[Advaita-l] The Viraat form of Brahman as per Panchadashi - ref to BG 11th ch.

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

On Mon 8 Jul, 2019, 8:41 AM V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> The Viraat form of Brahman as per Panchadashi - ref to BG 11th ch.
>
> In the Panchadashi, 6th chapter, Swami Vidyaranya has given a detailed
> picture of creation. The sequence is: from kaaraNam to sUkshma kaaryam to
> sthUla kaaryam.
>

ईशसूत्रविराट्वेधोविष्णुरुद्रएन्द्रवह्नयः ।
> विघ्नभैरवमैरालमारिका यक्षराक्षसाः ॥ २०६॥
> विप्रक्षत्रियविट्शूद्रा गवाश्वमृगपक्षिणः ।
> अश्वत्थवटचूताद्या यववृहितृणादयः ॥ २०७॥
> जलपाषाणमृत्काष्ठवास्याकुद्दालकादयः ।
> ईश्वराः सर्व एवैते पूजिताः फलदायिनः ॥ २०८॥
>
Namaste Subbuji

Thank you for that post.
That's the amazing vision of Ishvara who can be worshipped in different
ways starting with the exalted celestial forms like Shiva etc., down to
chisels and axes which too are valid as locii for worship. (As in the
aayudha Pooja during the autumn festival  for example.) This is something
about Hinduism which is wrongly understood, perhaps even deliberately
misrepresented, as 'idolatry' and 'heathen' methods of worship. The correct
perspective is that all-pervading formless Ishvara alone is worshipped but
by taking the help of forms. We don't worship idols - we worship Ishvara.
This is so obvious to people who have connexion with the Vedic vision but
seems incomprehensible to those indoctrinated by the historical belief
systems.

Om
Raghav


यथा यथोपासते तं फलमीयुस्तथा तथा ।
> फलोत्कर्षापकर्षौ तु पूज्यपूजानुसारतः ॥ २०९॥
>
> 204. In Virat the world appears distinct and shining, like objects in broad
> day-light or like the figures of a fully painted picture or the fruit of a
> fully matured tree. In Virat all the gross bodies are plainly seen.
>
> 205. In the Vishvarupa chapter and in the Purusha Sukta there is a
> description of Virat. From the creator Brahma to a blade of grass, all
> objects in the world form part of Virat.
>
> 206. The forms of Virat, such as Ishvara, Hiranyagarbha, Virat, Brahma,
> Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Agni, Ganesha, Bhairava, Mairala, Marika, Yakshas,
> demons.
>
> 207. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Sudras, cows, horses and other
> beasts, birds, fig, banyan and mango trees, wheat, rice and other cereals
> and grasses;
>
> 208. Water, stone, earth, chisels, axes and other implements are
> manifestations of Ishvara. Worshipped as Ishvara they grant fulfilment of
> desires.
>
> 209. In whatever form Ishvara is worshipped, the worshipper obtains the
> appropriate reward through that form. If the method of worship and the
> conception of the attributes of the deity worshipped are of a high order,
> the reward also is of a high order; but if otherwise, it is not.
>
> 210. The Liberation, however, can be obtained through the knowledge of
> reality and not otherwise. The dreaming does not end until the dreamer
> awakes.
>
> 211. In the secondless principle, Brahman, the whole universe, in the form
> of Ishvara and Jiva and all animate and inanimate objects, appears like a
> dream.
>
> What is noteworthy in the above rendering is: The Trimurtis, Brahma, Vishnu
> and Shiva - are all part of the Vishvarupa. According to Vedantins, the
> Vishvarupa is of Brahman and not a finite deity. Thus, the entire lot of
> entities that are related to creation will find place in the vishvarupa by
> default. In the BG 11th chapter, only Brahmaa is mentioned, as per
> Shankara. The others have to be taken as per the upalakshana maxim.  In the
> 10th chapter, however, even Vishnu and Rudra have been mentioned as per
> various commentators. The BG depiction also is to be known to be not
> exhaustive but only representational. This becomes clear from the lines of
> the Pachadashi shown above.
>
> Om Tat Sat
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