Bhartṛprapañca and the Eight States of Brahman

A gradual evolution of Brahman in eight successive states is described and criticized in Śaṅkara’s commentary on Bṛhadāraṇyaka-Upaniṣad and in Sureśvara’s and Ānandagiri’s sub-commentaries where the teaching is attributed to Bhartṛprapañca, an ancient Bhedābhedavādin whose commentary on BĀU is now lost. This paper examines fragmentary records of the teaching of Brahman’s evolution and tries to interpret different categories mentioned in different accounts of the teaching by comparing these terms with same or similar categories in other philosophical and religious systems of ancient India in order to understand Bhartṛprapañca’s original eight-fold scheme and its meaning. Tentative conclusion might be that Ānandagiri conveyed Bhartṛprapañca’s scheme literally while Śaṅkara and Sureśvara paraphrased it very freely.

Parallels between Ancient Tradition of Philosophical Commentaries and Indian Vedāntic Philosophy

Ovaj članak istražuje neke usporednice novoplatonističke tradicije filozofskih komentara uz Platōna i Aristotela. Uz to istražuje egzegetske metode usuglašivanja tih dvaju velikih antičkih mislilaca. Ako prihvatimo Sorabjijevu tvrdnju da je cilj novoplatonističkoga usuglašivanja obrana poganskih filozofa od kritike kršćanskih mislilaca možemo vidjeti jasnu usporednicu s vedāntom koja je branila koherenciju svetoga upanišadskog kanona od buddhističke kritike. Ovaj se članak usredotočuje na novoplatonističkoga komentatora Amonija koji je pokušao usuglasiti Aristotelov nauk o Nepokrenutom pokretaču s Platonovim naukom o Demijurgu i Ideji dobra. S druge strane u Indiji možemo vidjeti sličan pokušaj usuglašivanja različitih upanišadskih učenja o najvišem biću.This article explores some parallels between neoplatonist tradition of philosophical commentaries on Plato and Aristotle and explores some exegetical techniques of harmonisation of these great ancient thinkers. If we accept Sorabji’s claim that the aim of this reconciliation is neoplatonist defence of pagan thinkers from the attack of Christian philosophers than we can see a clear parallel with Vedānta which was defending the coherence of upanishadic sacred canon against Buddhist attack. The paper is focusing on neoplatonist commentator Ammonius who is trying to reconcile Aristotle’s Unmoved mover with Plato’s Demiurge and the Idea of good. On the other side, in India we can see very similar project of harmonisation of the different upanishadic teachings of the highest being

Abortion in the Oldest Brahmanical Religious and Legal Literature

U članku se prvo razmatra kako se u najstarijim brahmanističkim izvorima gleda na osobnost zametka i na pitanje kada život u nj ulazi. Dalje se razmatra odnos prema namjerno izazvanome pobačaju u vedskim izvorima i u pravnim tekstovima dharmaśāstrama. One se nadovezuju na vedske izvore kada prijestup namjerno izazvana pobačaja izjednačuju po težini s ubojstvom brahmana, ali i s ubojstvom ātreyī, plodne brahmanske žene jer se pobačaj najčešće razmatra u kontekstu brahmanskoga društvenoga staleža.This paper treats the subject of induced abortion in the Brahmanical (Hindu) religious tradition by focusing on traditional textual sources. First, the author gives a brief explanation of how Brahmanism views the “personality” of the embryo and the question of when life enters it. From the oldest Upaniṣad sources, it is evident that life is present in the embryo from the beginning. The medical manual Caraka-saṃhitā describes the descent of the personal soul into the embryo at the moment of conception. A different tradition is preserved in the younger Garbha-upaniṣad according to which life in the embryo begins in the seventh month of pregnancy. In the Vedic corpus, the oldest textual layer of Brahmanical sacred literature, abortion is often equated with the murder of a Brahmin, which testifies to the gravity of the transgression. The texts of sacred and secular law, the Dharmaśāstras, classify transgressions, prescribe penances, and in dealing with the problem of abortion, they build on older, Vedic sources whereby they equate the transgression of induced abortion with the murder of a Brahmin, but also with the murder of an Atreyī, a fertile woman, due to the potential of the embryo’s developing into a learned Brahmin later in life. In all these texts abortion is most often considered in the context of the Brahmin social class

Vedāntic Commentaries on the Īśā-upanisad

Između mnogih komentara uz kratku, ali vrlo slavnu Īśā-upanisad ovaj rad izabire komentare Sankare, Venkatanāthe i Madhve kao najtipičnije izraze monističkoga pristupa (advaita), pristupa diferenciranoga monizma (visistadvaita) i dualističkoga pristupa tumačenju upanisadske objave (sruti). Rad se usredotočuje na ono što je najznačajnije za svaku od triju škola te na ono u čemu se tri glasovita komentatora najmanje slažu. Sankari je potrebno razlikovati više i niže znanje, odnosno viši i niži brahman da bi pomirio različite izričaje u upanisadi sa svojim monističkim nazorom, pripisujući ono što se s njime ne slaže razini nižega znanja ili znanja o nižem brahmanu. S druge strane Venkatanātha, koji priznaje različitost duše od Boga i stvarnost svijeta, može izravnije, s manje teoretičarskoga razlikovnog aparata tumačiti riječi upanisadi. To vrijedi i za Madhvu, no on često iznosi svoje teološke nazore koji ne proizlaze iz riječi Īśā-upanisadi.Among the many commentaries on the brief but renowned Īśā-upanisad, the author of this article has decided upon the commentaries of Sankara, Venkatanatha and Madhva as representing, respectively, the most characteristic expression of the monistic approach (advaita), the approach of differentiated monism (visistadvaita), and the dualistic approach to the interpretation of upaniùadic revelation (sruti). This work focuses upon what is most relevant in each of the above schools and upon the most important distinctions between these three renowned schools. Sankara is compelled to differentiate higher and lower knowledge, i.e. higher and lower “brahman”, in order to reconcile various utterances in the upaniùads with their monistic view. Whatsoever is not in agreement with this view is ascribed to the level of lower knowledge, i.e. to the level of the lower “brahman”. On the other hand Venkatanatha, who acknowledges the distinction between the soul and God and the reality of the world, can interpret the upaniùadic utterances more straightforwardly, without the excessive usage of theoretical devices. The same can be said for Madhva, even though he often brings forward theological views which do not have their source in the words of the Īśā-upanisad

Hrvatska i Indija: kulturno -povijesne i gospodarsko-političke veze

Hrvatski i Indiju vežu duboke veze koje potječu iz drevne starine indoeuropskoga jezičnoga, ali i kulturnoga jedinstva koje se očituje u ostacima slavenske pretkršćanske baštine sačuvane u folkloru i pučkoj kulturi. Radoslavu Katičiću dugujemo sintezu tragova „naše stare vjere” u poredbenoj i povijesnoj indoeuropeističkoj perspektivi. Dubrovački su trgovci već u 16. stoljeću bili prisutni na zapadnoj obali indijskoga poluotoka. Osobito su bili važni u kulturnoj razmjeni hrvatski misionari, posebice bosonogi karmelićanin Filip Vesdin koji je u Rimu 1790. objavio prvu tiskanu sanskrtsku gramatiku u Europi. Na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu sanskrtska je nastava započela 1876., a studij indologije utemeljen je 1959. Kulturnu razmjenu nisu u tolikoj mjeri pratile gospodarske aktivnosti koje su, usprkos znatno boljim trendovima, u posljednjih nekoliko godina još uvijek znatno ispod mogućnosti. Trendovi ipak najavljuju da će u bliskoj budućnosti doći i do znatno jače gospodarske suradnje između Hrvatske i brzorastućega indijskoga gospodarstva

Trends of soybean production in Croatia

Soja se uzgaja na 121 milijuna hektara te predstavlja četvrtu najzastupljeniju ratarsku kulturu u svijetu, dok u Hrvatskoj po zastupljenosti površina zauzima treće mjesto. U promatranom razdoblju od 2009 do 2019 uzgajala se u prosjeku na 65.068 ha uz prosječni prinos zrna od 2.6 t ha-1. Najveći prinos ostvaren je 2018. godine (245 188 t), a iste godine postignut je i najveći prinos zrna (3.18 t ha-1). Proizvodnju soje u Hrvatskoj karakterizira pozitivan trend u porastu površina čemu su pridonijele stabilne i visoke cijene sirovina i otkupa te sustav poticaja i potpora, dok su na porast prosječnog prinosa zrna najviše utjecali primijenjena tehnologija i znanje proizvođača te izbor kvalitetnog sortimenta. Soja sa 80 milijuna HRK vrijednosti izvoza koliko je ostvareno u 2020. predstavlja jedan od najznačajnijih izvoznih proizvoda RH. U 2020. soju je sijalo 9.864 korisnika u sustavu potpora i to na 84.302 ha što je 8.5 ha soje po korisniku. Sjemenska proizvodnja također bilježi konstantan porast, a u uzgoju je najzastupljeniji rani do srednje rani domaći sortiment Poljoprivrednog instituta Osijek te talijanski rani sortiment. Mogućnost postrne sjetve, sposobnost fiksacije dušika u plodoredu, te sigurnost otkupa NON – GM sortimenta idu u prilog mogućnosti intenzivnijeg povećanja površina i prinosa zrna soje u Hrvatskoj.Soybean is cultivated on 121 million hectares and represents the fourth most represented crop in the world, while in Croatia it ranks third in terms of area. In the observed period from 2009 to 2019, it was grown on average 65,068 ha with an average grain yield of 2.6 t ha-1. The highest yield was obtained in 2018 (245,188 t), and in the same year the highest grain yield was achieved (3.18 t ha-1). Soybean production in Croatia is characterized by a positive trend in the increase of cultivated areas, to which stable and high raw material and purchase prices, as well as the system of incentives and subsidies have contributed, while the increase in average grain yield was mainly influenced by the applied technology and knowledge of producers, as well as improved domestic genetic of varieties. Soybeans are one of the most important export products of the Republic of Croatia, with exports worth HRK 80 million in 2020. In 2020, 9.864 holdings with 84.302 ha were under the support system, which is 8.5 ha of cultivated area per producer. Seed production is also showing a steady increase with the most represented varieties from the Osijek Agricultural Institute and the Italian eraly maturity varieties. The possibility of stubble sowing, the ability to fix nitrogen in crop rotation and the security of purchasing the NON - GM assortment speak for the possibility of a more intensive expansion of cultivated areas and soybean grain yield in Croatia