[Advaita-l] Re: connotation of "god"

[tatha gat]

Hari Om,

Many times, especially in Vaishanva circles, I hear
criticism against advaita , usually revolving around
"its an ego trip.. they say i am god, you are god,
everything is god.. how can that be?"

1)
I would like to know what does the word "god" denote
for advaitins? My speculative understanding is based
on the last verse of Maneesha Panchakam where Adi
Shankaracharya  prays "From the standpoint of the
body, I am your servant, from the standpoint of the
soul, I am part of you and from the standpoint of
ultimate reality, I am you" (translation may be wrong)
Does this mean that in the structured world of names
and forms, there are all-powerful beings - gods - who
are vested with powers of creation etc. and there is
no question of any identity between us and them. The
identity is only in the unstructured realm of pure
Brahman.

2)
When a Vaishnava (or atleast a Gaudiya Vaishnava)
thinks of Lord Krishna, he is thinking of an
individual, a supremely powerful personality whose
appearance and activities are described in the Srimad
Bhagavatam. When we think of Lord Krishna, what are we
thinking of?

Thanks a lot,
Mayuresh.


		
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