[Advaita-l] 'Nirguna Brahman' on the lines of Advaita in Padma Purana

[V Subrahmanian]

'Nirguna Brahman' on the lines of Advaita in Padma Purana

Padma Purana refutes itself  :-)

In this chapter of the Padma Purana  https://sa.wikisource.org/s/i5k
(SrishTi khaNDa 1, 3rd chapter):  Bhishma asks:

भीष्म उवाच
निर्गुणस्याप्रमेयस्य शुद्धस्याथ महात्मनः
कथं सर्गादिकर्त्तृत्वं ब्रह्मणो ह्युपपद्यते १

How can the doership regarding creation, etc. accrue to Brahman that is
Nirguna, which is not an object, Pure, Infinite?

It is to be noted here that 'nirguna' is an adjective to Brahman. As to
what this term means and what it does not mean is determined in this verse
itself.  In Advaita the functions of creation, etc. is not admitted for
Nirguna Brahman. They accrue to It only through the agency of Maya. Hence,
in this Padma Purana verse the mismatch between Nirguna-hood and
creator-hood is highlighted.  Non-Advaitins give the meaning 'devoid of
inauspicious attributes' to the term Nirguna. However, the term 'shuddha',
pure, in the verse rules out this meaning for the term Nirguna. Thus, it is
noteworthy that this Padma Purana verse admits of the same meaning as
Advaitins hold for the term Nirguna.

Bhishma's question is answered by Sage Pulastya:

  पुलस्त्य उवाच
शक्तयः सर्वभावानामचिंत्या ज्ञानगोचराः
यत्ततो ब्रह्मणस्तास्तुसर्गाद्या भावशक्तयः २

'As the potentialities of all objects are inconceivable and
inapprehensible, so are those powers of creation, etc. in Brahman.

The 'inconceivable', 'achintya', of the verse finds validation in the
Advaitic texts: Says Shankara in the Chandogya Bhashya:

  अचिन्त्यानन्तशक्तिमत्या देवतायाः बुद्ध्यादिसम्बन्धः चैतन्याभासः
देवतास्वरूपविवेकाग्रहणनिमित्तः ..6.3.2

The erroneous connection between the inconceivable power of Brahman and the
buddhi, intellect, expressing itself as sentience (in intellect) is due to
the non-apprehension of the true nature of Brahman.

Anandagiri in his gloss says:

ಆನಂದಗಿರಿ ಟೀಕೆ:
ननु चिदात्मा कूटस्थोऽसङ्गोऽद्वितीयश्चेष्यते स कथं
बुद्ध्यादिभिर्भूतमात्रादिभिश्च चिदात्मनः संसृज्यते तत्राऽऽह – अचिन्त्येति ।
सत्त्वादिप्रकारैरशक्यचिन्तनीयाऽनादिरनिर्वाच्या सम्यग्ज्ञानमन्तरेण नाशशून्या
दण्डायमाना या मायाशक्तिस्तस्या विषयत्वेनाऽऽनाश्रयत्वेन च ...

achintya shakti = anadi anirvachya...

One can make a comparison of the meaning of the term nirguna in the above
cited verse of the Padma Purana with the following popular verses of the
same Purana of the uttara khanda:

  https://sa.wikisource.org/s/y1g

मायावादमसच्छास्त्रं प्रच्छन्नं बौद्ध उच्यते
मयैव कथितं देवि कलौ ब्राह्मणरूपिणा ७
अपार्थं श्रुतिवाक्यानां दर्शयन्लोकगर्हितम्
स्वकर्म्मरूपं त्याज्यत्वमत्रैव प्रतिपाद्यते ८
सर्वकर्म्मपरिभ्रष्टैर्वैधर्म्मत्वं तदुच्यते
परेशजीवपारैक्यं मया तु प्रतिपाद्यते ९
ब्रह्मणोस्य स्वयं रूपं निर्गुणं वक्ष्यते मया
सर्वस्य जगतोऽप्यत्र मोहनार्थं कलौ युगे १०

Parameshwara addresses Parvati about the 'maayaavaada' which is only
Buddhism in disguise, is propagated by Him through the instrumentality of a
Brahmana. The censurable interpretation of the Shruti, renouncing the
actions enjoined, non-difference of the jiva and Supreme, ''the nirguna
nature of Brahman' - are all tenets aimed at the destruction of the world.

These verses are a forte for non-advaitins to show to the world that here
the Padma Purana denounces Advaita.

One can now see how the very Padma Purana has refuted the above tenet that
caricatures Advaita by adducing that very meaning to the term nirguna
unmistakably, which is censured in the just cited verses.

regards
subbu