Philosophy of Achintya Bheda Abheda

[Guest guest]

hare krishna

 

This is a small presentation on the philosophy of achintya bheda

abheda. Its a small effort on my part under blessings of Sri Jiva

Goswami and Lord Krishna to produce whatever i can understand with

my minute intelligence.

 

 

What is Achintya ?

Sri Jiva defines achintya as the power to reconcile the impossible.

[bhagavat Sandarbha, XVI]

 

Commenting on Visnu Purana I.VI.1-3, he interprets word achintya as:

"Achintya is that which is inconceivable on account of the

contradictory notions it involves, yet it can be appreciated through

logical implication[arthapatti]."

 

Hence Jiva Goswami proceeds to prove doctrine of Achintya Bheda

Abheda through arthapatti or logical implication.

 

Sakti of object[saktiman] is of two kinds:

 

1) Either it is acquired. Like power of a red hot iron rod to

radiate heat and light is acquired. Everyone knows that if we keep

iron rod in fire then it acquires such fiery characteristics. This

is however not present in it, in its natural state.

 

2) Or it is natural to the object. Example is fire whose power to

radiate heat and light is natural.

 

Sri Jiva Goswami writes:

"Sakti is different from object[saktiman] in which it inheres

because it cannot be concived as identical with the object[saktiman]

and at the same time it is same as the object because it can't be

concieved as different from it. This simultaneous existence of

identity and difference is achintya or inconcievable on account of

it being contradictory." [sarva Samvadini Page 36-37.]

 

Jiva Goswami illustrates what he just said above with example of

fire and its natural power.

 

Fire is Saktiman

Heat and Light are its natural power Saktis.

 

"We cannot think of fire without the power of burning; similarly, we

cannot think of the power of burning without fire. Both are

identical. While fire is nothing but that which burns; the power of

burning is but fire in action. Yet at the same time, fire and its

burning power are not absolutely the same. If they were absolutely

the same, there would be no need to warn our children that "fire

burns." Rather it would be sufficient to say "fire." Furthermore, if

they were the same, it would not be possible to neutralize the

burning power in fire through medicine or mantra without causing

fire to disappear altogether." [sarva Samvadini Page 36-37]

 

In reality the fire is the energetic source of the energy which is

the power to burn.

 

Just as there is neither absolute oneness nor absolute difference in

the material example of fire and burning power, there is neither

absolute oneness nor absolute difference between Godhead and His

energies. Godhead consists of both the energetic and the energy,

which are one and different. Godhead is also necessarily complete

without His various emanations. This is absolute completeness. No

matter how much energy He distributes, He remains the complete

balance.[refer to Isvasya upanisad invocation ]

 

So now the question may be put forward that if relation of bheda-

abheda between God and His energies[manifestation of energies - jiva

and material world] can be explained like above then whats the use

of term "achintya" ?

 

Answer is: The relation between God and His energies[or

manifestation of these energies] "itself" is not explained thus.

What is actually explained is that there is that it involves both

bheda and abheda as illustrated above. How the two categories -

bheda and abheda are exactly reconciled to make their simultaneous

existence possible is beyond comprehension. Hence the term achintya

in achintya bheda abheda.

 

The point to note is that in case of God sakti and saktiman

interpenetrate each other to form an undivided whole.[sri Jiva on

bhag. 11.22.7 - Parm. Sandarbha 34]

 

So, Brahman consists of both the energetic and the energy,

which are one and different at same time.

 

This should explain bheda and abheda sruti.

 

This is small effort primarily based on Sri OBL Kapoors essay on

Achintya bheda abheda. I will add more scriptural quotations from

upanisads, gita, brahma sutra later.

 

 

I hope this answers queries of devotees to some extent.

 

 

Your Servant Always

Sumeet.