[Advaita-l] prapanca

[Michael Shepherd]

Thank you, Sunil and Chekakara and Naresh..

I've just whizzed through the Siddhantabindu where there is noted 'The mind
is the sattvika portion of the five elements'.. so this quintuplication
seems to be the clue..

Prapanca is usually defined as 'the phenomenal world' and viswa and sarva
are usually taken to be 'the All'. So it's open to question whether they can
be described as synonymous. From the mahavakya, I suspect not..

So this does seem to connect all the meanings offered : and it does seem, as
the sages say, that we can and should resist the proliferation in our mind;
as Advaita and vyati-reka support. I'm happy to have passed through the
'either-or' aspect of prapanca -- though obviously, there's more to
understand there..

Thanks to all.

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of Sunil
Bhattacharjya
Sent: 08 August 2009 23:17
To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] prapanca



Friends,
 
Yes "pra' prefix is for reinforcing or emphasising. For example in
"Pranava" the prefix of  "pra" is added to "nava" ie new and the word
"Pranava" means the Eternal or ever new or ageless or beyond time ie. the
Brahman.
 
As regards the "vyaktikarana" how do you like the alternative explanation?
The "Avyakta"  became Vyakta, through the process of vyaktikarana (ie
appeared through the five Sukshmabhutas and  transforming them to the five
Mahabhutas) and this is what the Prapanca implies.
 
Regards,
 
Sunil K. Bhattacharjya

--- On Sat, 8/8/09, Naresh Cuntoor <nareshpc at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Naresh Cuntoor <nareshpc at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] prapanca
To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta"
<advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2009, 12:05 PM


I consulted with bRuhaddhAtu and my dictionary regarding prapa~ncha and here
is what I found:

pa~nch dhAtu (verb root) has two meanings: vyaktee-karaNam (showing
differences) and vistAravachanam (denoting expanse). [Technically, pachi
vyaktee-karaNe, pachi vistaara-vachane.]
The prefix pra reinforces the meaning in either case. In sense of showing
difference prapa~ncha could be taken to mean something that shows
vareity/differences.
In the sense of highlighting differences, it also means samsaara (filled
with differences, etc.). Prapancha in the sense of denoting something big /
expansive is another meaning.

At any rate, none of my sources try to justify prapancha in the sense of
pa~nchan = five.

Moreover if one takes pa~ncha = five, then the pra won't be an upasarga at
all. Pra operates as an upsarga (verb prefix) only when it comes before
action words.  Otherwise, pra may be termed an avyaya. But Dr. Yadu's remark
about pra being an upasarga is correct, but for the wrong reasons :)
Because pa~nch is a dhAtu, pra becomes an upasarga. Not because pa~ncha =
five.

Now we can construct words like aShTakam (e.g., toTakAShTakam). So
pa~nchakam would be a set of five. In that sense, perhaps we can use
prapa~nchakam as some important set of five elements.

Naresh



On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 9:45 AM, Dr. Yadu Moharir <ymoharir at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear Michael:
>
> To understand this term further one needs to did a litter deeper.
>
> by trying to understand the meaning of upasarga "pra" or sound "pra".
>
> To me the sound "pra" suggests the meaning as - "The leading edge of
> beginning"
>
> If we take the above meaning and then try to analyze the suggested meaning
> of various words our doubts get clarified.
>
> To express a big project Sanskrit uses a term - "prakalpa" that defines
the
> scope of the project.
>
> Take some more examples of uopasarga "pra":  pra-vaasa, pra-Naya,
> pra-maaNa, pratyaksha, pra-vachana ......... etc. Another word for OM is
> praNava. As expressed by our ancestors OM was the beginning of everything
> including understanding.  "ometi pratipaaddyate etatviyajuH"
>
> Incidental even in English language the sound "pra" seems to convey the
> same meaning.  Example:  pre-fix, premier, prime-minister, pre-university,
> preacher,
>
> The second of the term "pra~nca" you are trying to understand is
> straightforward, which suggests the five essential elements (tattva) for
any
> manifestation.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Dr. Yadu
>
>
>
> --- On Fri, 8/7/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>
> From: Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk>
> Subject: [Advaita-l] prapanca
> To: "advaita vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Date: Friday, August 7, 2009, 5:50 AM
>
>
> 'Pra-panca' is normally equated with the 'phenomenal appearance' of the
> world. None of my immediate reference books give consideration to the
> possibility that it implies it as being the appearance via the five
> senses/elements.
>
> Can anyone offer further references ?
>
> Michael
>
>
>
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