Mādhvite Commentaries on Īśāvāsyopaniṣat

Abstract

The article "Mādhvite Commentaries on Īśāvāsyopaniṣat" by Paul Sherbow examines how key exponents of the Dvaita Vedānta tradition interpret the Īśāvāsyopaniṣat, highlighting their unique hermeneutical methods and devotional emphasis. Focusing primarily on commentaries by Madhvācārya and later Dvaita scholars, Sherbow illustrates how Mādhvites read this terse Upaniṣadic text through a theistic lens that affirms Viṣṇu’s supremacy and the ontological distinction between God and the individual soul. The article outlines how the Mādhva school resolves interpretive tensions—such as the apparent monism of “Īśāvāsyam idam sarvam”—by emphasizing devotional servitude (bhagavat-sevā), personalism, and the proper contextualization of scriptural vocabulary. Sherbow also discusses how these commentaries differ from Advaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita readings, especially in their assertion of bheda (difference) as central to spiritual understanding. By analyzing the rhetorical and philosophical structure of Mādhva exegesis, the article contributes to a deeper appreciation of how Dvaita Vedānta navigates canonical authority within the broader śruti tradition.