[Advaita-l] The Vishnu beyond Maya is Nirguna Brahman - Mahabharata

[V Subrahmanian]

This chapter of the Mahabharata says Brahman is Nirguna (four times).

regards
subbu

On Thu, May 11, 2023 at 12:41 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> In the Mahabharata there is a detailed teaching of Brahma Vidya. This
> verse in the chapter gives a hierarchy of all tattva-s and Brahman is
> stated to be the ultimate.
> महाभारतम्-12-शांतिपर्व-204
>
> Mahabharata
>
> https://sa.wikisource.org/s/2ws
>
> मनसो महती बुद्धिर्बुद्धेः कालो महान्स्मृतः।।
>
> *कालात्स भगवान्विष्णुर्यस्य सर्वमिदं जगत्।*
>
> नादिर्न मध्यं नैवान्तस्तस्य देवस्य विद्यते।।
>
> The Advaitin commentator Neelakantha says:
>
> Kaala is Avyakta, the cause of creation, and beyond that is Vishnu that is
> Shuddha Brahman.
>
> This explanation is in tune with the Mandukya Upanishad 6th Mantra about
> Ishwara, the cause of creation and beyond that is the Turiya, Nirguna
> Advaita tattva.
>
> We are reminded of the verse cited by Shankaracharya at the beginning of
> the Bhagavad Gita bhashya:
>
> नारायणः परोऽव्यक्तादण्डमव्यक्तसम्भवम् ।
>
> अण्डस्यान्तस्त्विमे लोकाः सप्तद्वीपा च मेदिनी ॥
>
> Narayana is beyond Avyakta. Anandagiri in the commentary gives this same
> idea  stated by Nilakantha:
>
>  तथा च शुद्धतासिद्धौ कथं यथोक्ता परदेवता शास्त्रादावनुस्मर्यते ? शुद्धस्य
> हि तत्त्वस्यानुस्मरणमभीष्टफलवदभीष्टम् । तत्राह – *परोऽव्यक्तादिति । *अव्यक्तम्
> अव्याकृतं मायेत्यनर्थान्तरम् । तस्मात् परो – व्यतिरिक्त स्तेनासंस्पृष्टोऽयं
> परः, ‘अक्षरात् परतः परः’ (मु. उ. २-१-२)
> <https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Mundaka?page=2&id=MD_C02_S01_V02&hl=%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%83%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%83>इति
> श्रुतेर्गृहीतः । तत्त्वतो मायासम्बन्धाभावेऽपि कल्पनया
> तदीयसङ्गतिमङ्गीकृत्यान्तर्यामित्वादिकमुन्नेयम् ।
>
> The Mundaka passage he cites is about Nirguna Brahman. So does Shankara
> say for that Mundaka mantra: यत्सर्वोपाधिभेदवर्जितमक्षरस्यैव
> स्वरूपमाकाशस्येव सर्वमूर्तिवर्जितं नेति नेतीत्यादिविशेषणं विवक्षन्नाह —
> That which is free of all upadhis, like ether, known by the method of neti
> neti.
>
> This theme alone is captured by the Mahabharata and the commentary cited
> above.
>
> Om
>
>
>