3. topic 2 outline of advaita vedanta

8/12/2019 3. Topic 2 Outline of Advaita Vedanta

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Advaita Vedanta A Birds Eye View

Outline of Advaita Vedanta

D. KRISHNA AYYAR

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Table o !ontents

Section 1 - Nature Of Self. Changing And Unchanging Consciousness

Distinguished...................................................................................................3

Section - !rahman" #he Ultimate $ealit%.....................................................&

Section 3 - 'dentit% Of #he 'ndividual Self And !rahman..............................11

Section ( - )no*er - Consciousness + $e,ected Consciousness

Cidaahaasa/................................................................................................ 1

Section 0 - #ransmigration and )arma..........................................................1(

Section - 2ree ill......................................................................................14

Section 4 - Status of the orld - Orders of $ealit%.......................................15

Section 5 - Creation......................................................................................6

Section & - #he Conce7t of 8a%a..................................................................(

Section 16 - #he meaning of 9ieration..........................................................0

Section 11 - #he Signi:cance of 9ieration....................................................

Section 1 + )no*ledge; #he Sole 8eans of 9ieration..................................33

Section 13 - )ramamu


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Section 1 - Nature Of Self. Changing And

Unchanging Consciousness Distinguished

1. Let us start with finding answers to the questions raised in Part . !hatever you

perceive or "now as an ob#ect cannot be yourself. t is not difficult to understand

that am not the physical body. can see the body. $o, no thin"ing man will deny

the fact, % am not the body.& %'m the (praana) *divided intoprana, apana,

vyana, udana and samana+, . e., the life forces that are responsible for the

respiratory, circulatory, assimilative functions etc. am aware that am

breathing. am aware that am hungry etc. $o, am not the prana. . 'm the

(karmendriyas), the sense organs of action, i.e., the faculties of spea"ing, lifting,

wal"ing etc am aware that am spea"ing, wal"ing etc. $o, am not the

"armendriyas. 'm the (jnanendriyas,) i.e., the sense organs of perception, i.e.,

the faculties of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch am aware that see, hear

etc. $o, am not the #nanendriyas *' single name for the #nanendriyas and

"armendriyas put together is (indriyas) - sense organs, in nglish+.

/. Next, we have to find out about the mind. n $ans"rit, the mind is called

(antahkarana). 'long with the antah"arana, there is reflected consciousness

called cidaabhaasa0 for the two together, the name is aham"ara .'ham"ara

comprises manah*the faculty which receives stimuli from the outer world and is

the seat of emotions and feeling+, buddhi*the faculty of reasoning, decision,

speculation and imagination+, citta*the faculty of memory+ and the

ahampratyayaor ahamartha*ego+ *the () thought, the sense of ( am the

"nower, doer) etc.+. *n what follows, for the sa"e of simplicity, in many places,

the word, mind, is used as a synonym for aham"ara. !here the word, (mind) is

used for antah"arana alone, it will be obvious in the context+. *he physical body

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awareness of these changes of the mind and if so how does that awareness ta"e

place& hat which changes cannot itself be aware of the changes. t follows that,

besides the changing mind, there must be a changeless conscious principle. he

question is, %what is the proof& he proof lies in the fact that, in spite of the

changes of the mind, regard myself as the same conscious entity. Yesterday

was angry. oday am calm. he angry mind and the angry disappeared

yesterday. he calm mind and the calm have come only today. 4ut regard

myself as the same person while saying % was angry yesterday0 am calm today&.

Yesterday was struggling with a mathematical problem. oday have happily

solved it. he struggling mind and the struggling disappeared yesterday. he

happy mind and the happy have come only today. $till, regard myself as the

same entity while saying, % struggled with the mathematical problem yesterday0

today have solved it.& his will be clearer when we compare the personality5

change over a period of time. !hen you meet a school5mate whom you "new as

an aggressive, selfish boy after a period of thirty years in $abarmati 'sram, you

may find a social wor"er with a calm temperament, but he regards himself as the

same person. hat means that there is a changing and an unchanging . he

unchanging , the constant that invo"e while ma"ing such statements as

mentioned above is an unchanging conscious principle. his unchanging

conscious principle is the immutable atma. t is also called saakshi since, when it

is invo"ed as the constant , it loo"s as though it was the witness of the changing

mind. t is also calledpratyagaatmaa, since it is recogni3ed by us without the

mediation of any "nowing instrument. !hereas the mind is experienced, the

atma is not experienced0 it is only invo"ed as the constant . he invocation is

done by the mind0 the invo"ed is the sa"shi.

;. his process of connecting a past condition of the mind and the present condition

is called %pratyabhinja&. !e can observe pratyabhin#a in situations connecting

the dream state *called %swapna avastha&+ and deep sleep state *called %sushupti

avastha&+ on the one hand and the wa"ing state *called %jaagrat avastha&+ on the


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other. n the dream state, the mind pro#ects its vasanas to form a dream world

which it cogni3es as ob#ects existing outside it. !hen one wa"es up, one reali3es

that what he saw as a world perceived world existing outside one)s mind were

merely thoughts in one)s mind. hus, one says, for example, %last night dreamt

that got a lottery of one million rupees but now "now that don)t have a

paisa&. 'gain, this constant that is invo"ed by this thought as having existed

during the dream and as existing now is the sa"shi.


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non5"nowing and non5thin"ing condition. t also registers the sukham

*happiness+ occurring as a reflection of the anantatvaaspect of atma in the state

of calmness in which the aham"ara is in sushupti, though it is not aware of it at

that time. t is on the basis of such registration by the resolved aham"ara that the

aham"ara is able to say, when the person wa"es up from sleep, % slept happily0

did not "now anything - %sukham aham asvaapsam, na kincit avedisham&. ven

so, the that is referred as having existed during sushupti is, as explained above,

not the ahamartha, the aham"ara , but the sa"shi . he further point to note is

that the source of happiness registered by the aham"ara in sushupti is neither an

external ob#ect nor internal recollection0 there is no contact with external ob#ects

and the memory is also non5functional. he only entity continuing to function is

the atma. 8or the happiness that is registered in the resolved aham"ara, the

source can only be the atma. he infinitude of the atma is reflected as

poornatvam translating into happiness in the resolved antah"arana and this is

what is registered in the resolved aham"ara.

1. Pratyabhin#a invo"ing a constant is also observed when we connect

different stages in our life. 9ur body and mind are changing entities.

!hen one is young, one is strong and healthy and can win a cross

country race. !hen one becomes old one needs a stic" even to wal". n

early age, one can recite the entire 4hagawadgita and >panishads from

memory. !hen one becomes old, one doesn)t remember even the name

of his dearest friend. n one)s youth one is arrogant. !hen one has

become old, one has become humble. n spite of these differences, one is

regarding oneself as the same . he that is invo"ed here is the

unchanging , the unchanging consciousness, the sa"shi.

?. @ecognition of the unchanging consciousness can also ta"e place without a vritti.

$uppose you are listening to $wami#iAs tal" in the class. n your mind the

modifications of the mind registering the sound *%sabda vrittis&+ and


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understanding the meaning corresponding to the words of $wami#i)s tal" are

ta"ing place. 't that time you are not entertaining the thought % am sitting here

and listening to $wami#iAs tal".& he mind can have only one vrittiat a time. Next

day, if somebody as"ed you %did you attend $wami#iAs class yesterday&, you would

say %yes&. hat means that you were aware of the fact that you were sitting and

listening to $wami#iAs tal" without entertaining a vrittithat you were sitting and

listening. his shows that to be aware of your own continued existence as a

conscious being does not, necessarily, require a vritti. @ecognition of a

continuous without a vrittiis possible only if there is a constant consciousness

other than the momentary consciousness of the mind, a constant that exists

even when the mind is absorbed in thoughts relating to an external occurrence

and is, therefore, not in a position to entertain an ahamartha vritti. !hen

$wetasvatara >panishad 2.1B and 7aivalya >panishad /1 say, %t sees without

eyes, t hears without ears&, they are referring to this sa"shi.

Section 2 - Brahman, The Ultimate ealit!

1. he central theme of the >panishads is 4rahman, called alsoParamaatma.t is a

conscious principle. he word for conscious principle in $ans"rit is %caitanyam&.

he consciousness that is 4rahman is called %brahma caitanyam&. he seminal

sentence defining 4rahman which occurs in Taittiriya Upanishad*.i.1+ is

%satyam jnanam anantam rahma.& n nglish, this is translated as %existence5

consciousness5infinity&. he words (xistence), (6onsciousness) and (nfinity) are

not three separate entities0 they are three words denoting the nature of the same

entity. he word, (satyam) is synonymous with the word, sat, used in 6handogya

>panishad C.ii.1 -bhooma vidya ! in the sentence %n the beginning *i.e., before

creation+ existence alone was there, one only without a second. *Sadeva soumya

idam agra aasiid ekam eva advidiiyam+& he words, %satyam& and %sat& are

defined as that which is eternal and has independent existence. :uxtaposed with

the word %anantam& *which means %the infinite&+, the word *%sat")distinguishes


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it from locali3ed existence and denotes all pervasiveness. n the sentence, %he

word, %#nanam& in this context, means the undifferentiated changeless

consciousness as distinguished from aham"ara which functions as the

differentiated "nower5consciousness, *%pramaata&+&, for the words %in this

context&, substitute %#uxtaposed with the word, *%anantam&+&.

he word, %#nanam& is #uxtaposed to show that it is not an insentient entity but is

6onsciousness. he word, %#nanam&, in this context, means the undifferentiated,

changeless consciousness as distinguished from aham"ara which functions as the

differentiated "nower5consciousness *pramaata+. *n $ans"rit, (#nanam)

denoting 4rahman is called (swaroopa jnaanam)0 the "nowledge obtained by the

pramata is called (vritti jnanam).+ he word, anantam is #uxtaposed to show that

t is a not a limited entity. he word, %anantam& means infinity. (nfinity) denotes

what is infinite not only in terms of space but in terms of time and entity. nfinity,

space wise indicates that t is all pervading *%sarvagatam&+. nfinity time wise

indicates that t is eternal *%nityam&+. nfinity entity wise indicates that t is non5

dual *%advayam&+, i.e., besides t, there is no other real entity. $ince it is all

pervading, it is formless *%niraakara&+, divisionless *i.e, without division+

*%nirvikalpa&+, devoid of movement *%acala&+ and devoid of parts

*%niravayava&+. $ince it is eternal, it is changeless *%nirvikara&+. $ince it is non5

dual, it is relationless *i.e., without any "ind of relation+ *%asanga&+. n some

places, 4rahman is also defined as saccidaananda.0 it is a compound word

consisting of % sat& which is the equivalent of % satyam &, % cit& which is the

equivalent of %#nanam & and % aananda& which is the equivalent of % anantam&.

/. n his commentary on the aittiriya >panishad mantra, $an"aracarya first

clarifies that the sentence, %satyam, #nanam, anantam brahma& is meant as a

definition of 4rahman not one that denotes the attributes *%guna&+ of

4rahmanDD.$atya is a thing which does not change the nature that is

ascertained to be its own. D. *o indicate that t is not the insentient material


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cause+ it is said that 4rahman is consciousness. *>sed along with the words

(satyam) and (anantam) 5 infinitude+ - he definition excludes the concept of the

agent of "nowing. f 4rahman be the agent of "nowing, satyam and anantam

cannot be part of the definition. f it is the agent of "nowing, t becomes

changeful and as such t cannot be satyam and infinite. hat indeed is infinite

which is not limited by anything. f t be agent of "nowing, t becomes delimited

by the "nowable and the "nowledge. 6handogya C.xxiv.1 says, %he nfinite is

that where one does not "now anything&. he words, (satyam0 (#nanam) and

(anantam occurring in mutual proximity, and restricting and being restricted in

turns by each other, distinguish 4rahman from other ob#ects denoted by the

words, (satyam) etc. n his commentary on the 6handogya mantra, $an"aracarya

explains, %he word (sat) means mere xistence, a thing that is subtle, without

distinction, all pervasive, one, taintless, partless *i.e., without parts+,

consciousness, which is "nown from all the >panishads. he word (eva) is used

for emphasis. *Sadeva- sat iti astitvamaatram vastu nirvisesham

sarvvagatam, ekam, niranjanam, niravayavam, vijnaaanam yat aagamyate

sarvavedantebhyah. #kasabdah avataaranaarthah+D4efore creation, it was not

possible to grasp it as possessed of name and form. D.4y the words, (9ne only), is

meant that there was nothing else coming under the category of its product.

DD.)without a second) means that t *xistence+ has no second thing different

from tself&.

Section " - #dentit! Of The #ndi$idual Self And

Brahman

'tma conditioned by the sthoola sarira and the su"shma sarira is called

jiivaatma orjiiva. here are various >panishad passages which tal" of

4rahman, the all pevading consciousness,rahma caitanyam, as being

available for recognition as the atma behind the mind in the #ivatma.


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he >panishads also expressly state that 4rahman is not only non5dual

*%advayam"+ but divisionless *i.e, without division+ *%nirvikalpam"

$nishkalam"+. 8urther, we have the definition of 4rahman in aittiriya

/.1 as (satyam, #nanam, anantam) where each word governs and is in

turn governed by the others. he words, (sat *existence+) and (#nanam

*consciousness+) governed by the word, (infinitude) means that

xistence56onsciousness is all pervading. his means that both

existence and consciousness is the same in all things and beings,

though, for recognition of the consciousness, a particular medium may

be required. )herefore 'dvaita Cedanta says that the atma, the

unchanging consciousness, in you, in me, in other human beings, in

gods *devas), in demons *asuras+, in the animals, the birds, the insects,

the plants and, in fact, in all living beings, whether they are deni3ens of

this world or other worlds, is identical with the non5dual, divisionless,

infinite 4rahma caitanyam. . 4rahman and atma are not different. hey

are #ust two words for the same entity. here is only one unbro"en,

undivided, all pervading consciousness *Eakhanda caitanyamE+. !hen

the focus of teaching is on the all pervading aspect, it is generally

referred to as 4rahman and when the focus is on the same

consciousness recogni3ed in the #ivatmas, it is generally referred to as

atma or pratyagatma. !hen the focus is on the source of cidabhasa, t is

referred to as sa"shi. hus it is none other than the 4rahma caitanyam

itself that is invo"ed as the unchanging, constant by a pratyabhin#a

vritti.

Section % - &no'er - Consciousness ( eflected

Consciousness )Cidaa*haasa+


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1. n the definition of 4rahman as )satyam, #nanam, anantam), as mentioned earlier,

since the word (infinitude) governs the word (satyam) and (#nanam), the

consciousness aspect as well as the existence aspect is all pervading. 4ut we see

that what we call inanimate ob#ects li"e table, chair etc. are insentient, whereas

living beings are sentient and the antah"arana of a living being functions as a

"nower. !hat is the speciality of living beings 4eing a "nower involves

limitation, because "nowerhood excludes the "nowing and the "nown. he

#nanam that is atma recogni3ed as atma * the atma caitanyam+ in living beings

cannot be the "nower, because if atma is the "nower, atma will become limited0

this is not possible because the word, (#nanam) is governed by the word,

(infinitude). Foreover >panishads tal" of 4rahman as devoid of the instrument of

ob#ectifying "nowledge *amanah). So, we have to conclude that the antah"arana

of a living being has a special capacity to become the "nower5consciousness. 4y

itself, the antah"aram, evolved as it is from the inert elements, is non5sentient.

!e have also specific passages to show that mind is a product of food *vide

6handogya =.


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he reflected consciousnesspratibimba caitanyam+ of abhasa vada is different

from atma caitanyam and is of a lower order of reality than the atma caitanyam.

/. he aham"ara perceives the external perceived world through the sense organs

and cogni3es one ob#ect after another and entertains one thought after another.

!hile the recognition of the existence of oneself as a constant conscious entity, as

the same person, in spite of the changes which the body and aham"ara undergo

cannot be explained without the atma, the perception of particular ob#ects or

entertainment of particular thoughts, one after another, cannot be explained

without aham"ara. 'nd it is the aham"ara that cogni3es differentiated ob#ects

of the external at one time and differentiated of ob#ects of a dream world at

another time and becomes dormant at a third time. 'tma is there all the time,

without undergoing any of these changes. f the mind was not there and the

changeless atma alone was there and the changeless atma were a "nower, there

would be permanent, simultaneous perception of everything together *which will

be utter confusion+. f the changeless atma *which is apramata, i.e., which is the

non5ob#ectifying consciousness+ was alone there, without aham"ara, there would

be no cognition or conception at all.

Section - Transmigration and &arma

1. 'nother fundamental tenet of 'dvaita Cedanta - indeed of all schools of

philosophy in Ginduism - is that the su"shma sarira with cidabhasa in it survives

the death of the sthoola sarira and is involved in transmigration from one world

to another among the fourteen worlds *lokas+ mentioned in $astra and entry

into different sthoola sariras in successive births *janmas+. 'ssociated with this

tenet, there is the theory of "arma. 'ccording to this, for the actions and thoughts

of #ivatmas they incur what are called %punya"and %papa" *merit and demerit+

and have to undergo, and the punya and papa have to be discharged as

karmaphalamin the form of en#oyment or suffering in future #anmas and,


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sometimes, some part of it in this #anma itself. he punya papa account is a

running account to which additions are made by actions and thoughts and

subtractions ta"e place on account of en#oyment and suffering. he accumulated

punya papa account is called %sancita karma&, the punya papa incurred in the

current #anma is called %aagami karma"which is added to the sancita "arma and

the quota of punya papa which has fructified in the sancita "arma and assigned to

be exhausted in a particular #anma is called %praarabhda karma". n accordance

with praarabhda "arma, the #ivatma)s next #anma may be as a celestial or a god in

one of the lo"as superior than the earth or as an asura or some other deni3en in

an inferior lo"a, with different "inds of sthoola sariras, or again, on earth, as a

human being or as a plant or an animal or insect or microbe. :ivatmas and "arma

are beginningless *i.e., without a beginning, without a prior non5existence+

*$vetasvatara >panishad C.< refers to #iva as aja, i.e., birthless+. herefore,

questions such as %what is the cause of the first #anma& i.e., %how can there be a

first #anma with different people being different in various respects unless there

was a preceding "arma&, %how can there be "arma without a previous #anma&

do not arise. 9nly a theory of "arma and rebirth can explain the phenomenon of

prodigies or morons or babies afflicted with congenital diseases unconnected

with heredity and the wide disparity in physical and mental equipment, health,

wealth, #oy and suffering of living beings and, in the case of human beings, we

find that there is no correlation to the virtues and vices and actions and thoughts

of the current #anma. Foreover, if you say that a person is born and dies once for

all, and that there is no rebirth, when a person undergoes en#oyment or suffering,

you cannot explain it, because there is no punya or papa for which the en#oyment

or suffering is undergone. he other way, for the actions and thoughts of a

person, the punya papa will hang in the air without reward or retribution, if there

is no rebirth. Last but not least, if you say that the Lord created persons with

varying patterns of physical and mental equipment and comforts, en#oyment and

suffering, then that would ma"e that Lord partial and cruel. 4rhadaranya"a


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>panishad, C.iii.B tal"s of a man having two abodes, this and the next world and

the dream state as the #unction staying in which he surveys the two abodes, this

and the next world. !e do get strange dreams, dreams of things we have never

experienced in this #anma. hey must be arising out of vaasanas, *i.e.,

impressions formed by the experiences+ of the previous #anmas. $imilarly, on the

eve of death, it is said, that a man has a glimpse of his next #anma. ven a baby

has dreams. !here are the previous experiences for it to have formed vasanas,

unless it had previous #anmas 'nother argument for the "arma theory is the

well "nown fact that the mind, though conscious of consequences wills evil0 and

though dissuaded by reason, it does engage in deeds of intensely sorrowful

consequences. $ince everybody wants only happiness, if there was no vasana of

evil pertaining to previous #anmas, evil will not exist in the world at all.

/. he cycle of action and thought, punya and papa and births and deaths is

beginningless. his cycle is called, %samsaara&. *' single word for punya and

papa is %karma&+. t is one)s own punya papa alone that determines the

en#oyment and suffering *karmaphalam+ in our lives. swara only arranges the

environment, events and situations required for the wor"ing out of the "arma of

the multitude of #ivatmas. Ge is only the administrator *called

%karmphalahdaata&+.

2. $amsara is related to aham"ara. !hen we identify ourselves with the body mind

complex and, in the ignorance of our real nature as the relationless atma, regard

ourselves as "arta and bho"ta we are involved in the samsara. !hen we

disidentify with the body mind complex and identify with the atma that is non5

different from 4rahman, "arma is destroyed. 'nd there is an end of samsara.

;. he concept of rebirth and "arma is available in 4rahadaranya"a >panishad,

7atopanishad and Prasnopanishad. 4rhadaranya"a >panishad C.C.vi and

C.iv.ii - %he #iva who has attachment goes along with his "arma to the world to

which his su"shma sarira is attached. 'fter exhausting the "armaphalam for


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whatever he has done in this world, he returns to this world for further "arma.

hus does the man with craving *transmigrate+&.H!hen it departsDD.it is

followed by the "arma and upasana done by him and the vasanas he has

acquiredI& . 7athopanishad .ii.? - % $ome embodied ones enter *after death+

into *another+ womb for assuming bodies. he extremely inferior ones, after

death attain the state of motionless things li"e trees etc., in accordance with each

one)s actions and thoughts&. Prasnopanishad.? - % >adana, in its upward

#ourney * i.e., the sub5division of prana that carries the su"shma sarira, travelling

after the death of the sthoola sarira+,leads *the #iva+ to a virtuous world as a

result of virtue, to a sinful world as a result of sin, and to the human world as a

result of both.& *%punyena punyam lokam nayati papena papam ubhayam eva

manushyalokam+. *!hen a person dies, the presiding deities of the indriyas

withdraw from the sense organs. $o, when he travels to the next world, after

death, the physical sense organs are non5functional. $o, until he ta"es rebirth in

one of the worlds and the presiding deities return to the sense organs there is no

memory or en#oyment 5 vide 4rahadaranya"a ;.;.1 and /. +. 7aivalya >panishad

1; says, after en#oying the (ignorannce5cum bliss state of sushupti, the #ivatma

returns to the dream and wa"ing states, as a result of its association with the

"armaof previous #anmas.

*b+ 'ccording to tradition, to "now what is good and what is bad, we have to go

by what is prescribed in the $astra. n $ans"rit, good and bad are referred to by

the terms, EdharmaE and %adharmaE, respectively. !hat is en#oined as duty is

called %vihita& and what is prohibited is called %nishiddhaE. n so far as the

religious rituals are concerned, we have tom go solely by what is said in the

sastra, but in regard to the secular duties and values, li"e truth, nonviolence,

austerity, restraint of greed, love of fellow beings, elimination of hatred, respect

for and care of the animal and plant "ingdoms, living in harmony with nature,

regard for ecology and service to society, the commands and prohibitions of


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sastra are in line with what is generally recogni3ed as doAs and donAts by humanity

in general.+

Section - ree /ill

1. t is not "arma alone that governs human life. here is scope for free will * called

%purushaartha&+ in human lives. Jood action and good thought can mitigate the

papa and enhance the punya content of the prarabdha. !hether free will or

prarabdha will be more powerful, i.e., to what extent free will can mitigate the

suffering or enhance the en#oyment to be undergone as prarabdha depends on

the relative strength of prarabdha and free will. $ince there is no way of "nowing

what one)s prarabdha is, wisdom lies in doing good actions and entertaining good

thoughts. 9ne should not lose faith in the efficacy of good actions and good

thoughts0 good actions and good thoughts are bound to bring about a better

balance of punya papa in prarabdha. !hat physical and mental equipment one is

born with, in which set up one is born, what situations one has to face and what

opportunities are available are determined by one)s prarabdha. 4ut, in any

#anma, how one develops one)s potential, how one reacts to situations, and how

one ma"es use of opportunities depends on one)s free will.

Section 0 - Status of the /orld - Orders of ealit!

1. Now, let us consider the nature of the world. 8rom what we see around

us, information obtained from others, inference and scientific

investigation and scientific theories, we "now that the universe that we

experience is a vast, complex entity0 the human body itself is a

miraculous mechanism0 the vegetable and animal "ingdoms, the

planets, the stars, the galaxies, the blac" holes, the particles, the waves,

matter, antimatter and what not - are all miracles. here is no effect

without a cause. $o, we cannot but postulate an omniscient and

omnipotent creator.


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/. >panishads state expressly in various passages that 4rahman is non5dual

*%advayam& %advaitam" $advidiiyam", %ekam&+, eternal *%nityam&+, all5

pervading *%sarvagatam&+ divisionless *%nirvikalpam+$nishkalam&+ and

changeless *nirvikaaram+. ' non5dual, changeless entity cannot be the cause of

any product. 4ut we do experience a world. he all5pervading 4rahman, the

xistence, has to be there in the world that we experience. 4ut since it is not

ob#ectifiable *aprameyam+, we do not perceive t. !e can explain the presence of

the all pervading 4rahman and t not being the cause of the world only if we say

that the part we perceive in the world belongs to a lower of reality. *Gereafter the

term (perceived world) or (perceived universe)+ should be ta"en to refer to the part

of the world that we perceive, though the universe consists of not only what we

actually perceive but the unperceived sub5stratum, 4rahman, the xistence. $o, a

cardinal doctrine of 'dvaita Cedanta is the scheme of three descending orders of

reality, - %paaramaarthika satyam& *absolute reality+, %vyaavahaarika satyam&

*empirical reality+ and %praatibhaasika satyam& *sub#ective reality+. 4rahman is

paramarthi"a satyam. t is the sub5stratum *adhishtaanam+ of the universe. he

part of the universe including our bodies and minds that we perceive is

vyaavahaari"a satyam. t is of a lower order of reality than 4rahman. !hy !hen

4rahman is said to be non5dual as in 6handogya, 4rhadaranya"a, Fandu"ya etc.

*cited above+ or said to be infinite as in aittiriya */1+, 7athaopanishad *1.2.1


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pratibhasi"a satyam. 9b#ects that are erroneously perceived even while one is

awa"e, such as serpent perceived on rope in semi5dar"ness, silver perceived on

the shell, mirage perceived on the sandy terrain of the desert are also

%pratibhasi"a satyam&. Fithya can be either vyavahari"a satyam or pratibhasi"a

satyam *Fithya common to all is vyavahari"a. Fithya perceived by a particular

person and not by others is pratibhasi"a.+ Fithya is defined as that which is

cognised but which has no independent existence and is sub#ect to change. he

perceived world, which is mithya, is a superimposition on 4rahman, the sub5

stratum *adhistaanam+ viewed in its aspect of xistence. Fithya cannot appear

without an adhishtaanam. rroneously perceived sna"e cannot appear if there is

no rope. he dream cannot appear unless there is a wa"er. *(!a"er) is a technical

term used for a person who is dreaming and ta"es the dream world to be real but

reali3es that it is unreal when he wa"es up from sleep.+ f there were no sub5

stratum of xistence, we would not experience a world. f there is no

superimposition of the perceptible part of the world on the sub5stratum, then

also we would not experience a world. 'nother definition of mithya is that which

can neither be said to be existent nor said to be non5existent. *he technical word

in $ans"rit is %anivacaniiya&+. he dream world is experienced by the wa"er

while he is dreaming but the world perceived in the dream is negated when the

wa"er wa"es up from sleep. he sna"e is perceived on the rope in semi5dar"ness

but it is negated when light is flashed on the rope. he mirage is negated when we

go to the spot in the desert where we perceived it. !e do perceive a world0 so we

cannot say that it is non5existent. !hen the adhishtanam, 4rahman is "nown, the

perceived world is negated, i.e., regarded as mithya and at the paramarthi"a

level, there is no experience at all of a world. so, we cannot say the perceived

world is existent. *!hen the word, %satyam& or %real&is used without any

ad#ective, hereafter, it should be ta"en to refer to paramarthi"a satyam and when

the word, %mithya& or %unreal& is used without any ad#ective, it should be ta"en to


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refer to %vyaavahaari"a satyam& or %pratibhasi"a satyam&, depending on the

context.+.

Section - Creation

1. 'ccording to 'dvaita Cedanta - indeed all schools of Gindu philosophy - there is

a beginningless and endless cycle of creation, maintenance and dissolution or

resolution, called %srishti&, %sthithi&, &laya.& 6f. $wesvatara >panishad .B,

where the omniscient *referring to swara+, the one with limited "nowledge

*referring to #iva+ and Faya *which transforms into the perceived world+ are said

to be birthless. n each srishti, the variety and pattern of ob#ects, the attributes

of the bodies and minds and the events and situations have to be fashioned to suit

the "armas of the myriad of sentient beings that have to undergo their

"armaphalam in the course of their #anmas during that srshti. his requires

conscious planning and s"ilful action on the part of the creator. 'ccording to

$astra, 4rahman is eternal and changeless. n various passages, >panishads state

that 4rahman is eternal *&nityam&+0 %nityam& implies changelessness. n

Fu"ti"opanishad and in thehagavadgita*%ita, for short+, 4rahman is

specifically said to be changeless. n 4rahma $utra bhashyam .i.1;,

$an"aracarya says that 4rahman is changeless and eternal and it has been denied

that 4rahman can undergo any modification whatsoever. >panishads also say

that 4rahman is devoid of instruments of action and thin"ing *kartaamanah.

here are also statements in the >panishads to the effect that 4rahman is

neither neither cause nor effect. ' changeless 4rahman, a 4rahman that is a"arta,

cannot be the transforming material cause *parinaami upaadaana kaaranam+ of

the perceived world. $ince 4rahman is amanah, t cannot be the intelligent cause

*%nimitta kaaranam.&+ of the perceived world, either. $o, the question arises,

how does creation come he universe is a combination of xistence5

6onsciousness and matter. xistence56onsciousness, which is 4rahman, is the

eternal unchanging sub5stratum. Fatter in its various and divergent forms and


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functions arising from the permutation5combination of attributes is called

naama roopa *name and form or names and forms+. 'dvaita Cedanta says that

in 4rahman, there is, as a lower order of reality, a mithya, anivacaniiyaentity,

called %Faya&. he Nama roopa is contained in Faya in seed form. 4rahma

caitanyam gets reflected in Faya, to constitute an entity called %&swara&. hus

swara has the caitanyam aspect and the matter aspect. n this combination,

swara is omniscient *sarvajnah+, omnipotent *sarvasaktimaan+ and all

pervading *sarvagatah+. herefore swara has in himself the capacity to thin",

visuali3e and plan creation and the raw material for creation. 6reation is the

unfolding or differentiation of the nama roopa existing in seed form * avyakta or

avyakrtanama roopa becoming vyakta or vyakrta nama roopa)and their

superimposition on the changeless sub5stratum. he sub5stratum is real he

nama roopa are unreal. he differentiation and superimposition is done by Faya

under swara)s guidance. !hen the differentiated Nama roopa are superimposed

on 4rahman, the xistence56onsciousness, the universe is manifested. he sub5

stratum is real0 the superimposed nama roopa is unreal. he substance, the

essence, is the sub5stratum. he superimposed nama roopa are attributes. '

rough comparison is the clay which is substance and the pot shape which is an

attribute. 4ut there is a difference between the comparison and the compared in

other aspects. 9ne of them is this 5 whereas clay, the substance is tangible and the

pot shape, the attribute is intangible, 4rahman, the substance is imperceptible

and the nama roopa are perceptible. Nama roopa superimposed on xistence5

6onsciousness consist not only of the attributes contributing to the manifestation

of what we regard as inanimate ob#ects li"e shape, color, smell, taste, texture,

weight, mass etc. but the attributes which contribute to the manifestation of

bodies and minds of living beings, li"e shape, mass, weight, color, smell, taste

and texture are the attributes contributing to the manifestation of the

experienced universe as inanimate outside ob#ects but the attributes of our bodies

and minds, li"e the biological structure and functions and the mental faculties of


23/35

cognition, emotions and thin"ing. hus, the universe, the various worlds and the

ob#ects therein, li"e stars, planets, mountains, rivers etc. and bodies and minds of

human beings, plants, animals, insects, gods and asuras are all the manifestation

of the combination of xistence56onsciousness, the real and nama roopa, the

unreal.. 'll the time what we encounter is this combination of the real and the

unreal0 what we perceive is the unreal part0 we do not perceive the real part. n

our state of ignorance we ta"e the unreal part to be real. !hat lends existence to

the unreal nama roopa is the real, the 4rahman. 4ut for 4rahman providing the

sub5stratum of xistence, the nama roopa cannot appear. 6onversely without

nama roopa, there will be no world for us to experience. 4rahman, the sub5

stratum, being avyavahaaryam *not accessible to transaction+, transaction

requires nama roopa. ' combination of existence and nama roopa is required for

experience and transaction. 4ut for this combination, there will be no samsara or

atma vicara or liberation from samsara. swara visuali3es and plans the creation,

"eeping in mind the requirements of the "armas of the #ivas and impels Faya to

unfold the nama roopa accordingly. 6reation *srshti+ is a cycle of pro#ection and

resolution of nama roopa. 'fter the "arma of the #ivas pertaining to the #anmas

of #ivas in a particular srshti is exhausted through en#oyment and suffering,

swara ma"es Faya withdraw the pro#ected nama roopa unto Gimself in his

aspect as Faya, there to remain, for a period, called %pralaya&, in potential form,

until "armas of #ivas fructify for the next srshti. he srshti, sthiti laya*creation,

maintenance, resolution+ cycle is without a beginning or end. he 'dvaita

concept of creation is called %vivarta vaada& indicating that creation is not real.

he perceived world is mithya. Faya is mithya. swara is mithya. Faya is

parinaami upaadaana kaaranam*transforming material cause+ and swara is

nimitta kaaranam *intelligent cause+. 4rahman does not undergo change when

creation ta"es place, @emaining as the all pervading xistence, 4rahman, by ts

mere presence, serves as the sub5stratum for the superimposition of nama roopa.

'nd by its mere presence, it enables the antah"arana of living beings to acquire


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cidabhasa. !hen $astra tal"s 4rahman as the cause of the universe, we have to

understand that 4rahman)s role in the manifestation of the world is confined to

these two aspects.

Section - The Conce3t of 4a!a

)A$id!a, 5ra6riti, 5radhaana, A$!a6tam, A$!aa6rtam, A7naanam And Tamas

Are S!non!ms.+

1. Faya has two powers - aavarana saktiand vikshepa sakti.hrough its avarana

sa"ti Faya engenders #iva)s ignorance of his true nature as 4rahman. o

distinguish this function of the avarana sa"ti, Faya is called %moola avidya&. o

denote the other function of the avarana sa"ti, obscuring the ob#ects of the world,

the word used is %toola avidya&. 'vidya *Faya+ is a positive entity0 a negative

entity cannot have powers. Faya is matter, constituted of three factors, satva,

ra#as and tamas. swara, being the master of Faya, is not affected by the avarana

sa"ti of Faya and is therefore ever aware of his true nature being 4rahman. 't

the vyashti*microcosmic+ level, in so far as #ivas are concerned, both the avarana

sa"ti and the vi"shepa sa"ti of Faya come into play. he avarana sa"ti ma"es

#ivas ignorant of their true nature as 4rahman and, as a consequence, adhyaasa

is engendered. 'dhyasa consists in our having the notion that nama roopa, the

perceived ob#ects outside and our own bodies and minds are real with that

mista"en notion of reality, in our identifying ourselves with our body mind

complex. 6onsequently, we regard ourselves as limited individuals, different from

4rahman and other beings, transact with other beings and things and, in this

process, ta"e on ourselves the problems, the #oy, suffering, fear, sense of

insecurity etc. belonging to the body and the mind . dentifying with the body

mind complex which does action, thin"s, en#oys and suffers and forgetting that

we are the relationless *asanga+ atma which is neither a doer nor en#oyer, we

regard ourselves as the doer *"arta+ and the en#oyer *bho"ta+. 9ur transactions


25/35

in the , with the sense of being the doer *kartrtvam+, result in our incurring the

liability to get rewards for good thoughts and deeds *calledpunya+ and

punishments for bad thoughts and deeds *calledpapa+ and, we have to discharge

the punya and papa debt in future births, in the form of en#oyment and suffering

*karmaphalam+. n the future births, we engage ourselves in further transactions

and incur further punya and papa. hus, we are caught up in the cycle of births

and deaths and en#oyment and suffering. his is what is called samsara.!hereas,

the macrocosmic cycle of creation *srishti+, maintenance *sthiti+ and resolution

*laya+ Kis endless as well as beginningless, individual samsara is not endless.

!hen we understand that we are not the body mind complex but we are the

infinite 4rahman, we get liberated from samsara.

/. hough avidya is the root cause of adhyasa, the primary lin" in the mechanism of

adhyasa is ahamartha. here is mutual superimposition of ahamartha and atma.

he consciousness of atma is superimposed on ahamartha and ahamartha

assumes the status of a "nower owing to the reflection of consciousness.

6onversely, through the superimposition of ahamartha on atma, atma appears to

be a localised . hus we say, % "now&. !hen atma is conditioned by ahamartha,

we say,& "now&. !ith the addition of the mind to this mixture, we say, % am

happy&, % am miserable& etc.. !ithn the adiition of the body, we say % am a

man&.& am a father& etc. *Cide $ureswacarya in Naish"armyasiddhi .panishad 4hashya Carti"am . =


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aikya'jnaanam&. $entences in the sastra that reveal #ivabrahmai"yam *the

essential identity of #ivatma and paramatma+ are called mahaavaakyas. here

are innumerable mahava"yas in the >panishads. 8our of them are famous, one

in each Ceda, namely, %Tat tvam asi& *6handogya >panishad - $ama Ceda+,

%ahambrahma asmi& *4rhadaranya"a >panishad - Ya#ur Ceda+, %ayamatma

brahma& *Fandu"ya >panishad - 'tharva Ceda+ and %pra#naanambrahma&,

*'itereya >panishad - @g. Ceda+. ranslated in nglish, the four mahava"yas

are %hou art hat& % am 4rahman& %his atma is 4rahman& and %6onsciousness

is 4rahman&+.

2. n the process of the teaching, we also understand, as explained above, that the

only reality is 4rahman, the xistence and all else, i.e., the perceived world of

ob#ects and our own body mind complexes is mithya. his understanding,

together with the understanding of %#ivabrahmai"yam& is expressed by the

famous sentence, %rahmasatyam jaganmithya, jivobrhmaiva naapara.&

*%4rahman is the reality0 the perceived world is mithya0 #iva is 4rahman, naught

else.&+ .he moment this "nowledge is gained effectively, one is liberated from the

bondage of samsara in this very life. his liberation from the bondage of

samsara, is called %jivanmukti&. he one who has gained the "nowledge in this

very life, is called, %jivanmukta& or %jnaani".

;. t is not essential that one should renounce worldly life *become a sanyaasi+ to

gain the "nowledge. f one can go through the practices *called saadhanas+

prescribed for attaining mental purity, calmness and concentration of mind,

which are prerequisites for gaining effective "nowledge and devoting sufficient

time regularly and systematically under the guidance of a competent teacher tothe study of sastra, one can become a #nani even while one continues to be

engaged in the duties of one)s secular life.

Section 11 - The Significance of 9i*eration


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1. he world perceived world does not disappear for a #nani. 4ut his

outloo" and attitude to the perceived world become different. Ge has

identified himself with non5dual reality, the infinite 4rahman. $ince he

"nows that the perceived world, including the body mind complex is

mithya, he has no sorrow, no anxiety, no fear, no desire, no hatred, no

worry and no sense of insecurity. n short, the #nani is not

psychologically affected by anything, good or bad, happening in the

world. n the dream win a big pri3e in a raffle or become a 4harat

@atna. 4ut when wa"e up, am not elated. n the dream have lost my

only son. 4ut when wa"e up, don)t feel sad. he fire in the movie has

burnt down the colony where reside but when wa"e up am sitting

comfortably in my house $imilar is the psychological freedom of the

#nani who is identified with the paramarthi"a satyam and is unaffected

by the vyavhari"a satyam. his is the paramarthi"a drhshti.

/. he freedom from disturbance from the empirical world is a

psychological freedom arising from the "nowledge of the identification

with the nfinite and does not extend to the physiological body. No

doubt, the #nani has no sorrow, no anxiety, no fear, no worry, no

craving, no attachment and no hatred. Gowever, the body mind

complex with which the person who has become a #nani is part of the

vyavahari"a world and as long as that body lives, there are duties

pertaining to it. $o, if the #nani is a householder, he does not cease to

perform the duties and obligations towards the body, the family and the

society. Ge does his duties with purpose but without any desire or

anxiety and he accepts the results of actions, good or bad, favorable or

unfavorable with spontaneous equanimity. . f the #nani is ill, he will

also go to the doctor, but he will do so without any anxiety. f his wife is

ill, the #nani will loo" after her with compassion but without sadness or

anxiety or worry. f the #nani)s son has to gain admission in a college,


28/35

the #nani will also ma"e efforts, but he will not do anything unrighteous

for it nor will he be sad if he fails in his efforts. f his son obtains the

first ran" in his class, the #nani will also be happy, but he will be equally

happy if the son of a complete stranger, instead of his son, secures the

first ran". ven while he is transacting with the perceived world, the

deep undercurrent of thought that he is the 4rahman that is beyond the

vyavahari"a perceived world will be there. he #nani is li"e the actor on

the stage. oday, the actor plays the role of a beggar0 tomorrow, he may

play the role of a millionaire. 4ut he "nows that he is neither a beggar

nor a millionaire. Li"e that, the #nani plays the role of father, husband,

teacher and what not, committed but unattached and never without the

undercurrent in the mind that he is really none of these but he is the

relationless *asanga+ 4rahman.9r if we can imagine a person who is

dreaming but is aware at that time itself that it is a dream and not real

we can "now the state of mind of the :ivanmu"ta his is the

paramarthi"a drshti... f the #nani is a sanyasi, whatever wor" he

underta"es, he will underta"e, not for himself, but for the welfare of

society or humanity or as an example for the common man. $incerity

and commitment will be there but, even here, there will be no

psychological reaction to success or failure. Gis efforts for himself will

be confined to the barest minimum requirements of sustenance and, if

he is so inclined to teaching Cedanta or establishing institutions for

such teaching.

2. he #nani is not dependent on anything except his identification with

4rahman for peace of mind and happiness. his does not mean that he

ceases to en#oy the good things of life, li"e good food or music or

literature, but he does not have desire for them. hat is to say, if it is

there and he chooses to spare the time for it, he en#oys it, but if it is not


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there, he does not miss it. Ge may have taste, say, for music, but he has

no need for it0 he is happy with it or without. f he was a poet, he can

continue to be a poet. f he was a musician, he can continue to be a

musician. !hen he goes to a temple or church or mosque, he will also

do worship but he will do so with the "nowledge that he himself is

4rahman and it is the vyavahari"a body that is engaged in the worship.

he long and short of it is that the %& of the #nani is 4rahman and

whatever action is done * by way of duties or utilisation of talents or lo"a

sangraha+ is done with the sense that it is not he but one of the myriad

body5mind complexes of the vyavahari"a creation that is doing it. he

awareness, ahambrahmasmi, running as an undercurrent when the

#nani)s body is engaged in vyavahara is called (sahaja samaadhi).

;. 's a vyavahari"a drshti, the #nani has the sense that he is all

*sarvaatmabhaava.&).$arvatmabhava is without pre#udice to the

"nowledge, %4rahmasatyam #aganmithya& !hereas asangatvam *the

sense that am satyam 4rahman, the world is mithya, the mithya world

cannot affect me, is paramarthi"a drshti, sarvatmabhava is a

vyavahari"a drshti0 it is a positive perspective of the all pervading aspect

of 4rahman. he #nani can say, %he existence part of everything is

4rahman and am 4rahman. n this sense everything is myself. $ince

all cidabhasas are reflections of me, the 4rahma caitanyam, can regard

all vyavahari"a glories and all vyavahari"a happiness as my glory and

happiness.) 8or the #nani, everything that there is, everybody)s

happiness is his happiness, everybody)s "nowledge is his "nowledge and

everybody)s achievement is his achievement. his is not to be ta"en

literally. t is only an intellectual attitude. ven a #nani can actually

en#oy only whatever falls within the scope of the body and the

antah"arana with which he was born. @egarding en#oyment of others,


30/35

en#oyment as his is only an attitude born out of the "nowledge that all

nama roopa exist on 4rahman. Gaving this attitude, the :nani has no

sense of lac"ing anything0 and so, is free of desire and he has a sense of

utter fulfillment *poornatvam) his is the meaning of aittiriya

>panishad passage */.1+ where #nana phalam is mentioned - %Ge who

"nows 4rahman as existing in the intellect which is lodged in the

supreme space in the heart, en#oys simultaneously, in identification

with the eternal 4rahman *which is omniscient, all5pervasive and the

atma of all+, all the desirable things $imilarly when the >panishad, in

6handogya eighth chapter, sections 1 and /, tal"s of freedom of

movement in all the worlds and obtaining whatever he desires as ob#ects

of en#oyment, it is not actual movement by the body or actual en#oyment

by the aham"ara, but an intellectual attitude born out of identification

with the all pervasive 4rahman which is the source of all ananda. *%(o

veda nihitam guhaayaam parame vyoman; so asnute sarvaaan

kaamaaan saha"+.


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beings (refers to the adhishtanam, 4rahman. !ith this vision, a #nani

loves all equally and he has no #ealousy or hatred towards anybody.

=. hus,jnana phalam, the benefit of the recognition of #ivabrahmai"yam,

is twofold 5 *i+ sarvatmabhava and poornatvam *from the standpoint of

the vyavahari"a plane */+ asangatvam* from the standpoint of the

paramarthi"a plane+, dismissing the nama roopa as unreal, the sense

that . the paramarthi"a alone am , infinite in terms of space, time and

entity and nothing on the vyahari"a plane can affect me he #nani thus

has the choice of ananda arising out of the attitude, % am everything&

or the peace of being relationless *asanga+ 4rahman. the "nowledge

that alone am, all else is mithya and nothing can affect me, the

satyam.& %Sarvatmabhava& *the sense that am all+ is without pre#udice

to the "nowledge, %4rahmasatyam #aganmithya& !hereas asangatvam

*the sense that am satyam 4rahman, the world is mithya0 the mithya

world cannot affect me is paramarthi"a drshti, sarvatmabhava is a

vyavahari"a drshti0 it is a positive perspective of the all pervading aspect

of 4rahman.

?. ' question that arises in the context of sarvatmabhava is that if a #nani

can, intellectually claim all happiness to be his happiness, why doesn)t

he, intellectually, claim all sorrow to be his sorrow. he answer is that

happiness is related to a sense of poornatvam and being identified with

$atya 4rahman, the poornam *infinite+, claiming happiness is all right.

4ut sorrow is a result of a sense of limitation arising from ignorance of

brahmatvam which is caused by the avarana sa"ti of Faya. Ge is free of

the avarana sa"ti of Faya and therefore he cannot claim sorrow. *f

sorrow were to belong really to atma, you can never negate sorrow.+

4rhadaranya"a 1.


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M. $ince the #nani has disidentified with the body mind complex with

which he was born, he becomes free of the sancita "arma pertaining to

that body mind complex and there is no rebirth for the su"shma sarira

with which he was born. 'ction involves physical and mental

movement. Fovement is change in space and time. hought is also a

movement, being a modification of the mind. 4rahman being all

pervading, formless, attributeless *i.e., without any attributes+ and

changeless is not "arta *doer+ or bho"ta *en#oyer+. $ince the :nani is

identified with 4rahman, he is free from the sense of doership and

en#oyership, *i.e., free from the sense of engaging in action and

experiencing ob#ects+ *free from kartrtvamand bhoktrtvam+. 6f.

7athopanishad ./.xix - %Ge who thin"s that he is the "iller or the "illed

does not "now atma. 'tma neither "ills nor is "illed.& 'ction and

thought done or entertained with "artrtvam and bho"trtvam alone

results in the accumulation of punya and papa. $o, for the #nani, no

agami "arma accrues once he gains #nanam. 4rhadaranya"a

>panishad C.xxiv.2 - %Papa does not trouble him by producing the

desired result or generating sin, but, he, the "nower of 4rahman

consumes all papa, i.e., burns it to ashes with the fire of the reali3ation

of the $elf of all.& Gowever, as indicated by 6handogya >panishad

mantra C.xiv./ - %D.for the man of "nowledge, the delay is for so long

*as long as he does not become freed of the bodies and merges in

xistence&, the prarabdha "arma gets exhausted only by through

en#oyment, #ust as an arrow that has gathered momentum after being

shot toward a target stops only with the exhaustion of its momentum.

4ut even here, there is a difference. !hile the physical aspect cannot be

avoided, on the psychological plane, the #nani is not disturbed. f

something good happens he does not gloat. f something bad happens,

he is not depressed. Ge ta"es everything that happens on the physical


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plane as the prarabdha pertaining to the body5mind complex with which

he has already dissociated himself and therefore there is no disturbance

in his mind. he state in which :nani continues to live, disidentfied with

the body and aham"ara, is compared to the sna"e sloughing off its old

s"in.

Section 12 ( &no'ledge: The Sole 4eans of

9i*eration

9i*eration is 3ossi*le in this life itself. One /ho #s So 9i*erated, Called;ii$anmu6ta, Attains


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35/35

himself as the teacher. f he utili3es that opportunity, he becomes a

#ivanmu"ta in 4rahmaa)s world. 't the end of that 4rahmaa)s life, he also

attains videhamu"ti along with that 4rahmaa. his is called %kramamukti".

*he word, %4rahmaa& should not be confused with 4rahman. 4rahmaa is an

aspect of swara, personified as a Jod, involved in the process of creation

and dissolution+. 6alled, also, Giranyagarbha, Ge is subordinate to swara.

8rom another angle swara is the macrocosmic causal body *samashti

kaarana sariiirawhich is the same as Faya) and Giranyagarbha is the

macrocosmic subtle body *samashti sukshma sariira+ and *iraatis the

macrocosmic physical body *samashti sthoola sariira+0 in allof them

4rahma caitanyam is reflected. he types of >pasana required to be done for

going to the Giranyagarbha lo"a include upasana on 9m"ara as 4rahman

or on+iranyagarbha, upasana of swara, as swara with various

attributes, or upasana of any other deity as a representative of swara,

imagining that deity to be himself *ahamgraha upaasana+ upasana on the

five fires *pancaagni upasana+ *4rhadaranya"a >panishad sixth chapter,

second 4rahmana, upasana on Jayatri mantra * 4rhadaranya"a >panishad

fifth chapter, fourteenth 4rahmana+. 6f. 6handogya >panishad 1.;.

3. topic 2 outline of advaita vedanta

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