[Advaita-l] Creation by Brahman - only a nimitta - Vishnu Purana - Sridhara Swamin

V Subrahmanian v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
Mon Jan 29 12:37:21 EST 2018


On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 7:03 PM, Kalyan via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste
>
> This is certainly strange. In BSB, Shankara spends considerable time
> arguing that brahman is also the material cause.
>
> Now all you are saying is that a dependant (on brahman) pradhAna is the
> material cause whereas for sAmkhya, pradhAna is independent. (If that is
> the only difference, wonder why so many polemics against the sAmkhyas).
> This looks like a position that of Madhwa/dvaita would be very comfortable
> with!
>

Namaste

I expected this kind of understanding of the term nimitta  in the post.
What is intended by the term 'nimitta maatram' is the participation of
Brahman is only passive. [ A parallel is the term 'sAkShimAtram' in the
antaryami brahmana 3.7.3 bhashyam  देवताकार्यकरणस्य ईश्वरसाक्षिमात्रसान्निध्येन
हि नियमेन प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्ती स्याताम्  Sridhara Swamin too uses the term
'sannidhimaatra' .   The objection was: If Brahman, in association with
rajoguna, is the creator, then the effects of rajas, namely activity,
misery, etc. will apply to Brahman. In reply thereof it is stated that the
participation of Brahman is only nimittamaatram, by mere presence as the
consciousness.  This nimitta is not the same as 'nimitta kaaranam.'

Regards
subbu

>
> Regards
> Kalyan
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