Dvaita Vedanta: A Conversation with Dr. Anusha Rao

Interviews and Discussions

00:00 / 02:04:26

Join Mukunda as we speak with Dr. Anusha Rao, a Phd. candidate at the University of Toronto. Dr. Rao is currently finishing her Phd. on Dvaita Vedanta at the University of Toronto. She has written numerous professional articles for a variety of academic journals and conferences along with op-eds for the Deccan Herald. In this episode, we discuss a host of topics including:

00:01:20 Introduction to Dr. Anusha Rao;

00:08:40 The importance and power of the Mahabharata;

00:11:25 Dr. Rao’s dissertation focus on Vedanta and Poetry through Vadiraja and Ghanashyam;

00:20:30 Who is Madhvacharya and what is his importance;

00:35:00 What is the epistemology/Pramana of Dvaita;

00:42:00 The Metaphysics, Theology and Ontology of Dvaita, the concept of Panchabheda;

01:13.00 How does Dvaita address the Mahavakyas;

01:20:20 Who is Vishnu and what are Vishnu’s attributes;

01:26:00 What is Dvaita Soteriology, the means to Moksha;

01:29:30 Role of Women in the Dvaita tradition, the concept of Uttama Stri;

01:37:30 What role does varna play in Dvaita;

01:47:00 The role of the commentarial tradition in dealing with changing societies and values;