aadi and anaadi

[Ravi]

On Wed, 9 Feb 2000, elmec wrote:

> For a Bhaktha who thinks that Ishwara, Jeeva and Jagat are three
> different entities, the Lord says that He was the Aadi purusha
> Naaraayana who was all alone in the beginning and when He fancied this
> creation, He created the Hiranya garbha Brahma who inturn created this
> trigunaatmaka Jagat and the jeevas and Himself entered all the beings
> giving them chetana. Thus he is the Aadi.



Thanks for your input. I did not articulate my question well. I
explain it in more detail here.

samsaara is often posited as anaadi to avoid some metaphysical
complications. Assuming iishwara creates jiva at time t=0-. Then
Prior to that the jiiva did not exist. So he has no puurva karma.
If iishwara subjects the jiiva to a particular experience, then
it is arbitrary and God loses the status of karmaphalapradaa. To
avoid this complication saMsaara is said anaadi. Even though it
is anaadi it has an end.

When God says I am aadi for all beings, then it becomes a
contradiction if not interpreted correctly. I think in X:20, by
Adi, brahman is the substratum or the material cause of the
cosmos is implied.

Coming back to saMsaara is anaadi, please refer to shankara's
commentary for the nama havirbhoktrii (170th name) in
lalitaatrishatii.

http://www.escribe.com/religion/advaita/index.html?mID=6005

Last paragraph of that post deals with this aspect. Comments and
corrections are welcome.

With respects,

Ravi

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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