[Advaita-l] Jiva and jagat - Brahman alone

[V Subrahmanian]

On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 5:20 PM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

> In the same way the
> substratum Brahman is the fundamental content of the superimposed world.
> By
> such a study the (possible) objection ‘how can the veda teach the oneness
> of the extremely lowly things like a dog, etc. with the Lord/Brahman?’
> stands brushed aside.  Nor does the shruti teach the oneness of the
> body-mind complex of the dog, etc. with Brahman.
>
> praNAms Sri Subbu prabhuji
> Hare Krishna
>
> With this how can we reconcile the shruti / shankara's assertion that
> brahman is the ONLY  abhinna nimittOpadAna kAraNa of this world??  It
> gives us the impression that  brahman is only antaryAmi and not the
> upAdAna kAraNa of this jagat...For that matter jagat is not superimposed
> on brahman like snake is superimposed on rope, shankara is quite clear on
> this in chAndOgya and katha.  Under these circumstances, would it be okay
> for us to accept that brahman is only antaryAmi and not upAdAna kAraNa of
> this jagat and jagat is mithya like snake on rope??  Please clarify.
>

Just one instance from the bhAShya would be enough to state that for
Shankara the entire creation/universe is a superimposition on Brahman:

BG - brahmArpaNam brahma haviH....

// BG 4.24 Brahma-arpanam, the ladle is Brahman: The knower of Brahman
perceives the instrument with which he offers oblation in the fire as
Brahman Itself. *He perceives it as not existing separately from the Self,
as one sees the non-existence of silver in nacre. In this sense it is that
Brahman Itself is the ladle - just as what appears as silver is only narcre*.
(The two words brahma and arpanam are not parts of a compound word,
samasa.) The meaning is that,* to a knower of Brahman, what is perceived in
the world as ladle is Brahman Itself.* Similarly, brahma-havih, the
oblations is Brahman: To him, what is seen as oblations is nothing but
Brahman.In the same way, brahma-agnau, (-this is a compound word-) in the
fire of Brahman: The fire into which oblation is hutam, poured; brahmana,
by Brahman, by the agent, is Brahman Itself. The meaning is that Brahman
Itself is the agent (of the offering). That he makes the offering-the act
of offering-, that is also Brahman. And the result that is gantavyam, to be
reached by him; that also is brahma eva, surely
Brahman.Brahma-karma-samadhina, by him who has concentration on Brahman as
the objective: Brahman Itself is the objective (karma); he who has
concentration (samadhi) on That is brahma-karma-samdhih. The goal to be
reached by him is Brahman alone. //

Thus, the above is a case of vivartavAda where Brahman is the vivartopAdAna
for the jagat.

regards
vs

>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
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