[Advaita-l] Advaita Abheda in Shvetashvara Upanishat 1.12

[V Subrahmanian]

In the  Shwetashvatara Upanishad there is a passage which teaches the
Advaitic unity of all creation and the creator:

Shvetashvara Upanishat 1.12:

एतज्ज्ञेयं नित्यमेवात्मसंस्थं
नातः परं वेदितव्यं हि किञ्चित् ।
भोक्ता भोग्यं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा
सर्वं प्रोक्तं त्रिविधं ब्रह्ममेतत् ॥ १२ ॥

This is to be known as eternally existing in one's own self. Indeed, there
is nothing to be known beyond this. As a result of meditation the enjoyer
(Jiva), the enjoyed (Jagat) and the power which brings about the enjoyment
(Jagadishvara) - all are declared to be the three aspects of Brahman.

Shankara cites this passage in the Brahma Sutra bhashya 1.2.23 to show that
the entire creation consisting of the Jiva, Jagat and the creator Ishwara
are nothing but Brahman alone.

अपि चैवमेके ॥ १३ ॥

अपि चैवं भेददर्शननिन्दापूर्वकम् अभेददर्शनमेव एके शाखिनः समामनन्ति —
‘मनसैवेदमाप्तव्यं
नेह नानास्ति किञ्चन ।’ (क. उ. २ । १ । ११)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Kathaka?page=2&id=Ka_C02_S01_V11&hl=%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B9%20%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A8%20%E0%A5%A4>
 ‘मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति’ (क. उ. २ । १ । १०)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Kathaka?page=2&id=Ka_C02_S01_V10&hl=%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%83%20%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%AF%20%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%B9%20%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF>
इति
; तथान्येऽपि — ‘भोक्ता भोग्यं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा सर्वं प्रोक्तं त्रिविधं
ब्रह्म मे तत्’ (श्वे. उ. १ । १२)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/svt?page=1&id=SV_C01_V12&hl=%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%9A%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D>
इति
समस्तस्य भोग्यभोक्तृनियन्तृलक्षणस्य प्रपञ्चस्य ब्रह्मैकस्वभावतामधीयते ॥ १३ ॥
Anandagiri's explanation of the Shvetashvatara passage cited above:



भोक्ता जीवो भोग्यं शब्दादि तदुभयं प्रेर्यं प्रेरितारं च नियन्तारमीश्वरं
मत्वा विचार्य तत्सर्वं त्रिविधं मे मम प्रोक्तं ब्रह्मैवेति जानीयादित्यर्थः ।

The jiva, the world of sound, form, etc. that the jiva experiences and
Ishwara...are all Brahman alone.

It is interesting to note that this very chapter of this very Upanishad
specifically mentions that the perception of difference between the Ishwara
and and jiva is the cause of bondage and the realisation of non difference
results in liberation:

सर्वाजीवे सर्वसंस्थे बृहन्ते
अस्मिन् हंसो भ्राम्यते ब्रह्मचक्रे ।
पृथगात्मानं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा
जुष्टस्ततस्तेनामृतत्वमेति ॥ ६ ॥ 1.6

In this infinite wheel of Brahman, in which everything lives and rests, the
pilgrim soul is whirled about. Knowing the individual soul, hitherto
regarded as separate, to be itself the Moving Force (Ishwara), and blessed
by Him, it attains immortality.

In the commentary
said to be of Shankaracharya to this mantra in the  Shwetashvatara
Upanishad  is cited following Brihadaranyaka passage: 1.4.10:

‘अथ योऽन्यां देवतामुपास्तेऽन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मीति न स वेद यथा पशुरेवꣳ स
देवानाम्’

He who considers himself to be different from Brahman is ignorant.

It is interesting to note that the passage from the Vishnu dharmottara
purana is cited buy Shankara:
विष्णुधर्मः
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/1wi7

पश्यत्यात्मानम् अन्यत्र (०९६-०१४)
यावद् वै परमात्मनः (०९६-०१४)
तावत् संभ्राम्यते जन्तुर् (०९६-०१४)
मोहितो निजकर्मणा (०९६-०१४)
संक्षीणाशेषकर्मा तु (०९६-०१५)

*परं ब्रह्म प्रपश्यति (०९६-०१५)अभेदेनात्मनः शुद्धं (०९६-०१५)*
शुद्धत्वाद् अक्षयो ऽक्षयम् (भवेत्) (०९६-०१५)

Difference results in bondage and non difference results in liberation.
Thus we have the explicit teaching of absolute non difference in the
Shruti, Smriti and Puranas.

Om

subbu