[Advaita-l] ISvara

[bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com]

Sri Sankara says, in his introduction to his
gItabhAshya, "The Lord, ever endowed with knowledge, sovereignty, power,
strength, valour, and splendour, appears, by using his power of mAyA, as if
born, and as if having a body, in order to protect the world. Thus ISvara
is
eternal and apears in various forms from time to time.

praNAms
Hare Krishna

Here words *as if* very important...Yes, Ishwara is sarvashakta
(omnipotent), sarvajna (omniscient) & does creation...For a jIva,  who
thinks he has his own separate existence in srushti (creation) Ishwara in a
superhuman form is very much required...Considering this vEdAnta
accommodates jIva's needs and talks about Ishwara & Ishwara shakti (mayAntu
prkrutim vidyAm, mAyinantu maheshwaram - shvEtAshvatara up. )...But in
strict vEdAntic sense there is no lordhood or Ishwarahood in absolute
non-dual brahman because it requires the distinction (bhEdha) between the
ruler & being ruled!! As we know bhEda holds water only in transactional
reality, Ishvara's Ishitavya too a vyAvahArik reality.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar