ESSENCE OF HINDU RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY--1

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Friends,The subject-matter of The Hindu religion ( Sanatana Dhrma) and Hindu philosophy (Vedanta) may be said to

comprehend primarily the three factors---GOD(Isvara), the soul (jiva), and the world (prapancha), each having its own rights. Difficulty ,of course, has been there in showing as to how these three interact with one another. No doubt, the Advaitins

have overcome the difficulty by admitting that all these are apparent diversifications, through Prakriti(Maya), of a single transcendental principle. The latter is nothing other than Consciousness, Brahman which is immutably homogeneous, infinite and pure,

as the scriptures indicate. In fact, It is the only reality. It is Advaita in the sense that it is the substratum of the abscence of all duality (na vidyate dvitiyam iti).

 

Prakriti, consists of the three strands of sattva, rajas and tamas, and it is indeterminable either as real (sat) or an absolute nothing (asat).

It is termed as Maya when its constituent sattva is predominant therein rendering rajas and tamas ineffectual. It is designated as Ignorance (avidya) when sattva is clouded by

rajas and tamas. Vedanta holds the reflection of Consciouness in Maya is known as Isvara and its reflection in avidya is jiva. Isvara is a blend of consciousness and

Maya. Isvara is endowed with all auspicious attributes like omniscience and also with the material and efficient causality of the world, which are illusorily projected by Maya. The consciousness element in Him is real, while

Maya and the attributes projected by it are not real. Isvara is always aware of His identity with the consciousness-element, which is His essential nature and which is never concealed from Him by

Maya since sattva is predominant therein. He is therefore ever released (Nitya Muktah).

(to be continued)

G.Balasubramanian