vedānta &c. See p. 1017.

vedānta m. end of the Veda (= ‘complete knowledge of the Veda’, cf. vedānta-ga), TĀr.; MBh.

N. of the second and most important part of the Mīmāṃsā or third of the three great divisions of Hindū philosophy (called Vedānta either as teaching the ultimate scope of the Veda or simply as explained in the Upaniṣads which come at the end of the Veda; this system, although belonging to the Mīmāṃsā [q.v.] and sometimes called Uttara-mīmāṃsā, ‘examination of the later portion or jñāna-kāṇḍa [q.v.] of the Veda’, is really the one sole orthodox exponent of the pantheistic creed of the Hindūs of the present day — a creed which underlies all the polytheism and multiform mythology of the people; its chief doctrine [as expounded by Śaṃkara] is that of Advaita i.e. that nothing really exists but the One Self or Soul of the Universe called Brahman [neut.] or Paramātman, and that the Jīvātman or individual human soul and indeed all the phenomena of nature are really identical with the Paramātman, and that their existence is only the result of Ajñāna [otherwise called Avidyā] or an assumed ignorance on the part of that one universal Soul which is described as both Creator and Creation; Actor and Act; Existence, Knowledge and Joy, and as devoid of the three qualities [see guṇa]; the liberation of the human soul, its deliverance from transmigrations, and re-union with the Paramātman, with which it is really identified, is only to be effected by a removal of that ignorance through a proper understanding of the Vedānta; this system is also called Brahma-mīmāṃsā and Śārīrakamīmāṃsā, ‘inquiring into Spirit or embodied Spirit’; the founder of the school is said to have been Vyāsa, also called Bādarāyaṇa, and its most eminent teacher was Śaṃkarācārya), Up.; MBh. &c.

vedānta m. pl. the Upaniṣads or works on the Vedānta philosophy, Kull. on Mn. vi, 83.

vedānta m. (-ntaḥ) The theological part of the Vedas; considered collectively it is contained in the many numerous passages or chapters of the Vedas termed Upaniṣads, which inculcate an abstract and speculative monotheistical worship, and these have been further explained and illustrated by later writers: the founder of the school is VYĀSA, and subsequently ŚAṂKARĀCĀRYA is its most eminent teacher. E. veda the Vedas, and anta end, sum, scope or substance.