subbarao's queries on advaita versus gita 10th & 11th chapter

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This is regarding Subbarao's queries. The first is on the apparent

contradiction embedded in the best-in-everything concept embedded in the

tenth chapter of the gita and the everything-is-divine foundation of

advaita. Though the divine is in everything, it is transparent only in

some of them. The Sun's rays are everywhere. But focussed through a convex

lens, the rays exhibit their heat and light most effectively and

intensely. It is Subbarao's second question that requires a more elaborate

answer. The question is: how can the Lord 'show' a Form showing His

physical pervasion of everything in the universe, while the Ultimate,

according to advaita, is formless and attributeless. This viSva-rUpa is to

tell us (esoterically) that we have to see everything in the universe as

brahman. Advaita certainly maintains that the Ultimate is formless. But

that does not mean that what has a form has to be thrown off. (Yes, I do

remember the statement of Kenopanishad: nedam yad-idam upAsate, meaning,

what is sensed by the senses is not brahman). If we maintain, because of

our loyalty to advaita that the Ultimate is formless and therefore to

regard a Form or Manifestation as divine is not the right thing, we may

as well look to Sankara himself. He spared no pains to eulogise every

divinity in every kshetra he visited and compose prayers glorifying the

Form of that Divinity to the skies. Soundarya lahari,

vishnu-padAdi-deSAnta-stotra and subrahmaNya-bhujangam are monumental

examples. Much could be said on this subject. But two slokas from Sruti

Geeta (Srimad-bhAgavatam 10 - 87 - 15 & 26) clinch the issue. These two

verses are part of a 28-verse stotra by Sruti Herself propitiating the

Absolute. In the first it cites an analogy: by walking on , say the

heights of a mountain, you cannot maintain that you are not having your

feet on Earth!. And in the second, it says: The sages do not discard the

Personal in favour of the Impersonal, just as ornaments made of gold are

not discarded just because they are not gold, pure and simple! Here are

the two verses and their translation:

bRhad-upalabdametad-avayanty-avaSeshatayA yata uday-Astamayau vikRter-mRdi

vA-vikRtAt / ata Rshayo dadhus-tvayi mano-vacanA-caritam katham-ayathA

bhavanti bhuvi datta-padAni nRNAm //

Meaning: The sages recognize this universe to be brahman because it is

brahman that remains as the residual and because it is from and into the

immutable brahman that the universe emanates and dissolves even as the

earthenware are evolved out of and disappear into clay. Hence they

conclude that whatever is contemplated with the mind and uttered with the

tongue refer only to You, brahman. How could the feet of men placed

anywhere (on earth) be regarded as not placed on earth itself?

sadiva manas-trivRt-tvayi vibhAty-asad-AmanujAt

sad-abhimRSanty-aSesham-idam-Atmatay-AtmavidaH / na hi vikRtim tyajanti

kanakasya tad-AtmatayA svakRtam-anupravishTam-idam-AtmatayA-vasitam //

All this universe, consisting of the three guNas, which is a projection of

the Mind, including the jIva, though unreal, appears as real. The knowers

of the Self recognize this entire universe to be real because of its

being a projection of their very Self. Just as those in quest of gold do

not reject its modification because of its being gold itself, so is this

universe concluded by the sages to be their very self in asmuch as it is

evolved and interpenetrated by the Atman.

Regards to all advaitins, profvk

 

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Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

You are invited to visit my latest book entitled GEMS FROM THE OCEAN OF HINDU

THOUGHT VISION AND PRACTICE at

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/2952/gohitvip/contents.html

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