[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Brahman, in absolute terms, is Nirguna and Nirakara (devoid of attributes and form)

[V Subrahmanian]

The Srimad Bhagavata Mahatmya in the Padma Purana


https://www.bharattemples.com/shrimadbhagavatamahatmyam/

अतः सत्सु दयां कृत्वा भक्तवत्सल मा व्रज ।
भक्तार्थं सगुणो जातो निराकारोऽपि चिन्मयः ॥ ५८॥

Uddhava pleads to Krishna: Be merciful to these exalted devotees. Do not
forsake them. Though you are Nirakara and Chinmaya, you assume a saguNa
form for the sake of the devotees.


त्वद्वियोगेन ते भक्ताः कथं स्थास्यन्ति भूतले ।
निर्गुणोपासने कष्टमतः किंचिद्विचारय ॥ ५९॥
How can your devotees bear your separation and live on on this earth?
Nirgunopasana is tough. Hence, reconsider your decision (to leave).

In these words of Uddhava we observe: Para Brahman is, in absolute terms,
Nirguna, Pure Consciousness. However, for the sake of Bhaktas, Sadhakas, a
saguna form is assumed.  Nirguna Upasana is not easy for ordinary sadhakas.


These ideas find supreme consummation in the Advaitic Bhashya. Shankara
says:

1.3.20 अन्तस्तद्धर्मोपदेशात् ॥ २० ॥
स्यात्परमेश्वरस्यापीच्छावशान्मायामयं रूपं साधकानुग्रहार्थम् , ‘माया ह्येषा
मया सृष्टा यन्मां पश्यसि नारद । सर्वभूतगुणैर्युक्तं मैवं मां ज्ञातुमर्हसि’
इति स्मरणात् । अपि च, यत्र तु निरस्तसर्वविशेषं पारमेश्वरं रूपमुपदिश्यते,
भवति तत्र शास्त्रम् ‘अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययम्’ (क. उ. १ । ३ । १५) इत्यादि ।
सर्वकारणत्वात्तु विकारधर्मैरपि कैश्चिद्विशिष्टः परमेश्वर उपास्यत्वेन
निर्दिश्यते — ‘सर्वकर्मा सर्वकामः सर्वगन्धः सर्वरसः’ (छा. उ. ३ । १४ । २)
इत्यादिना । तथा हिरण्यश्मश्रुत्वादिनिर्देशोऽपि भविष्यति ।

The gist of the above is: Even though Brahman is nirakara, nirguna, on the
basis of the Upanishadic passages such as 'ashabdam asparsham....' devoid
of sound, form, touch, etc. (Kathopanishat), yet with a view to facilitate
upasana,  the Upanishads also admit a form / attributes such as 'endowed
with golden mustache, doer of all actions, edowed with all smell, all
taste...' In the Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, the Lord instructs Narada: What
you see as this expansive world, my form, is really a projection of Maya.
Do not know me to be endowed with these attributes. Thereby the Lord
indicated the true, absolute form as formless and also the assumed
universal form, vishva rupa. He specifically says that he is not endowed
with the attributes.


In this manner, the Padma Purana's Bhagavata Mahatmya confirms that the
saguna form is for the sake of blessing the sadhakas.


Further, the idea that Niguna Upasana is difficult to accomplish, is also
found in the following commentary of Shankata to the Bh.Gita 12.5:

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥ ५ ॥
क्लेशः अधिकतरः, यद्यपि मत्कर्मादिपराणां क्लेशः अधिक एव क्लेशः अधिकतरस्तु
अक्षरात्मनां परमात्मदर्शिनां देहाभिमानपरित्यागनिमित्तः ।
अव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् अव्यक्ते आसक्तं चेतः येषां ते अव्यक्तासक्तचेतसः तेषाम्
अव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् । अव्यक्ता हि यस्मात् या गतिः अक्षरात्मिका दुःखं सा
देहवद्भिः देहाभिमानवद्भिः अवाप्यते, अतः क्लेशः अधिकतरः ॥ ५ ॥


Here the Brahman that is avyakta, unmanifest, is taught to be tough. In the
previous verse it is stated that:

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥ ३ ॥

Brahman that is known by terms such as Akshara, that which does not
deplete, that which cannot be pointed out, anirdeshya, that is beyond the
grasp of the senses and other organs, that which is immutable, beyond
thought, unshakable, firm, all pervading, the unchanging witness, ..

It is extremely difficult to meditate on Brahman of such a nature. It is
also to be appreciated that the terms 'saguna and nirguna' of the Padma
Purana mean the same as what is obtaining in the Shankara Bhashya.



The verses of the Padma Purana are rendered thus in this text:

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/ijn
साधूनां रक्षणायैव त्वमाविरभवः प्रभो ६१
निर्गुणोऽपि निराकारः सच्चिदानंदविग्रहः
त्वद्वियोगेन ते भक्ताः कथं स्थास्यंति भूतले ६२
निर्गुणोपासने कष्टमतोऽस्मद्धितमाचर

Also, in many other books the following version is also seen:

https://www.bharattemples.com/shrimadbhagavatamahatmyam/

and -
https://tinyurl.com/yy955p92
अतः सत्सु दयां कृत्वा भक्तवत्सल मा व्रज ।
भक्तार्थं सगुणो जातो निराकारोऽपि चिन्मयः ॥ ५८॥
त्वद्वियोगेन ते भक्ताः कथं स्थास्यन्ति भूतले ।
निर्गुणोपासने कष्टमतः किंचिद्विचारय ॥ ५९॥

Yet, there is no contradiction in the meaning.

Om Tat Sat