood Viśiṣṭādvaita |
| title | The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa |
| title_full | The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa |
| title_fullStr | The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa |
| title_short | The Theology of Avatāra in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa |
| title_sort | theology of avatara in the bhagavata purana |
| topic | avatāra Bhāgavata purāṇa personhood Viśiṣṭādvaita |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/9/457 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ithamartheodor thetheologyofavatarainthebhagavatapurana AT ithamartheodor theologyofavatarainthebhagavatapurana |