[Advaita-l] The Purport of Creation-passages in the Upanishads

[Kathirasan K]

Namaste,

Pertaining to your request, it has to be either Sutra 1.4.14 or 2.1.9
that you are searching for.

On 15 February 2010 18:42, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com> wrote:
> श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः
>
> नमामि भगवत्पादं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम्
> In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.1.20) bhashya the Acharya makes a very
> significant
> statement:
> तस्मादेकत्वप्रत्ययदार्ढ्याय सुवर्णमणि-लोह-अग्निविस्फुलिङ्ग-दृष्टान्ता न
> उत्पत्त्यादि-भेदप्रतिपादनपराः ।
> सैन्धवघनवत् प्रज्ञप्त्येकरस-नैरन्तर्यावधारणात् 'एकधैवानुद्रष्टव्यम्' (बृ.उप.
> ४.४.२०) इति च । ...तस्मादेकरूपैकत्वप्रत्ययदार्ढ्यायैव
> सर्ववेदान्तेषु उत्पत्तिस्थितिलयादिकल्पना, न तत्प्रत्ययकरणाय ।
> The above passage means:
> // We know that a spark is one with fire before it is separated.  Therefore
> the examples of gold
> iron and sparks of fire are only meant to strengthen one's idea of the
> oneness of the individual
> self and Brahman, and not to establish the multiplicity caused by the origin
> etc. of the universe.
> For the Self has been ascertained to be homogeneous and unbroken
> consciousness, like a lump
> of salt, and there is the statement, 'It should be realized in one form
> only.' (Br.Up.4.4.20).  If the
> Shruti wanted to teach that Brahman has diverse attributes such as the
> origin of the universe,
> like a painted canvas, a tree, or an ocean, for instance, it would not
> conclude with statements,
> describing It to be homogeneous like a lump of salt, without interior or
> exterior, nor would it say
> 'It should be realized in one form only'.  There is also the censure, 'He
> (goes from death to death)
> who sees difference, as it were, in It,' etc. (Br.Up.4.4.19, Ka.Up.  ).
> Therefore the mention in all
> Vedanta texts of the origin, continuity and dissolution of the universe is
> only to strengthen
> our idea of Brahman being a homogeneous unity, and NOT TO MAKE US BELIEVE IN
> THE
> ORIGIN, ETC. AS AN ACTUALITY.//
>
> It would be interesting to note that the above passage of the Bhashyam is an
> elucidation, a re-statement
> of the Gaudapada Karika (GK) 3.15:
> मृल्लोहविस्फुलिङ्गाद्यैः सृष्टिर्या चोदिताऽन्यथा ।
> उपायः सोऽवताराय नास्ति भेदः कथञ्चन ॥
> //The scriptural statements regarding the creation, using the examples of
> earth, iron and sparks, etc.
> is merely by way of generating the idea of oneness; multiplicity does not
> really exist in any manner.//
> One can readily recognize the GK wording in the Br.Up.Bhashya above:
> सुवर्णमणि-लोह-अग्निविस्फुलिङ्ग-
> And the entire purport of the GK is brought out in the above Bhashya quote.
> In the GK bhashya, apart
> from bringing out the intent of the creation-shruti passages as He has done
> in the Br.Up.Bhashya above,
> the Acharya is giving an additional example of the conversation of prANa and
> other organs stated
> in the various Upanishads.
> The purpose of the above short study is to show that the GK is not an
> extraneous work unrelated
> to the other Upanishads/bhashyas of Bhagavatpada; He is quite emphatic in
> His view of the
> oneness of the GK viz-a-viz the other Upanishads.  The 'ajAtivAda' of the GK
> is never given up or
> diluted in any way by the Acharya in the other Upanishad bhashyas.
>
> A request:  Recently while reading the Brahmasutra Bhashyam, I came across a
> full verse from the GK
> quoted.  Now I am unable to recall the Sutra and the verse.  I would be glad
> to be reminded of these
> references.
>
> Om Tat Sat
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-- 
Kathirasan