[Advaita-l] Taattvika Abheda and vyavaharika bheda in Dvaita and Advaita

[Srinath Vedagarbha]

On Tue, Jul 17, 2018 at 10:21 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
> The shaastra admits of a shakti not for nothing.  mama yonih mahatbrahma,
> prakritih suuyate...etc. only show that without prakriti Brahman cannot do
> anything. If Brahman is independent of prakriti, why does the shaastra say
> that prakriti is the yoni, bhaarya, of Brahman?  The very idea of prakriti
> is redundant if Brahman were to create independently.  Jagatvyapara varjyam
> is only to say that the mukta jivas have no role in jagat vyapara which is
> the domain of Brahman+prakriti.
>
>

A detailed explanation is needed at this moment. Please excuse me if this
reply is lengthy.

Let's start by looking at vEdic term `prakriti'.

This topic is covered by sUtrakAra in sUtra-s 23-27 of 4th pAda of
samanvaya adhikaraNa under prakriti-adhikaraNa.

Here Sri.Madhvacharya says all feminine terms such as `prakriti', `stree',
`yOni' `sUti' etc denotes vishNu only in
their primary sense. Why is this needed? As a true commentator Madhva
sticks to the real purpose of this adhikarana, which is doing
samanvaya of terms in Brahman.  Both Sri.Shankara and Sri.RamAnuja takes up
the issue of material causality of Brahman,
which according to Madhva, uncalled for and an asangati.

pUrvapaxa objects to this application of such purely feminine terms to
Brahman on the grounds of `tadgatatvam' or presence of properties in
question. It may however be justified on the grounds of `tadadhInatvam' or
dependence of such feminine attributes on
Brahman.

Sri.Madhva's position is that application of such feminine terms to Brahman
is fully admissible from the point of view of actual presence
(tadgatatva) of both female and male principles in Vishnu.

How so?

A purely conventional application of all names would not be competent to
achieve the true significance of `sarva-shabda-samanvaya' in Brahman as
mandated by sUtrakAra.  This can be achieved only when applied words are
charged with the deep meaning.

Then, how one would apply both female and male principles in VishNu ?

Sri.Madhva explains that, VishNu plays both, female and male roles in
creation. Fifth sUtra (in this adhikaraNa) points out exactly this
meaning that there is no difficulty in understanding that female and male
principles are to be understood in their esoteric and
fundamental sense of bringing forth `directly' and `indirectly'. VishNu as
a female principle brings forth Chit prakriti  from the
state of praLaya during the creation. This is His `direct' involvement. He
is called `yOni' in this sense.  This concept is reiterated by SriKrishna
when He says " mama yonih mahatbrahma " in gIta.


In this very same sense MahaNarayaNa Upanishad asserts VishNu is called by
another feminine term `prasUti' as in ` yata prasUta jagatha prasUti `
(From Him born the mother of this jagat)

As a male principle, He enters into prakriti so as to enable it to evolve
from the subtle to grosser state of Mahat, AhankAra etc.

Acharya Madhva explains VishNu is called `prakriti' in the ultra primary
sense (parama-mukhyArtha) in the sense that
term `krit' (creative activity) of jada-prkrit is indeed `pra' or
stupendous. That is to say, jada-prakriti (the matter of this
universe) can not evolve on its own and has to depend on VishNu for its
evolution. It is very necessary that VishNu should educe
creativity from within by entering (as stated in Taittariya Up. II.vi.1 )
ab initio.

He quotes several shruti and smirit refernces in this regard.

1. ubhayAtmaka sUtitvAtat vAsudEvaH paraH pumAn | prakritiH
purushachEti shabhdairEkO abhidhIyate || (BrahmAnda purANa)

(Indirect cause in creation by male thru female is called `pumstva'. Direct
cause is called prakriti. Because of both, direct and indirect
roles, Vasudeva is called by both purusha and prakriti)

2. PaingI shruti states "yEsha stree, yEsha purushH, yEsha
prakritiH, yEsha aatma, yEsha brahma, yEsha lOkaH, yEsha alOkaH,
yOshou hariH aadhiH , anAdhiH anantOnantaH , paramaH parAd
vishvarUpaH "

(He is Hari, who is stree, purusha, prakriti, aatma, brahma, prakAsha-rUpa.
He is supporter of various loka-s. Although He is aadi
(starting point) for this jagat, He does not have aadi nor end. Although He
is antaka (end) to this jagat, He does not have any end.
He is superior than prakriti by name para. He has vishva-rUpa. )


3. Brahman is also characterized by shruti as being everything, wide
"purusha-evEdam-sarvam" (Everything is Brahman), "sarvam
khalvidam brahma" (everything is indeed Brahman). These assertion, per
Madhva , needs to be understood as Brahman as Contoller of
everythin as per "sayam samApnOshi tatOsi sarvaha" (He is all because He is
in all).


4. In the same understanding, the para and apara prakritis as stated in
gIta 7th chapter, Madhva does not accepts that it refers to the
lower or Higher natures of the Lord. There is no such two levels for the
Lord.

Thus, Brahman VishNu is called by both the term prakriti and pUrusha in
this sense.

Now, coming to your question why does Brahman need another agency to
create? Does this make such Brahman week and dependent?

When I own an entire enterprise and I recruit whole management team to work
for me, delegating the tasks to be done by others etc; does that indicate I
am dependent on them in a negative sense?

Similarly when Parabrahman VishNu is said to use Prakriti to create this
world, it does not show His dependence and limitedness as such. It only
shows His Aishwarya and His management portfolio of this unverse!

That direct and indirect creative ability of Brahman is what shAstra calls
parama-Aishwarya. Using any sAdhana in His creative activity only indicates
this parama-Aishwarya, Because that sAdhanatva is also given to that
sAdhana by the same Parabrahman VishNu.

"sAdhanAnAm sAdhanatvam yadA AtmAdheenamishyatE sAdhana-sampattihi
Aishwarya dyOtikA bhavEt" - says AchArya Madhva

Hope this clears some of the basic concepts for some readers.

/SV