[Advaita-l] The Advaitic Teaching by the Supreme Self in the Form of Kapila in Srimad Bhagavatam*

[V Subrahmanian]

**The Advaita Teaching by the Supreme Self in the Form of Kapila in Srimad
Bhagavatam**

श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ३/अध्यायः २८
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/e6h


भूतेन्द्रियान्तःकरणात् प्रधानात् जीवसंज्ञितात् ।
आत्मा तथा पृथग्द्रष्टा भगवान् ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः ॥ ४१ ॥

The five elements, their effects (the senses), and the inner faculties -
the Atman is different from all these. Brahman is different from this
Atman. Similarly, the Lord who controls Pradhana (Prakriti or Nature) is
different from it.

सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
ईक्षेतानन्यभावेन भूतेष्विव तदात्मताम् ॥ ४२ ॥

*After explaining the differences from the perspective of conditioning
factors (upadhis), now the text speaks of true unity:* The vision of seeing
the Self in all and all in the Self. This is the non-dual (Advaita) view:
**Nothing is different from oneself**. An illustration for this: There are
four types of bodies: egg-born, womb-born, sprout-born, and sweat-born =
all these are the same as they are products of the five elements. This is
**the non-difference of cause and effect**.

सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
ईक्षेतानन्यभावेन भूतेष्विव तदात्मताम् ॥ ४२ ॥


The same Self appears different due to the conditioning of various bodies.
Just as fire, though one, appears in different forms like tall, short,
etc., due to variations in its qualities.

स्वयोनिषु यथा ज्योतिः एकं नाना प्रतीयते ।
योनीनां गुणवैषम्यात् तथात्मा प्रकृतौ स्थितः ॥ ४३ ॥

Shankara provides this evidence in his commentary on the Brahma Sutras:

एक एव हि भूतात्मा भूते भूते व्यवस्थितः ।
एकधा बहुधा चैव दृश्यते जलचन्द्रवत् ।। - अमृतबिन्दु उपनिषद


Brahman, which is the Self of everything, appears differently in each body
as a reflection, just as the same moon appears differently in various water
bodies. Here, the body, mind, and senses are Prakriti (Nature). The
ego-sense identification of oneself  as "I" in this is ignorance, the cause
of worldly existence. This is stated in the 13th chapter of the Bhagavad
Gita:

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥ २१ ॥ 13.21

**Brahman consciousness, due to superimposition, remains in the cycle of
worldly life through the ego-sense of "I" in the body and other organs**

तस्माद् इमां स्वां प्रकृतिं दैवीं सदसदात्मिकाम् ।
दुर्विभाव्यां पराभाव्य स्वरूपेणावतिष्ठते ॥ ४४ ॥

This way one overcomes Maya (illusion) through the non-dual perspective.
One who has overcome delusion thus remains in their true nature as Brahman.

*Here is Sridhara Swamin's commentary, the essence of which is given
above.  *





*श्रीधरस्वामिविरचिता भावार्थदीपिका ।भूतादेर्द्रष्टा तेभ्यः पृथक् तस्मादपि
जीवसंज्ञिताद् ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः पृथक् तथा प्रधानादपि तत्प्रवर्तको
भगवान्पृथगित्यर्थः ॥ ४१ ॥ * * उपाधितो विवेकमुक्त्वा तस्यैक्यमाह ।
सर्वभूतेष्विति भूतेषु चतुर्विधेषु तदात्मतां महाभूतात्मताम्।। ४२ ।।*
धर्मभेदस्याप्यौपाधिकतां सदृष्टांतमाह । स्वयोनिषु काष्ठेषु ज्योतिरग्निः
गुणवैषम्याद्दीर्घहस्वादिभेदात् प्रकृतौ देहे ॥ ४३ ॥ * * स्वां स्वांशस्य
जीवस्य बंधहेतुं दैवीं देवस्य विष्णोः शक्तिं पराभाव्य तत्प्रसादेनैव
जित्वा स्वरूपेण ब्रह्मत्वेनावतिष्ठते ॥ ४४ ॥*

*warm regards*
*subbu*