idealism in the Vishnu Purana

[Guest guest]

Fellow Jijnaasus,

 

Recently, a friend pointed out some slokas in the Vishnu Purana that

point toward a very idealistic conception of the world. I would

like your comments on them, and how you think Sri Ramanuja would

have understood them:

 

VP 2.12.44, for instance, could almost be taken out of a yogAcara

work:

 

* tasmAn na vij~nAnam Rte 'sti ki~ncit kvacit kadAcid dvija vastu jAtam /

* vij~nAnam ekaM nijakarmabhedavibhinnacittair bahudhAbhyupetam //

 

* Therefore, O twice-born one, apart from consciousness no

* substance ever arises anywhere. The one consciousness is

* variously perceived by those whose minds are differentiated by

* the distinctions of their own actions.

 

Or as VP 2.6.46 has it:

 

* j~nAnam eva param brahma j~nAnam bandhAya ceshyate /

* j~nAnAtmakam idam viSvam na j~nAnAd vidyate param //

 

ramanuja dasa

Mani