[Advaita-l] Sankara Jayanti 2025 Sanskrit College | Tamil - Dr. K. S. Maheswaran | Vakyanvayadhikaranam

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

On Sun, 4 May 2025, abhishek prasad via Advaita-l wrote:


> But one question is still confusing me: why is
> manifestation always in 2 forms or shapes, Male and Female?
>

Is this true?  Certainly all the higher beings are male and female but 
there is the napuMsaka (neuter) gende too. In fact if we measure by 
quantity, the species that reproduce asexually vastly outnumber those that 
do.  And don't forget inanimate entities are also of the nature of Brahman 
even though thy are not aware of it.

The real question is why is there creation in the first place?  In the 
beginning of BR^ihadAraNyakopaniShada there is a meditation on the 
ashvamedha which is the greatest of yaGYas. it is stated that 
hiranNyagarbha (i.e. Brahma) was deluded by mAyA.  Hence He is referred to 
as mR^ityu (death) because that which is the product of mAyA is finite or 
ashAna (hunger) because that which is the product of mAyA is tainted by 
desire. Oppressed by these feelings of hunger and fear of death, He 
manifested the Vedas and yaGYas and by them manifested all things with 
nAma and rUpa.  Specifically to your question, it says later in the same 
text that because of ahamkAra (ego) He felt alone and afraid so He desired 
to become male and female thinking that would surpress those feelings.  But that is 
incest (as the female was technically His daughter.) so through desire He 
marred the creation with evil.  Therefore we see good and evil mixed in 
this world.

Brahma despite all his lordly powers confused the Atman with the body and 
as a result ws beset by death and hunger and desire.  What then of lesser 
beings?  ShankarAcharya notes that this text is transtional between the 
karmkANDa and GYAnakANda.  hiranNyagarbha achieved his position through 
the merit of performing ashvamedha in a previous world-cycle.  This is the 
highest you can go through karma.  But what has a beginning will 
necessarily have an ending.  Every sR^iShTi (creation) will eventually be 
followed by pralaya (destruction) and the cycle will begin again.  GYAna 
is the only way to break free, It is the only true immortaiity.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>