Vyasatirtha and the Question of Eligibility

Abstract

The article "Vyāsatīrtha and the Question of Eligibility" by Deepak Sarma explores 16th-century Mādhva philosopher Vyāsatīrtha’s critique of Advaita Vedānta, focusing on the question of adhikāra (eligibility) in relation to the opening line of the Brahma Sūtras, "athāto brahmajijñāsā" ("then, therefore, inquiry into Brahman"). The article argues that the eligibility debate reflects deeper doctrinal conflicts between Mādhva and Advaita traditions regarding ontology, epistemology, and soteriology. Through his Tātparyacandrikā, Vyāsatīrtha challenges Advaita’s prerequisites for spiritual inquiry using reductio ad absurdum logic and appeals to Pūrva Mīmāṁsā sources, exposing what he sees as inconsistencies in Advaita’s governing doctrines. Sarma’s analysis reveals Vyāsatīrtha’s rigorous dialectical method and the complex intersection of theory and practice in classical Indian philosophy.