[Advaita-l] The significance of the word 'mAtram' of the ChAndogya BhAShyam

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 11:58 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>wrote:

> श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः
> The above study assumes additional significance in the wake of an objection
> from the Madhva school saying that Shankara's use of *वागालम्बनमात्रं
> नामैव केवलं  *in Ch.Up.Bhashyam 6.1.4 is 'a-shrutakalpanam', an
> interpolation of an extraneous (extra-vedic/supra-vedic) word/meaning while
> giving out the purport of the mantra:
>
> न च `वाचारम्भण'शब्दोऽपि मिथ्यात्वे प्रसिद्धः|`वाचारम्भणमात्रम्'इति च अश्रुतकल्पनम्|
> We find that Shankara's usage/explanation is eminently 'shrautam',
>
> the usage/explanation being endorsed by the Shruti itself through the
> word नामैवैतत्.
> Bhagavan Veda Vyasa too endorses Shankara's commentary:*
> *न यत्पुरस्तादुत यन्न पश्चान्मध्ये च तत्तद्*व्यपदेशमात्रम्* ।
>
> भूतं प्रसिद्धं च परेण यद्यत्तदेव तत्स्यादिति मे मनीषा ॥२१॥
>
> That which is neither before nor after is also non-existent in
> the interim.  It is a mere name.  I am of the opinion that whatever
> is caused or brought to light by some other thing must be that
>
> and nothing else. (srImadbhAgavatam UddhavagItA 13.21)
>
> Here Bhagavan Krishna and Veda VyAsa say that all that is created
> is a 'mere name'.  Also, in the second line is the confirmation of
> the upAdAnakAraNa of all objects is nothing but the substance of
>
> that object: '*वाचाऽऽरम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं* मृत्तिकेत्येव सत्यम्’. Further, this
> comment/objection of Sri Madhvacharya : न च `वाचारम्भण'शब्दोऽपि
> मिथ्यात्वे प्रसिद्धः also stands refuted by the above VyAsavachanam
> which accounts for 'prasiddhi'.
>
>
Namaste.

Here is another verse from the Bhagavatam  (uddhavagita) in the above
context:
*

किं भद्रं किमभद्रं वा, द्वैतस्यावस्तुनः कियत् ।

वाचोदितं तदनृतं, मनसा ध्यातमेव च ॥४॥

23.4:  In duality, which is unreal, what is good or what is bad, and to what
extent? Whatever is uttered by the tongue and conceived by the mind is
unreal.

Regards,

subrahmanian.v
*