Ishwara

[Guest guest]

namaste.

 

I was reading this passage in SarvavedAntasiddhAntasArasangraha.

This is on what is Ishwara in shri shankara's own words. I am

sure the List would be interested in these words. The translation

is by swami Tattwananda and is published by shri Ramakrishna

advaita ashram of Kalady, Kerala, India. The verses are 310-317

from SarvavedAntasiddhAntasArasangraha by bhagavatpAda shri

shankara.

 

mAyopahitacaitanyaM sAbhAsaM sattvabr^ihMitam.h

sarvagnatvAdiguNakaM sr^iShTisthityantakAraNam.h 310

 

Pure consciousness has mAyA for its adjunct and is

reflected in and through it. It is then endowed with

the quality of all-knowingness and with an abundance

of sattva. It is that which is the cause of the

creation, preservation, and dissolution of the

universe.

 

avyAkr^itaM tadavyaktamIshaityApi gIyate

sarvashaktiguNopetaH sarvagnAnAvabhAsakaH 311

 

It is then known as the Unmanifested, as the primordial

element, and as Ishwara. The Lord is then endowed with

the quality of all-knowingness, and is regarded as the

illuminator of knowledge.

 

svatantraH satyasaMkalpaH satyakAmaH sa IshwaraH

tasyaitasya mahAviShnormahAshaktermahIyasaH 312

 

Only the supreme Lord, Ishwara, is independent. His

will alone is realized. His desire alone is fulfilled

and He alone is all-pervading, omnipotent, and omniscient.

 

sarvagnatveshwaratvAdikAraNatvAnmahIShinaH

kAraNaM vapurityAhuH samaShTiM sattvabr^inhitam.h 313

 

On account of the dominance of sattva in it, the sages

regard avidya in its aggregate aspect, as the causal

body of Ishwara. Hence it is that Ishwara, the first

cause of all is regarded as the omniscient Lord.

 

Anandapracuratvena sAdhakatvenakoshavat.h

saiShAnandamayaH kosha itIshasya nigadyate 314

 

Like a cocoon that wraps a silk worm round and round

this superabundance of bliss that is in the Lord

envelops this world, and marks itself manifest in

and through the world. That is why the world is known,

in its aggregate aspect, as the sheath of Ishwara.

 

sarvoparamahetutvAtsuShuptisthAnamiShyate

prAkr^itaH pralayo yatra shrAvyate shrutibhirmr^ihuH 315

 

Inasmuchas in the stage of deep sleep everything merges

in its original cause, that stage is regarded as the

dwelling place of it. As the shruti tells us repeatedly,

in the same manner everything merges in Ishwara, the

original cause, at the time of the final dissolution.

 

ajnAnaM vyaShTyabhiprAyAdanekatvena bhidyate

agnAnavr^ittayo nAnA tattadguNavilakshaNaH 316

 

AjnAna however takes diverse forms in its individual

aspect. The reason for it is that individuals are

constituted diversely out of the three guNas, or

qualities.

 

vanasya vyaShTyabhiprAyAdbhUruhA ityanekatA

yathA tathaivAgnAnasya vyaShTitaH syAdanekatA 317

 

The forest is one, but the trees are many. In the

same way, from the point of view of distributive

pervasion, ajnAna takes diverse forms.

 

Now, my comments at the end:

 

So, can knowledge of the SELF take place without

acceptance of the concept of Ishwara?

 

The answer seems to be yes, because the concept of

Ishwara is still in the realm of avidyA.

 

However, as I understand, SELF-knowledge cannot take

place without devotion. That intense devotion (to the

SELF) - we may call it shraddha and bhakti - is a necessary

prerequisite for AtmavidyA.

 

Comments and further elucidation are requested.

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

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[Guest guest]

advaitin , Shree Gummuluru Murthy wrote:

>

> avyAkr^itaM tadavyaktamIshaityApi gIyate

> sarvashaktiguNopetaH sarvagnAnAvabhAsakaH 311

>

> It is then known as the Unmanifested, as the primordial

> element, and as Ishwara. The Lord is then endowed with

> the quality of all-knowingness, and is regarded as the

> illuminator of knowledge.

>

 

 

Could we take a look again at the translation to "It is then known as

the Unmanifested". Why is it being stated as "It is ***then*** known

as the ***Unmanisfested***"? If 'Unmanisfested', then, 'then' is not

applicable because it was always so. Probably it is 'It is then known

as the inexpressible manifestation'. ...I don't know.

> So, can knowledge of the SELF take place without

> acceptance of the concept of Ishwara?

>

> The answer seems to be yes, because the concept of

> Ishwara is still in the realm of avidyA.

>

 

I am of an opinion that is is perfectly feasible. However, it is

probably more difficult than going sequentially thru SagunaBrahman to

NirgunaBrahman. For example, though it is feasible to meditate

without an object, it is easier to focus with an object to start with

than without any object.

 

> However, as I understand, SELF-knowledge cannot take

> place without devotion. That intense devotion (to the

> SELF) - we may call it shraddha and bhakti - is a necessary

> prerequisite for AtmavidyA.

>

Sri Ramakrishna stated that the more intense a longing, so much

better are the results.

 

 

With Love,

Raghava

[Guest guest]

On Fri, 29 Dec 2000 raghavakaluri wrote:

> advaitin , Shree Gummuluru Murthy wrote:

> >

>

> > avyAkr^itaM tadavyaktamIshaityApi gIyate

> > sarvashaktiguNopetaH sarvagnAnAvabhAsakaH 311

> >

> > It is then known as the Unmanifested, as the primordial

> > element, and as Ishwara. The Lord is then endowed with

> > the quality of all-knowingness, and is regarded as the

> > illuminator of knowledge.

> >

>

>

> Could we take a look again at the translation to "It is then known as

> the Unmanifested". Why is it being stated as "It is ***then*** known

> as the ***Unmanisfested***"? If 'Unmanisfested', then, 'then' is not

> applicable because it was always so. Probably it is 'It is then known

> as the inexpressible manifestation'. ...I don't know.

>

> [...]

>

> With Love,

> Raghava

>

 

 

 

namaste and happy new year to all.

 

Thanks for shri Raghava's query and the clarification.

When I was posting that article, I also had doubts on

the translation, not only in that verse but the other

verses as well. But I put in swami Tattwananda's

translation as it is. I leave it to shri Sunder

Hattangadi and other sanskrit scholars on the List

to make the corrections.

 

Your observation is quite correct, in my view. Rather

than 'unmanifested', it should be 'manifested', but

the translation given is unmanifested, with the word

'then' in front. This leads to a much general topic:

Is Ishwara manifested or unmanifested? My view is

Ishwara is manifested of the unmanifested brahman.

Oxford English dictionary calls manifest as that which

is clear to the eye or the mind. And for a true devotee

of Ishwara, Ishwara is clear to the mind.

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

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