Srimath Azhagiya Singar SathaabhishEkam Special series : 80.8 / SRI ACHYUTHA SATHAKAM : PART 8 / SLOKAM 12

[Guest guest]

SRI:

 

SrI NaarAyaNa Yatheendhra MahA DesikAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the 12th slOkam . It will get

dense as we approach the VedAnthic subjects , which

Swamy Desikan explains crisply .

 

SlOkam 12

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Purusha PradhAna sarIrO bhuvanAnAm bhavasi AchyuthOpadhAnam

nija sankalpa sanATO vahasi nimitthathvam apyadhbhutha sakthi:

 

(Meaning according to D.R.Swamy): Oh Achyutha! Thy Sakthi (prowess)

is indeed marvellous , By having souls and matter as Thy body , Thou dost

become the material cause for the worlds . By Thy own will Thou dost also

become the instrumental and efficent cause .

 

(Comments): Here , Swamy Desikan focuses on the Lord being both

the UpAdhAna (material) and Nimittha ( Instrumental) KaraNam (Cause)

for creation . A potter , who creates a pot out of clay is the nimittha

(instrumental) KaaraNam , while the clay itself is the UpAdhAna (Material)

KaaraNam . Here and in other cases , the Nimittha and UpAdhAna kaaraNams

are distinct and different . Our Lord alone is the sole exception because

He is both the Nimittha and UpAdhAna KaaraNams. Swamy Desikan marvels at

this adhbhutha Sakthi of the Lord :

 

" Achyutha ! Thvam bhuvanAnAm upAdhAnam bhavasy ; nimitthathvam api vahasy " .

 

Our Lord has Jeevans ( sentients) and Prakruthy (insentients) as His body and

as a result becomes the UpAdhAna KaaraNam ( Material Cause) for the creation

of the worlds .

 

With His own sankalpam , He becomes the nimittha kaaraNam

( Instrumental cause)also for that act of creation ( " Thvam nija sankalpa

sanATa: nimitthathvam api vahasi " in Swamy Desikan's words ) .

 

VedAnthic Intrepretation of UpAdhana & Nimittha KaaraNams

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The doctrine of Parama Purushan (Supreme Being) has several facets : It includes

His Svaroopam (essential or intrinsic nature) , His auspicious attributes (

kalyANa

guNams ) , His divine personality ( dhivya MangaLa vigraham ) , His sacred

avathArams

( dhivya avathArams) and His divine activities ( dhivya LeelAs ) such as

creation ,

protection and dissolution of the Universe . In this slOkam , Swamy Desikan

describes

the act of Creation (Srushti) and how the Lord stays as UpAdhAna and nimittha

KaaraNam

in this dhivya leela ( Divine sport ) . He is Jagath KaaraNan ( Sole cause of

Creation).

As a part of His cosmic duties , He creates the world and its beings , enters

into

them as their indweller and directs them .

 

Brahman as the Material & Instrumental Cause

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Brahma Soothram 1.4.23 deals directly with the subject of the Supreme

Brahman being UpAdhAna (Material) KaaraNam :

 

Prakruthisccha prathij~nA dhrushtAnthaanuparOdhAth --- BR. Soothram1.4.23

 

(Meaning ) : " ( Brahman is) the material cause also (besides being

the nimittha KaaraNam as well) . In Bhagavath GitA ( IX.8) , Lord says:

" animating My Prakruthi , I project again and again this whole multitude "

in support of the UpAdhaana KaaraNam . Prakruthi is also known as

Maayaa (UpAdhAnam ) and the creator is the Maayin ( nimithtam).

Thus , He is both UpAdhAna and nimittha KaaraNam for Creation .

 

The Brahma SoothrakArar ( BaadharAyaNar) establishes the theory of

Brahman as UpAdhAna and Nimithta KaaraNams with four subsequent

SoothrAs :

 

" AbhidhyOpadEsAsccha " ---1.4.24 ( Also on account of the statement of

will to create on the part of Brahman / " May I be Many " : ChAndhOgyam VI.ii.3).

This is the " nija sankalpa sanATO nimitthathvam " referred to by SWamy

Desikan in his 12th SlOkam .

 

" SaakshAcchObhayaamnAnAth " Brahma Soothram : 1.4.25

Here the evidence is given from Taitthiriya BrAhmaNam that

Brahman is both material and Instrumental cause ( Tai.Br: II.8.9)

 

" Aathma KruthE : " Br.Soothram 1.4.26 ( Brahman is the material

cause of the world because sruthi says it /Brahman created itself ).

Tai.Upanishad says in this context : " Tath aathmAnam Svayam akrutha " .

Here is the pramANam for nimittha KaaraNam .

 

" PariNAmAth " -- Br.Soothram : 1.4.27 ( On account of modification ,

it is possible.The pramANam for the Brahman being the Material cause

comes from BrahadhAraNyaka Upanishad( I.iv.7) : " This universe was

then unmanifested. It manifested itself only as name and form " . Here is

the support for UpAdhAna KaaraNam of Brahman.

 

" yOnisccha hi geeyathE " --Br.Soothram 1.4.28 ( Based on two PramANams

from Mundaka Upanishad , this Soothram declares that Brahman is

the Material cause of this Universe ).

 

MaadhvAchArya does not admit that Brahman is UpAdhAna Kaaranam

but concedes that Brahman is only Nimittha KaaraNam . Both Sankara and

RamAnuja agree with the Soothra KarthA's position that Brahman is of

UpAdhAna and Nimittha KaaraNams . Swamy Desikan wonders about

the uniqueness of the Lord being both Material and Instrumental cause

for the Creation of the world and its entities with various names and forms.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan