[Advaita-l] Atman the cause.... Swami Sarvapriyananda - short video

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste Chandramouli ji.

This issue is categorically settled, imho, by Sureshwaracharya in BBV
1.4.371

अस्य द्वैतेन्द्रजालस्य यदुपादानकारणम्। अज्ञानं *तदुपाश्रित्य*
ब्रह्मकारणमुच्यते।।

The material cause of this magical duality is ajnAna. Taking support of
that (due to superimposition thereof), Brahman (Atman) is stated to be the
cause.

Anandagiri Swami says:

कर्माद्यपेक्षस्यापि देहानपेक्षस्यैव स्रष्टुः कारणत्वे देहवदज्ञानमपि
नापेक्ष्य मित्याशङ्कयाऽऽह - अस्येति । प्रतिपन्नस्य
द्वैतस्येन्द्रजालवदविचारित रमणीयस्याभावेतर
*कार्यत्वेनोपादानापेक्षस्यानुरूपमुपादानमज्ञानमिति* *तदुपादाय* ब्रह्म "
तत्कारणमिति श्रुतिस्मृत्यनुसारिभिरभ्युपेयं *न हि कूटस्थासङ्गाद्वयं ब्रह्म
जगदाकारेणाज्ञानमनादाय परिणामि भवति* न च तस्याकारणत्वं श्रुतिस्मृतिवादेषु
तत्कारणत्वोक्तेरित्यर्थः ॥ ३७१ ॥

Now, this ajnAna does not stand on its own like pradhAna. It is not
independent. It is always dependent on Atman (Brahman). Its apparent
existence is on account of superimposition of itself in Brahman. Therefore,
when its very existence is dependent on Brahman, all its features including
the causality of world is also dependent on Brahman.

So, ajnAna-adhyAsa-vishishTa-Brahman is technically correct to be stated as
the material cause of world. However, we should appreciate that the role of
Brahman is not in any way related to causality. The role of Brahman is in
giving existence to causality of ajnAna.

//अज्ञात आत्मा जगतः कारणं न गुणत्रयम् ॥//

Jagat is nothing but three guNAs. So, the cause of jagat is certainly three
guNa alone. However, since neither the jagat nor the three guNa can ever
appear without the adhyAsa thereof in Atman, it is correct to hold that
ajnAna-adhyAsa-vishishTa-AtmA is the material cause.



Regards.



> Swami Sureswaracharya, BUBV,  1-4-480
>
> //  प्रधानवादमाशङ्कय यस्माद्भूयोऽपि भण्यते । अज्ञात आत्मा जगतः कारणं न
> गुणत्रयम् ॥ ८० ॥ //
>
> / alone //,
> >
> > Should not the material be //  ajnAna-adhyAsa-vishishTa-chaitanya  // ?
> >
> > Rega
>