[Advaita-l] Shloka Chapter 1 (padyaBAga) Shloka 1

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Sreenivasa Murthyji - PraNAms.

Shankara's writing is based on Vedanta pramaana-

1.  The mahavakya says - prajnaanam brahma - consciousness is Brahman, which being infinite-ness is one without a second. 

2. Scriptures further says that that consciousness became many, just as gold became many ornaments. Becoming involves upaadana kaarana or material cause -Becoming therefore involves a transformation. The infinite cannot undergo transformation since it is infinite. Hence becoming only means only apparently becoming many, in terms of naama and ruupa - as stated in Mudaka 1-1-9. tasmaat etat brahma naama ruupamannam ca jaayate. Hence creation is only name-sake becoming many - the truth is beyond the names and forms.

3. Hence Shankara's statements - sarvgam... sarva vishaya atiitam

4. Hence Brahman includes both the subject and object duality as the very substantive of both.

5. vastu is that which exists and that which lends existence to everything - since becoming many involves upaadana kaaranam or material cause.

6. Your question of how it can be verified - is like gold-ring asking that it is said that there is something called Gold that pervades every gold ornament, how can I verify that? The very existence of the ring is due to Gold. It has to recognize that I am that I am. 

7. It is nothing to verify but something to recognize. Your very existence and that your are conscious entity and hence are able to ask the question itself the very proof that that there that vastu which lends existence to you and consciousness (reflected consciousness) that make you to ask - there is no other verification. Faith in the scriptural statement which cannot be verified by objective tools is the essential tool.  

8. Now tell me how do you verify to yourself that you are existing and you are consciousness since Shankara statement says sarvam, sarva vishaya ateetam etc. That you are  existing and conscious entity needs no further verification from your reference - you are aprameyam, not a object for verification as you are self-exisiting and self-conscious entity. 

Hope this helps.

Hari Om!
Sadananda


--------------------------------------------
On Sat, 4/11/15, sreenivasa murthy via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

 Subject: [Advaita-l] Shloka Chapter 1 (padyaBAga) Shloka 1
 To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 Date: Saturday, April 11, 2015, 2:20 AM
 
  Dear Readers,
 Sri Shankara writes in Upadeshasahasri;
        caitanyaM sarvagaM sarvaM sarvaBUtaguhASayam
 |       yat sarva viShayAtItaM tasmai sarvavidE namaH
 ||        [upadeshasahasri ; padyaBAga; Chapter 1
 SlOka 1]
 I have a question to ask the scholars of this group; Is what
 has been stated in the above SlOka a universal truth and a
 fact which can be verified by one and all irrespective of
 caste ,creed or religion? If so, how can it be verified?
 Does it talk about an existing vastu (BUtavastu) and if so,
 what is that vastu?With respectful pranams, Sreenivasa
 Murthy         
 
 _______________________________________________
 Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
 http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
 
 To unsubscribe or change your options:
 http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
 
 For assistance, contact:
 listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org