[Advaita-l] Brahman is the Upadana kaarana, material cause, for the world - Srimad Bhagavatam

V Subrahmanian v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
Sun Sep 3 13:18:20 EDT 2023


There is a praise of Bhagavan in this chapter. Here, an illustration is
also given saying that Bhagavan is the material cause for the world:
Brahman is the material cause for the world just as clay is the material
cause for the pot, i.e. the origin, sustenance and dissolution:
श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ८/अध्यायः ६
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/zh5
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त्वय्यग्र आसीत् त्वयि मध्य आसीत्
त्वय्यन्त आसीत् इदमात्मतंत्रे ।
त्वं आदिरन्तो जगतोऽस्य मध्यं
घटस्य मृत्स्नेव परः परस्मात् ॥ १० ॥
This illustration is given in the sixth chapter of Chandogya Upanishad:
यथा सोम्यैकेन मृत्पिण्डेन सर्वं मृन्मयं विज्ञातꣳ स्याद्वाचारम्भणं विकारो
नामधेयं मृत्तिकेत्येव सत्यम् ॥ ४ ॥ 6.1.4
Clay products such as pottery are not real. What is real therein is the
clay, the material with which they are made.
Thus the Bhagavatam points out the illusory nature of the world, the
effect, of Brahman the material cause, by giving this Vedic illustration.
To make it clear that Brahman does not undergo a transformation, vikaara,
like clay, the Bhagavatam goes on to say:
त्वं माययात्माश्रयया स्वयेदं
निर्माय विश्वं तदनुप्रविष्टः ।
पश्यन्ति युक्ता मनसा मनीषिणो
गुणव्यवायेऽप्यगुणं विपश्चितः ॥ ११ ॥
Brahman created the world and entered into it through its subservient
Maayaa power. Although this world is created by the three qualities of
Maya, the sages put them aside and realize Brahman, the Nirguna itself.
Thus the main tenets of Advaita are clearly stated in these Bhagavatam
verses.
Om


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