[Advaita-l] Adhyaropa - apavāda in Bhāgavatam

[V Subrahmanian]

Adhyaropa - apavāda in Bhāgavatam

In the Srimadbhāgavatam occurs the sequence where Brahman is said to engage
in creation, sustenance and annihilation. In this context, this verse says:
[2.10.51,53]

०२१००४५१ नास्य कर्मणि जन्मादौ परस्यानुविधीयते
०२१००४५३ *कर्तृत्वप्रतिषेधार्थं माययारोपितं हि तत्*

Meaning as per Sridhara Swamin:There is no kartṛtvam, doership, for Brahman in
creation, etc. of the world. However, doership is stated, anŪdyate, only with
the view to negate it; it is only superimposed due to māyā.

Sridhara Swamin cites the upanishadic passages: निष्कलं नष्क्रियं
शान्तं निरवद्यं
निरञ्जनम्  and इन्द्रो मायाभिः पुरुरूप ईयते, etc.  Sridhara Swamin
says: in truth there

is no kartrtvam for Brahman. Even the shruti (yato vaa imāni..) does
not establish

kartrtvam as the purport thereof, ṭātparyeṇa.


The second line of the cited verse is where this dictum is present:
*कर्तृत्वप्रतिषेधार्थं: * with a view to negate.  *माययारोपितं *  it
has been superimposed, implicitly.

Thus there is evidence in the Srimadbhāgavatam, not a composition of any 'known'

advaitin, for the concept of adhyāropa-apavāda. It is quite pertinent to recall

the statement of Shankara in the BGB 13.13:तथा हि सम्प्रदायविदां वचनम्
— ‘अध्यारोपापवादाभ्यां निष्प्रपञ्चं प्रपञ्च्यते’ ( ? ) इति ।

Even though we do not know who the author of the statement/verse Shankara is

citing, we can be sure that such a sampradāya is evidenced in the
Srīmadbhāgavatam.

Om Tat Sat