[Advaita-l] Padmapurana verse on Mayavada

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 10:43 AM, Rajaram Venkataramani <
rajaramvenk at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Shri Sunil,
>
> There is no need for commentary if you understand that a pure bhakta
> attains the supreme state of vishnu simply by the power of devotion though
> he does not even desire liberation what to speak of temporary material
> gains. Even advaita jnanam comes to him on its own accord.
>
> sa eva *bhakti-yogākhya*
> ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ
> *yenātivrajya tri-guṇaṁ*
> *mad-bhāvāyopapadyate*
>

What is that 'bhAva'? If it is saguNa, then the Lakshmipatitvam of Vishnu
is inescapable.  The devotees attaining to vishnubhAva will be lakshmipatis
by default.  No one can prevent this because Vishnu Himself cannot prevent
being Lakshmipati since the Shv.up. defines Ishwara as 'mAyAm tu prakRtim
viddhi, mAyinam tu maheshwaram.'  The very prospect of being maheshwara is
impossible without the dependence on the Lakshmi-principle.

If on the other hand, vishnubhAva is nirgunam, then the bhakta attaining it
is impossible, for the bhakta, with the advaitic knowledge will realize
that he is already vishnu, vyApanashIla, as Shankara explains in the
kathopanishad bhashyam.  In that case there is no choice for the bhakta to
'not even desire moksha' and prefer to be a bhakta.  Such supposed
bhakti-rasa statements as 'though he does not even desire liberation...'
are completely devoid of any substance and only look immature.  They can at
best be arthavada statements directed at enthusing aspirants to have
devotion to bhagavan. The Vedanta is moksha shAstra.  No one comes to it
for a purpose other than that.

The only way to escape both these possibilities is to admit the moksha of
the dvaita and vishishtadvaita systems where the mukta will remain
different from the Lord in the designated loka.



The munDakopaniShad bhAShya on mantra 3.2.6:



//They become freed on every side - they do not stand in need
of going elsewhere.  And this is in accord with such Vedic and SmRti texts
as: 'Just as the footprints of birds cannot be traced in space and of
aquatics in water, similar is the course of the men of knowledge.'
(Mahabharata shAntiparvan 239.24), 'Those who want to go beyond the courses
of the world, do not tread on any path'(itihAsa upaniShat18).  The Paths
(to be followed after death), which are dependent on spatial limitation,
are indeed within phenomenal existence, since they are attained through
limited means.  But, Brahman, being the All, is not a goal to be attained
in terms of spatial limitations.  Should Brahman be circumscribed by space
like any concrete object, It will be supported by something else, It will
have parts, It will be impermanent and a product.  But Brahman cannot be
so; therefore Its attainment, too, cannot be determined in terms of
limitation of space.  Besides, the knowers of Brahman accept only that
liberation which consists of the removal of ignorance, etc., which are the
causes of mundane bondage, and not that which is a product.  //

regards
subrahmanian.v



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