[Advaita-l] Why did Brahman create the world?

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Bh.gita Bhashya 9.10 Shankara replies:
 ततश्च एकस्य देवस्य सर्वाध्यक्षभूतचैतन्यमात्रस्य परमार्थतः
सर्वभोगानभिसम्बन्धिनः अन्यस्य चेतनान्तरस्य अभावे भोक्तुः अन्यस्य अभावात् ।
किंनिमित्ता इयं सृष्टिः इत्यत्र प्रश्नप्रतिवचने अनुपपन्ने, ‘को अद्धा वेद क
इह प्रवोचत् । कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः’ (ऋ. १० । १२९ । ६), (तै. ब्रा. २
। ८ । ९) इत्यादिमन्त्रवर्णेभ्यः । दर्शितं च भगवता — ‘अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं
तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः’ (भ. गी. ५ । १५) इति ॥ १० ॥

See Kannada translation here:
http://adhyatmaprakasha.org/.../boo.../templates/book.php...

Read English translation here:
https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/srimad?setgb=1&choose=1&&language=dv&field_chapter_value=9&field_nsutra_value=10

The idea is: There is no conscious/sentient entity other than Brahman that
can be called a bhoktaa (for whose sake the world could be created). The Rg
Veda passage Shankara cites is to deny the very creation event.

This Bhashya is very significant in the sense that it is perhaps the only
other instance of Shankara using the 'no conscious/sentient entity other
than Brahman' logic apart from the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya 1.4.10 (aham
brahmasmi mantra bhashya) where, too, Shankara has concluded: Since there
is no sentient entity other than Brahman, we have to assign avidya to
Brahman alone.  [The mantra there teaches: Brahman realized itself as 'aham
brahma asmi' and thereby regained its natural infinite nature.]

A very nice concept to contemplate upon.

regards
subbu