[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Real import of creation-sentences

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Dear Bhaskar ji,

//If srushti is immaterial in Advaita siddhAnta pratipAdana, please don’t
try your hand / logic to prove DSV, SDV etc. //

DSV, SDV are taught only to those who think that there is srishTi. Through
the teaching, it becomes clear that srishTi is immaterial. So, the teaching
is prior to the conclusion that srishTi is immaterial. Don't reverse the
order.

//But it is a matter of fact that shankara quite categorically said: jagat
kAraNa is brahman, he is the abhinna nimittOpadAna kAraNa, if there is no
nAma rUpa creation, you would definitely not knowing that brahman is
ultimately nirguNa, nirvishesha and prajnAna ghana.//

Sir, this kAraNatva attributed to Brahman is by accepting the
ajnAna-adhyAsa. That is why VArtikakAra said- अस्य द्वैतेन्द्रजालस्य
यदुपादानकारणम्। अज्ञानं तदुपाश्रित्य ब्रह्मकारणमुच्यते।।

So, we must understand that jagat-kAraNatva is by admitting ajnAna-adhyAsa
and it is not some swarUpa-lakshaNa of Brahman. It is a mere
taTastha-lakshaNa as explained by VArtikakAra. This attribution is negated
to reveal shuddha nirvishesha Brahman, devoid of imputed causality. So,
don't stop midway. Go the entire distance.

//And more importantly he announced Ishwara hetuka srushti is ‘vedAnta
maryAda’.//

This VedAnta MaryAdA is itself maryAdita to the domain wherein srishTi is
admitted. That is why it is important to understand the model within which
maryAdA is spoken about.

//Though ‘order’ of srushti is hardly the matter of concern to the shruti,
the srushti itself is not just a joke in shruti / bhAshya.//

It is an appearance. It is asat which appears as sat. It is a mirage-water,
an elephant conjured by magic. You may like to give it great importance. Go
on. But do it on the fact of tacit admission of violation of BhAshyakAra
--- क्षेत्रं च मायानिर्मितहस्तिस्वप्नदृष्टवस्तुगन्धर्वनगरादिवत् ‘असदेव सदिव
अवभासते.’

//The role of logic, limitations of dry logic etc. in siddhAnta nirNaya
simply thrown out of window here.  Shrutyukta, anubhava sammata tarka is
quite conspicuously absent here.//

When the entire kshetra is asat, merely appears as sat, you attachment to
"wet logic" is quite amusing. All tarka mentioned here are in accordance
with Shruti. It is up to you to attribute dryness or wetness thereto.

//All the vedAntic statements teach about the creation as that which has
Ishwara as (the rationally valid and acceptable) hetu, the cause of
creation. That Ishwara is hetu means, He creates the jeevas according to
their own Karma.//


Within a certain model.


//If we don’t accept these observations then we are no good than shUnya
vAdins ( even vijnAnavAdins ).//


No. Because, illusion requires substratum. That substratum is non-dual
Brahman. Hence, no shUnyavAda. This is VedAnta 101.


//By saying srushti is mere time pass theory in shruti we are hitting
prakriya-s like: (a) concept of Ishwara (b) Omniscience of brahman (c)cause
and effect (d) empirical reality of the universe ( e) Atmaikatva vAda /
samyak darshana/ sarvAtma bhAva (f) the essential identity of the universe
with brahman etc. etc. for a BIG SIX completely ignoring its place and
status in Advaita siddhAnta pratipAdana.//


Please apply this charge to BhAshyakAra who equates creation to
AkhyAyikA. सुखावबोधप्रतिपत्त्यर्थं
लोकवदाख्यायिकादिप्रपञ्च इति युक्ततरः पक्षः । न हि
सृष्ट्याख्यायिकादिपरिज्ञानात्किञ्चित्फलमिष्यते ।
ऐकात्म्यस्वरूपपरिज्ञानात्तु अमृतत्वं फलं सर्वोपनिषत्प्रसिद्धम् ।


Sir, this creation is certainly a story. If you are believing in this
story, please come to SDV, I have many very-very interesting stories
therein to entertain.


When causality is taught to be owing to ignorance, the "BIG SIX" must go
out of window.



// Atmaikatva or the unity of Atman (or brahman) is the ONLY absolute truth
according to the shruti-s as shown by bAdarAyaNa interpreted by shankara,
even while the distinction of sentient and non-sentient nature remains
quite real from the empirical standpoint.  The universe as an effect is
NONDIFFERENT from the cause or brahman and is ESSENTIALLY one with
brahman.//


As stated above by VArtikakAra, kAraNatva of Brahman is not Its intrinsic
feature. It is owing to adhyAsa of avidyA therein. It is the avidyA which
is the material cause. You superimpose this feature of avidyA in Brahman,
and you say - Brahman is material cause. It is upAdhi-prayukta and not
inherent to Brahman.


Empirical standpoint is itself result of ignorance. So, within ignorance --
you term Brahman whatever. Hardly matters!!


//And shruti elsewhere warns us : If anyone sees the world in front of us
as non Atman / abrahman / asarvaM etc., then the world would reject and
throw out such a one as ineligible for mOksha, liberation.//


Sir ji. This is called bAdhAyAm sAmAnAdhikaraNya. I have explained it
earlier. This means that world is illusory and non-existent and only
Brahman is the reality.


//So any one trying to prove absolute non-existence of jagat through mere
dry logic, they are doing so by comfortably going against shruti verdict.
May the Almighty srushtikarta guide them in the right path.//


Very nice. MAyA-nirmita-hasti, gandharva-nagar-vat-asat world does not have
absolute non-existence!! Indeed a great "wet logic"!! If only one
understood the concept of bAdhAyAm sAmAnAdhikaraNya when BhAshyakAra
says -- ‘सर्वं
ब्रह्म’ इति तु सामानाधिकरण्यं प्रपञ्चप्रविलापनार्थम् -- one would not have
had this doubt.


"World is Brahman" is identical to "snake is rope". The sAmAnAdhikaraNya is
for negating the snake/world and not to equate world with Brahman through
mukhya-sAmAnAdhikaraNya. Such fanciful ideas are rejected by BhAshyakAra by
propounding bAdhAyAm-sAmAnAdhikaraNya in ‘सर्वं ब्रह्म’ इति तु
सामानाधिकरण्यं प्रपञ्चप्रविलापनार्थम्.


Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.