[Advaita-l] How does Brahman 'bear', support, the universe?

[V Subrahmanian]

How does Brahman 'bear', support, the universe?

We get the idea from the scriptures including Puranas that Brahman is the
srishti, sthiti and laya kartaa of the universe. Among these, the sthiti,
support, bearing, of the created world is said to be by Vishnu.  In the
following Bh.Gita shloka and bhashya Shankara brings out the method or
meaning of the 'dhaarana, sthiti, bharana' of the jagat by Brahman:

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः ।
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥ १७ ॥

उत्तमः उत्कृष्टतमः पुरुषस्तु अन्यः अत्यन्तविलक्षणः आभ्यां परमात्मा इति
परमश्च असौ देहाद्यविद्याकृतात्मभ्यः, आत्मा च सर्वभूतानां प्रत्यक्चेतनः,
इत्यतः परमात्मा इति उदाहृतःउक्तः वेदान्तेषु । स एव विशिष्यते यः लोकत्रयं
भूर्भुवःस्वराख्यं स्वकीयया चैतन्यबलशक्त्या आविश्य प्रविश्य बिभर्ति
*स्वरूपसद्भावमात्रेण बिभर्ति धारयति* ; अव्ययः न अस्य व्ययःविद्यते इति अव्ययः
 । कः ? ईश्वरः सर्वज्ञः नारायणाख्यः ईशनशीलः ॥ १७ ॥
//He Himself is being specially described: yah, who, by dint of His own
active power inhering in the energy that is Maya; [Caitanya, consciousness,
itself is the bala (energy); the sakti (active power) therein is Maya.
Through that He upholds.] avisya, permeating; loka-trayam, the three
worlds-called Bhuh (Earth), Bhuvah, (Intermediate Space) and Svah (Heaven);
bibharti, upholds (them) by merely being present in His own nature.//
From the above we derive:
Bearing, supporting, the universe by Brahman means: Brahman doing nothing
but just being, present as It Is. There is no action whatsoever on the part
of Brahman to bear the creation/world/universe. In other words, the
universe is 'resting', superimposed, on Brahman.  The rope does not
bear/support the snake that has been imagined on it.
We can see a corresponding expression by Shankara when it comes to 'impel',
'niyamanam' of jivas.  In the Br.Up.Antaryami Brahmanam, 3.7..Shankara uses
the word *ईश्वरसाक्षिमात्रसान्निध्येन*: by the mere presence of the
Ishwara-witness. Such an Ishwara (who is a mere witness), called Narayana,
देवताकार्यकरणस्य *ईश्वरसाक्षिमात्रसान्निध्येन* हि नियमेन प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्ती
स्याताम् ; य ईदृगीश्वरो नारायणाख्यः,
Ishwara, by mere presence as the witness, Consciousness, impels all jivas.
So, there is nothing that Ishwara does as antaryami to do the niyamana of
jivas. He is merely present there. Shankara calls the Ishwara of 'such
description' is Narayana. In the BG 15.17 bhashya cited above too Shankara
calls the Ishwara who 'by his mere presence as his own Self, bears the
universe' as Narayana.
Thus, for Shankara, the jagat vyapara of Ishwara, Brahman, is really no
vyapara at all.  Brahman's mere presence is enough for the world to
function: साक्षिमात्रसान्निध्येन, स्वरूपसद्भावमात्रेण. The 'maatra' suffix
is noteworthy. Such an Ishwara, a non-actor, is Narayana for Shankara.
Naturally, such a conception of Narayana is completely antithetical to
theological schools that opposed Shankara for portraying such a Brahman as
jagat kaaranam.
Om Tat Sat