[Advaita-l] Brahma satyam jagan mithya - in Gaudapada Kārikā

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Sri Subrahmanian Ji,



 Reg  << The vācārambhaṇa śruti is used at two levels, both for showing the
   mithyātva of the kāryam and the satyatva of the kāraṇam>>,



My understanding is different.  The shruti says that kAryam IS REAL as
kAranam alone. Independent of kAranam, kArya is mithya.  That is what “iti
eva” means.



The vācārambhaṇa śruti taken by itself and without taking into account
other shruti vAkyAs leads to brahmaparinama vAda advocated by Sri
Bhartruprapancha (prior to Sri Bhagavatpada) and later by Sri Bhaskara, Sri
Yadavaprakasha etc who are also considered to be advaitins. The
corresponding statement in respect of Brahman/Creation would then be



वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं ब्रह्म इत्येव सत्यम्



(vAchArambhaNaM vikAro nAmadheyaM brahma ityeva satyam).



This has been refuted by Sri Bhagavatpada. The  “ vAchArambhaNaM vikAro
nAmadheyaM “ part is applicable both to parinama vAda as well as vivarta
vAda. However the “mRRittikA ityeva satyam “ part is only an illustration
for the same in the vyAvahArika plane and is parinama vikAra, not vivarta
vikAra. If you still insist that it is a vivarta example, please clarify
what is their (clay and pot)  ontological status;
pAramArthika/vyAvahArika/prAtibhAsika/asat. For vivarta, they need to be of
different ontological status.



According to the interpretation of Sri Bhagavatpada, since Brahman is
nirvikara, the correct interpretation would be
​

<< ​<< वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं ब्रह्म एव सत्यम् >>,



<< vAchArambhaNaM vikAro nAmadheyaM brahma eva satyam >>.



The term “iti” would be deleted. In the shruti this is stated as



<< सदेव आसीत् >>  (sadeva AsIt)



 Regards