[Advaita-l] The Advaitic Teaching by the Supreme Self in the Form of Kapila in Srimad Bhagavatam*

[V Subrahmanian]

A Correction:  In the post below, the second occurrence of this verse:

सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
ईक्षेतानन्यभावेन भूतेष्विव तदात्मताम् ॥ ४२ ॥

is to be replaced with -

स्वयोनिषु यथा ज्योतिः एकं नाना प्रतीयते ।
योनीनां गुणवैषम्यात् तथात्मा प्रकृतौ स्थितः ॥ ४३ ॥

warm regards
subbu

On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 3:58 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
> **The Advaita Teaching by the Supreme Self in the Form of Kapila in Srimad
> Bhagavatam**
>
> श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ३/अध्यायः २८
> https://sa.wikisource.org/s/e6h
>
>
> भूतेन्द्रियान्तःकरणात् प्रधानात् जीवसंज्ञितात् ।
> आत्मा तथा पृथग्द्रष्टा भगवान् ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः ॥ ४१ ॥
>
> The five elements, their effects (the senses), and the inner faculties -
> the Atman is different from all these. Brahman is different from this
> Atman. Similarly, the Lord who controls Pradhana (Prakriti or Nature) is
> different from it.
>
> सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
> ईक्षेतानन्यभावेन भूतेष्विव तदात्मताम् ॥ ४२ ॥
>
> *After explaining the differences from the perspective of conditioning
> factors (upadhis), now the text speaks of true unity:* The vision of
> seeing the Self in all and all in the Self. This is the non-dual (Advaita)
> view: **Nothing is different from oneself**. An illustration for this:
> There are four types of bodies: egg-born, womb-born, sprout-born, and
> sweat-born = all these are the same as they are products of the five
> elements. This is **the non-difference of cause and effect**.
>
> सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
> ईक्षेतानन्यभावेन भूतेष्विव तदात्मताम् ॥ ४२ ॥
>
>
> The same Self appears different due to the conditioning of various bodies.
> Just as fire, though one, appears in different forms like tall, short,
> etc., due to variations in its qualities.
>
> स्वयोनिषु यथा ज्योतिः एकं नाना प्रतीयते ।
> योनीनां गुणवैषम्यात् तथात्मा प्रकृतौ स्थितः ॥ ४३ ॥
>
> Shankara provides this evidence in his commentary on the Brahma Sutras:
>
> एक एव हि भूतात्मा भूते भूते व्यवस्थितः ।
> एकधा बहुधा चैव दृश्यते जलचन्द्रवत् ।। - अमृतबिन्दु उपनिषद
>
>
> Brahman, which is the Self of everything, appears differently in each body
> as a reflection, just as the same moon appears differently in various water
> bodies. Here, the body, mind, and senses are Prakriti (Nature). The
> ego-sense identification of oneself  as "I" in this is ignorance, the cause
> of worldly existence. This is stated in the 13th chapter of the Bhagavad
> Gita:
>
> पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।
> कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥ २१ ॥ 13.21
>
> **Brahman consciousness, due to superimposition, remains in the cycle of
> worldly life through the ego-sense of "I" in the body and other organs**
>
> तस्माद् इमां स्वां प्रकृतिं दैवीं सदसदात्मिकाम् ।
> दुर्विभाव्यां पराभाव्य स्वरूपेणावतिष्ठते ॥ ४४ ॥
>
> This way one overcomes Maya (illusion) through the non-dual perspective.
> One who has overcome delusion thus remains in their true nature as Brahman.
>
> *Here is Sridhara Swamin's commentary, the essence of which is given
> above.  *
>
>
>
>
>
> *श्रीधरस्वामिविरचिता भावार्थदीपिका ।भूतादेर्द्रष्टा तेभ्यः पृथक् तस्मादपि
> जीवसंज्ञिताद् ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः पृथक् तथा प्रधानादपि तत्प्रवर्तको
> भगवान्पृथगित्यर्थः ॥ ४१ ॥ * * उपाधितो विवेकमुक्त्वा तस्यैक्यमाह ।
> सर्वभूतेष्विति भूतेषु चतुर्विधेषु तदात्मतां महाभूतात्मताम्।। ४२ ।।*
> धर्मभेदस्याप्यौपाधिकतां सदृष्टांतमाह । स्वयोनिषु काष्ठेषु ज्योतिरग्निः
> गुणवैषम्याद्दीर्घहस्वादिभेदात् प्रकृतौ देहे ॥ ४३ ॥ * * स्वां स्वांशस्य
> जीवस्य बंधहेतुं दैवीं देवस्य विष्णोः शक्तिं पराभाव्य तत्प्रसादेनैव
> जित्वा स्वरूपेण ब्रह्मत्वेनावतिष्ठते ॥ ४४ ॥*
>
> *warm regards*
> *subbu*
>
>
>