[Advaita-l] About the term in 'Ishwara' in Advaita - a brief note

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

It is a good start to distinguish between Ishwara and Hiranyagarbha. Before
we go in to difference between Ishwara and Brahman & Hiranyagarbhavand
Avyakta, it would be a good idea to first understand clearly the difference
between Hiranyagarbha and Jiva. Why the former is called apara brahman (
sometimes as Saguna Brahman, Ishwara, Para Brahman etc.) whereas the latter
is not called Savisesha or Saguna Brahman, an object of worship?


On Tuesday, April 10, 2012, V Subrahmanian wrote:

> I am quoting here, with thanks, a portion from a post from Sri.S.N.Sastri
> ji in the Advaitin forum today which is relevant to the current discussion
> here:
>
> //The following statement  in Shankara's bhAShya:--
>
> In the Bhashya on Br.up.3.8.12 it is said: "What is the difference among
> them(among Brahman, Ishvara and jIva)? It is only due to the difference in
> the limiting adjuncts. Intrinsically, there is neither difference nor
> identity among them, for all the three are in essence Pure Consciousness,
> homogeneous like a lump of salt. When the unconditioned Self has, as the
> limiting adjuncts, the body and organs which are characterized by
> ignorance, desire and action, it is
> called the transmigrating individual self (jIva). When the limiting adjunct
> is the power of eternal and unlimited knowledge, which is Maya, the same
> Self is known as Ishvara, who is the antaryaami or Inner Controller. The
> same Self, free from all limiting adjuncts, is Brahman. When the limiting
> adjuncts are the bodies of Hiranyagarbha, the gods, men, animals and
> others, the same Self assumes those particular names and forms". //
>
> A reading of the original bhashya will provide one with the necessary terms
> used in Advaita shastra to denote these:
>
> कस्तर्हि भेद षाम्? उपाधिकृत इति ब्रूमः; न स्वत षां भेदः अभेदो वा,
> सैन्धवघनवत्
>
>  प्रज्ञानघनैकरसस्वाभाव्यात्, 'अपूर्वमनपरमनन्तरमबाह्यम्' 'अयमात्मा ब्रह्म'
> इति
> च श्रुतेः --- 'सबाह्याभ्यन्तरो ह्यजः' इति च
>
>  आथर्वणे। तस्मात् निरुपाधिकस्य आत्मनो निरूपाख्यत्वात् निर्विशेषत्वात्
> एकत्वाच्च 'नेति नेति' इति व्यपदेशो भवति;
>
>  अविद्याकामकर्मविशिष्टकार्यकरणोपाधिः आत्मा संसारी जीव उच्यते;
> नित्यनिरतिशयज्ञानशक्*त्युपाधिः* आत्मा अन्तर्यामी ईश्वर उच्यते; स एव
> *निरुपाधिः
> केवलः शुध्दः स्वेन स्वभावेन अक्षरं पर उच्यते।* तथा
>
>
> हिरण्यगर्भाव्याकृतदेवताजातिपिण्डमनुष्यतिर्यक्प्रेतादिकार्यकरणोपाधिभिर्विशिष्टः
> तदाख्यः तद्रूपो भवति।
>
>
>
>
> subrahmanian.v
>
> On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 1:04 AM, Vidyasankar Sundaresan <
> svidyasankar at hotmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> As things stand, you have provided ample room to conclude
> > that you do not have the first clue as to what is really meant by
> > nir-viSeshatva of brahman.
> >
>
>
> > Vidyasankar
> >
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