[Advaita-l] Re: Ishvara in advaita vEdAnta

[bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com]

I was trying to find who/what is referred to by the word "Ishvara" (and not
about the mithyAtva of the attributes). Does it refer to nirguNa brahma or
an entity in the vyAvahArika world like shrI mahAviShNu?

praNAm.h.

A.Siddhartha.

praNAms Sri A.Siddhartha prabhuji
Hare Krishna

As far as my limited knowledge goes, shankara nowhere equates any
particular name & form with the concept of Ishwara...So, IMHO, it could be
either mahAviShNu or mahAdEva..coz. Ishitavya has been attributed to both
these personalities in purANA-s (for example vishNu purANa & shiva
mahApurANa).

In shruti (prashna) there is a maNtra which expressly makes the distinction
between the higher (para) brahman and the lower brahman (apara/Ishwara).
But shankara makes it clear that the yEkamEva advitIya brahman (parabrahman
which is ultimately nirguNa, nirAkAra)  is regarded as lower brahman/saguNa
brahman/Ishwara (saguNa, sAkAra)  for the sake of meditation in the sphere
of avidyA for the convenience of sAdhaka-s who cannot elevate themselves to
the level of the absolutely featureless pure brahman.  Shankara's  bhAshya
on sUtra janmAdasya yaTha is a reference text in this regard.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar