The Bhagavatam and Brahman the material cause

[Guest guest]

Shrigurubhyo namaH

 

The Bhagavatam and Brahman the material cause:

 

There is this sentence: `itihAsa-purANAbhyAm vedopbrumhayet' meaning

that the itihasas (like the Ramayana and Mahabharata) and the purAnas

(like the ShrimadBhAgavata) serve the purpose of a commentary to the

Veda by expounding the Vedic teaching. The idea is that what is

contained in the Veda, the teaching for the upliftment of man in all

spheres and finally, enlightenment, is given out by the epics in a

more easily understandable form. There are illustrations through

stories, incidents, etc. that make the grasp of the Vedic teaching

much more appealing.

 

In the Veda we have the teaching that Brahman is the material cause

of the universe. He himself has created the universe and entered

into it. The Taittiriya Upanishad says: 'tat shrishtvaa tadeva

anupraavishat'. Again, in the Purushasukta we have: 'ajAyamaano

bahudhaa vijaayate' : the Birthless One takes on the multifarious

forms of the universe. `Indro mAyAbhiH pururUpa Iyate'

(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ii.v.19) which means the Lord, because of

the manifold powers of Maya is perceived variously. An interesting

episode is there in the 10th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam wherein

the little lad Lord Krishna demonstrated the above teaching of the

Veda. The enchanting episode can be read in the following link:

 

 

http://www.bharatadesam.com/spiritual/bhagavatam/bhagavatam_10a.php#13

 

Of particular interest is this verse: 19 of the above chapter, the

meaning of which is:

Whatever number of small boys and cows there were, whatever organs

and limbs they were endowed with, whatever equipment they had like

staff, cowhorns, flutes, ……distinguishing features they had like

traits of character, virtues, name, form, age and the like – all

these that Immortal One became, as a literal illustration of the

great truth that `All this is Vishnu'.

 

Does not the above show that the Bhagavatam is teaching through this

episode the Upanishadic teaching: `Sarvam khalvidam Brahma'(All this

is Brahman indeed, being originated, sustained and resolved in

Brahman) ?

 

The other equally enchanting episode is that of the boy Krishna

bewildering his mother Yashodha by showing the entire cosmos in his

mouth. This again is the demonstration of the teaching contained in

the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which says the entire creation is

supported by that One Supreme Brahman.

 

Also there are a number of songs of the Haridasas that bring out this

idea. For example a song `Govinda ninna naamave chanda..', available

for hearing in the following link is a description of the Lord as

everything in the universe, as the cause of creation, sustenance and

resolution:

http://www.udbhava.com/udbhava/songs.jsp?id=535

 

Pranams,

Subbu

Om Tat Sat

[Guest guest]

From; H.N.Sreenivasa Murthy

Pranams to all.

 

subrahmanian_v <subrahmanian_v > wrote:

Dear Sri Subramanian,

You have written : " In the Veda we have the teaching that Brahman is the material cause of the universe". Upanishads also proclaim that Brahman or Atman is the cause of the world . Sri Shankara in Sutrabhashya has established that Brahman is the cause.

Some of the advaitic texts say that the Primordial Ignorance or Mulavidya is the material cause of the universe. Some say that Ignorance or Maya is the Prakriti which is the material cause of the universe.

Which one amongst the two is the fact ?

Which has to be assepted as the Truth?

I stand to be corrected if my reading is erroneous.

A reply from you will help to dispel the confusion and conflict.

With warm and respectful regards,

Sreenivasa murthy.

 

 

 

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