Siddhitraya

{{Short description|Sanskrit philosophical treatise}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox religious text|religion=Hinduism|author=Yamunacharya|language=Sanskrit|caption=Painting of Vishnu, regarded to be the Supreme Being in this work, accompanied by his consort, Lakshmi. Ravi Varma Press, Malavli.|image=Vishnu Laxmi and Serpent Anant.jpg|name=''Siddhitraya''}}{{Italic title}} The '''''Siddhitraya''''' ({{Langx|sa|सिद्धित्रयम्|translit=Siddhitrayam}}) is a Sanskrit treatise written in the 10th century by the Hindu philosopher Yamunacharya.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalal |first=Roshen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrk0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1395 |title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide |date=18 April 2014 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-277-9 |pages=395 |language=en}}</ref> Regarded to be the largest and the most prominent work of Yamunacharya,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dasgupta |first=Surendranath |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jI2PUAa8B8oC&dq=siddhitraya&pg=PA98 |title=A History of Indian Philosophy |date=1991 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-0414-2 |pages=98 |language=en}}</ref> the ''Siddhitraya'' was an important foundational text for the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chari |first=S. M. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5SkwEAAAQBAJ&dq=siddhitraya&pg=PA23 |title=Vaisnavism: Its Philosophy, Theology and Religious Discipline |date=1 January 2018 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-4135-2 |pages=23 |language=en}}</ref> It offers refutations of the philosophical positions of Advaita and other Hindu schools.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Narasimhacharya |first=Madabhushini |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4rW8nLogjekC&pg=PA33 |title=Sri Ramanuja |date=2004 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |isbn=978-81-260-1833-8 |pages=33 |language=en}}</ref>

The work consists of three sections, expounding the author's positions on the "three demonstrations": the concepts of ''ātmasiddhi'' (demonstration of individual self), ''īśvarasiddhi'' (demonstration of God), and ''saṁvitsiddhi'' (demonstration of reality in the empirical world).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Garfield |first1=Jay L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X_lQEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA150 |title=The Oxford Handbook of World Philosophy |last2=Edelglass |first2=William |date=23 May 2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-939742-6 |pages=150 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chandradhar Sharma |url=http://archive.org/details/IndianPhilosophyACriticalSurvey |title=Indian Philosophy A Critical Survey |date=1962 |pages=329}}</ref> All three sections of the work are regarded to be incomplete.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sydnor |first=Jon Paul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aIviDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA70 |title=Ramanuja and Schleiermacher: Toward a Constructive Comparative Theology |date=29 March 2012 |publisher=ISD LLC |isbn=978-0-227-90035-2 |pages=70 |language=en}}</ref>

== Content == {{Hindu philosophy}}

=== Ātmasiddhi === The ''ātmasiddhi'' is the largest of the three sections of the text and consists of passages both in the form of verse and prose. In the invocatory verse, emphasis is placed on ''bhakti'' (devotion) to the Supreme Being (Vishnu), who is described to be the sovereign of the universe, time, and all souls, and is said to always be associated with Sri, his consort.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vemsani |first=Lavanya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fw2DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA304 |title=Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names: An Encyclopedia of the Hindu Lord of Many Names |date=13 June 2016 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-211-3 |pages=304 |language=en}}</ref> The author sets forth to discuss the real nature of ''Ātman'', the concept of Self. He argues that the ''Ātman'' enjoys an independent existence from the body,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bartley |first=C. J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6VhUAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 |title=The Theology of Ramanuja: Realism and Religion |date=11 October 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-85299-2 |pages=2 |language=en}}</ref> and is also distinct from the senses, the mind, and the intellect. The ''Ātman'' is also described to be eternal, self-luminous, as well as possessing a form of consciousness that is omnipresent. The author describes the varying positions regarding the ''Ātman'' and the Supreme Being, concerning their form, their nature of existence, mutual relationship, the liberation of the ''Ātman'' and the means of liberation. He offers refutations of the positions of philosophers such as Bhartrhari, Adi Shankara, and Bhaskara, citing fallacies and scriptural statements.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/NarasimhacharyM.ContributionOfYamunacaryaToVisistadvaita |title=Narasimhachary, M. Contribution Of Yāmunācārya To Viśiṣṭādvaita |pages=141–142 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Yamunacharya |url=https://archive.org/details/yamunacharya/page/n159/mode/2up |title=Complete Works Of Yamunacharya (English) |pages=160–293}}</ref>

=== Īśvarasiddhi === The ''īśvarasiddhi'' attempts to establish the existence of the Supreme Being, who is described to be the sovereign of the universe. Yamunacharya contends the views of the Mimamsa school of philosophy and offers arguments against its position, which opposes the existence of a Supreme Being as well the omniscience and omnipotence of the concept. He also offers an appraisal of the views of the Nyaya school.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/NarasimhacharyM.ContributionOfYamunacaryaToVisistadvaita |title=Narasimhachary, M. Contribution Of Yāmunācārya To Viśiṣṭādvaita |pages=218–219 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Yamunacharya |url=https://archive.org/details/yamunacharya/page/n294/mode/2up |title=Complete Works Of Yamunacharya (English) |pages=294–312}}</ref>

=== Saṃvitsiddhi === The ''saṁvitsiddhi'' is a treatise on ontology and offers the author's refutations against the Advaitic positions of the concepts of ''Brahman'' (Ultimate Reality), ''maya'' (illusion), and ''avidya'' (ignorance) in its interpretation of the ''Upanishads''. Some sections of the treatise also refute the Buddhist conception of ''saṁvit'' (consciousness)''.''<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/NarasimhacharyM.ContributionOfYamunacaryaToVisistadvaita |title=Narasimhachary, M. Contribution Of Yāmunācārya To Viśiṣṭādvaita |pages=140 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Yamunacharya |url=https://archive.org/details/yamunacharya/page/n313/mode/2up |title=Complete Works Of Yamunacharya (English) |pages=314–340}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Black |first1=Brian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SPSKDwAAQBAJ&dq=Sa%E1%B9%83vitsiddhi&pg=PT90 |title=In Dialogue with Classical Indian Traditions: Encounter, Transformation and Interpretation |last2=Ram-Prasad |first2=Chakravarthi |date=4 March 2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-01111-2 |pages=90 |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==

Category:Medieval literature Category:Vaishnava texts Category:Hindu literature Category:Vishishtadvaita Vedanta