[Advaita-l] Please tell the meaning of this Verse

[Siva Senani Nori]

Namaste

GauDapaada wrote Kaarikas on the Maa. Up. divided into four prakaraNas. This is the tradition in Advaita. Others take some or all of these Kaarikas as Upanishads.

Given below is the translation of Swami Lokeswarananda of the Kaarikas you quoted from Aagama-prakaraNa, under Mantra 7:

17. If the phenomenal world really existed, then, of course, it would have disappeared. But it does not exist. It is only an illusion. The fact of the matter is that Brahman alone is real.

18. If the manifold - such as teacher, disciple and teaching - has been conceived of only for some purpose, it will end when that purpose has been fulfilled. When, as a result of the teaching, Self-knowledge has been maintained, the manifold will cease to exist.

These are accurate vaakyaarthas. The key to understanding lies in the unsaid questions of the opponent: 

First he asks: "If you say that understanding the reality of Advaita is through the dissolution of the world, we have a problem. Either the world exists in reality or it does not. It cannot be the first because if it were so, then the Reality would be that the world exists. It cannot be the second because something needs to exist for it to dissolve."

The answer - at the level of vaacyaartha - is: "if the world were seen, that is if it really existed, it would have dissolved". By the force of "if" (यदि, yadi), the taatparya (purport) is: "but that is not true; in reality, the world does not exist". This begets a question: "then what is that we see around us?" The reply is: "Oh! that is an illusion. maayaamaatram idam dvaitam. In Reality, there is no second to Brahman. advaitam paramaarthataH "

This is further clarified in the poorvaardha of verse 18. "If for some reason [1], the vikalpaH - manifoldness - has been conceived, then that will dissolve"

I hope the meaning is clear.

Regards

N. Siva Senani

[1] Here "kenacit" has to be taken "kenacit kaaraNena", and not "kenacit purusheNa" or "kenacit aNgena" (like buddhi), because illlusion is due to avidyaa, not any particular person or an organ in him. Further the word "upadeSAt" in the uttaraardha of the Kaarikaa suggests that UpadeSa is the reason for splitting the One Brahman into teacher, student and subject.

>________________________________
> From: Harsha Bhat via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
>To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> 
>Sent: Thursday, 2 July 2015 7:05 PM
>Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Please tell the meaning of this Verse
> 
>
>Please Can any learned scholars Tell the meaning of Above Verse...
>
>I here mainly required is Vakhyartha in advaitha point of view...
>
>Regards,
>Harsha Bhat
>
>On Sat, Jun 27, 2015 at 2:40 PM, Harsha Bhat <harsha9519 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Sir,
>>
>>               Can any one tell the meaning (Mainly Vakhyartha) of this
>> verse from Madukhya Upanishad......in advaitha point of view....
>>
>>
>> “prapanco yadi vidyeta nevarteta nashamshhayaH |
>> Maayaamaatram idam Dwaitam
>> Advaitam paramaarthataH || ”
>> “ vikalpo vinivarteta kalpito yadi kenacit |
>>
>>
>> Some this is the verse from Madukhya Upanishad...and some say it is from
>> Goudapada's Madukhya Karika.......Why this uncertainty...
>>
>> What is the exact difference between Madukhya karika and Mandukhya
>> upanishad.....
>>
>> Please answer...
>>
>> Harsha Bhat
>>
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