Yadava Prakasa, who is believed to have lived during the 11 century CE, is the founder of the Bhedabheda system of philosophy. Bhedabheda is the difference with non-difference. The system of philosophy formulated by Yadava Prakasa differs substantially from that formulated by Bhaskara, who lived earlier, although that system is also called Bhedabheda.
According to Yadava, in pralaya (deluge), the individual selves and non-sentient matter alike are potentially merged in Brahman, and remain undifferentiated, and creation is their appearing out of a part of the absolute Brahman.
Yadava thinks that as a portion of a lump of clay is made into pots and jars, while the rest remains unchanged, Brahman evolves into God, individual selves and insentient matter, out of a portion of itself, while the other portion remains without change.
He gives yet another example to illustrate the point, e.g., the ocean, which at some places takes the form of waves, foam and bubbles, but remains unchanged elsewhere.
In the bhedabheda system of philosophy of Yadava Prakasha, individual selves are classified into three groups as
- Siddhas (having super powers)
- Baddhas (bound by worldly life)
- Mukta (released selves)
The released selves become one with Brahman by remaining within Brahman as Its power, but with a separate consciousness of their own.
In the bhedabheda system of Yadava Prakasha, the world is real; Brahman is the cause of the universe; the Vedas are trustworthy authorities. Yadava rejects the theory of attribute-less Brahman advocated by Shankara. Brahman is omniscient, omnipotent, having all auspicious qualities.
The system of philosophy, however, has not proved to be popular over the years, either with the masses or with the intelligentsia, and there are practically no followers today to this doctrine.