The Study of Indian Philosophy in the Work of Arvind Sharma (with Particular Reference to Advaita Vedānta)

Abstract

This essay explores the role of the Advaita Vedānta philosophy of Hinduism in Arvind Sharma’s numerous works on Indian philosophy. It argues that the viewpoint from which he approaches the various traditions he studies is deeply informed by the Advaita Vedānta tradition. It argues that this is not an especially problematic stance, so long as it is clear that this represents his specific point of view as a scholar and is not being falsely represented as an “objective” perspective. It shows that Sharma is indeed open about his affinity for Advaita Vedānta. The essay then engages with various controversies associated with Advaita Vedānta in the modern period, particularly the question of “neo-Advaita” or “neo-Vedānta,” both of which are shown to be problematic terms. The essay then concludes with a broad overview and appreciation of Sharma’s work on Indian philosophy: a body of work which constitutes a major contribution to scholarship even as it advances a particular perspective on the traditions to which is applied (a fact which is true of all scholarship, even that which claims to be “objective” or “neutral” with regard to the subject matter with which it engages).