Nirguna Brahman has Guna-s acquired from Maya alone - Srimad Bhagavatam

[V Subrahmanian]

In this chapter it is stated that Brahman really has no attributes and that the attributes are from Maya alone:

श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ५/अध्यायः १६

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/k69

भगवतो गुणमये स्थूलरूप आवेशितं मनो ह्यगुणेऽपि सूक्ष्मतम आत्मज्योतिषि परे ब्रह्मणि भगवति वासुदेवाख्ये क्षममावेशितुं तदु हैतद्गुरोऽर्हस्यनुवर्णयितुमिति ३

This mundane form, which is the gross form of the Supreme Lord, is endowed with attributes. But the subtle-most form is nirguna. It is said to be Atmajyotis, Parabrahman, Vasudeva.

Shankaracharya says in Kathopanishad Bhashya (1.3.9):

विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनःप्रग्रहवान्नरः ।

सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ९ ॥

तत् विष्णोः व्यापनशीलस्य ब्रह्मणः परमात्मनो वासुदेवाख्यस्य परमं प्रकृष्टं पदं स्थानम् , सतत्त्वमित्येतत् , यत् असावाप्नोति विद्वान् ॥

Nirguna Brahman, which transcends these qualities, is the true nature of Brahman.

Here Shankaracharya has said that the word 'Vishnu' is 'vyapanashila' (all-pervading). From this it should be understood that this is Nirguna Brahman. Even the word Vasudeva has a verse indicating the etymology as cited by Shankaracharya in the Vishnu Sahasra Nama Bhasya.

The Bhagavatam further describes that the nature of Ishwara is Maya- Guna:

ऋषिरुवाच

न वै महाराज भगवतो मायागुणविभूतेः काष्ठां मनसा वचसा ...

This sentence is about the universal form of Brahman (Vishwarupa) mentioned earlier. So here the Bhagavatam tells us that that attribute is derived from Maya.

So Brahman really has no guna-s. When the guna-s are said to exist they are derived from Maya alone and are not inherent in Brahman.

The absence of guna-s is also is derived here based on the anvaya- vyatireka nyaya (rule of co-presence and co-absence) in the Bhagavatam.

This premise is accepted only in Advaita: No inherent guna-s in Brahman but only derived from Maya for the purposes of world-creation, etc.

Om

Picture of Sage Jada Bharata devoutly besought by Kind Rahugana for Atma Jnana upadesha in the Bhagavatam.

[sreenivasa murthy]

Dear Sri Subramanian,

Chandogya Sruti says :

  

ahamEvEdagM sarvam ||7-25-1

     AtmaivEdagM sarvam || 7-25-2

Taittariya says : satyam jnanam anantaM brahma ||

Mandukya says : sarvagm hyEtad brahma ayamAtmA brahma ||

Hence the conclusion that can be drawn from the above mantra is :

aham atmA  aham  brahma.

Do you agree with the above conclusion?

So aham is ananta.

aham is here & now.

So only ananta is here and now.

Where is the place for all the things like maya, guna, avidya etc. etc.?

What Bhagavatam is saying from avidyadRuShTi.

What comes from avidyadRuShTi is nothing but mere words

which are the product of , what?

Of what use is the information so provided?

It will be much more worthwhile to limit oneself to Srutivakyas

which deal with paramartha.

Is it not so?

I know that I am an outcaste in the group.

Yet as a student of Vedanta i want to express my views fearlessly.

Your valuable opinion is requested.

With respectful namaskars,

Sreenivasa Murthy

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