[Advaita-l] Adwaita and God

[srikanta at nie.ac.in]

Pranams!
Dear Sunil Bhattacharyaji,
All the above systems you have quoted say that there is another agency
which is in aid of that the Ultimate principle for the phenomenal world to
appear.Sankhya may call it prakrthi(incidentally from the
Bhagawadgita,Sankhya was called as the Jnanayoga,"Jnana yogena
sankhyanam,karmayogena yoginam)evidently it is the Mimamsa which was in
opposition to Jnanayoga.But,the "Neti,Neti"method is unique to Vedanta,and
not to Snkhya as you quoted.with discrimination,the prakrthi will depart
from the Purusha like an dancer who leaves the stage.The Vaisheshika has
the agency like "adrishta".Shankara in his Bhashyas,Particularly,while
analysing the various systems,points out that in whichever way we look,it
comes finally to this:the phenomenal world appears due to error in
cognition.(vide,Adhyasa Bhashya).hence,shankara brings in this
agency,called avidya,or Maya which is the cause of the Phenomenon.This
avidya or Maya is a tentative assumption.

"Sa ca Maya na vidyate",declares Acharya Gaudapada
Bhava Shankara Desika me sharanam.                  N.Srikanta.