Main Advaita doctrinal points in the Brahmapurana - Wave - ocean analogy

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V Subrahmanian

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Apr 4, 2023, 12:41:32 PM4/4/23
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ब्रह्मपुराणम्/अध्यायः २४३
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आनुलोम्येन जायन्ते लीयन्ते प्रतिलोमतः।
गुणा गुणेषु सततं सागरस्योर्मयो यथा।। २४३.७२ ।।

The order of creation is revered in dissolution. Waves rise and fall in the ocean.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.1.3 says:

स यथा सर्वासामपां समुद्र एकायनमेवं

Just the sea is the source of all water forms...

Shankaracharya's commentary for the above:  

जलबुद्बुदफेनादीनामिव सलिलव्यतिरेकेणाभावः, एवं प्रज्ञानव्यतिरेकेण तत्कार्याणां नामरूपकर्मणां तस्मिन्नेव लीयमानानामभावः ; तस्मात् एकमेव ब्रह्म प्रज्ञानघनम् एकरसं प्रतिपत्तव्यमित्यत आह ।

Water-forms such as bubbles and foam are not different from water - they are products of water and become one with water when they give up their forms. Thus one has to realize the secondless Brahman that is Pure Consciousness. "

सर्गप्रलय एतावान्प्रकृतेर्नृपसत्तम।
एकत्वं प्रलये चास्य बहुत्वं च तथा सृजि।। २४३.७३ ।।

Unity in dissolution and Diversity in Creation. This means that diversity is not real.

एवमेव च राजेन्द्र विज्ञेयं ज्ञानकोविदैः।
अधिष्ठातारमव्यक्तमस्याप्येतन्निदर्शनम्।। २४३.७४ ।।

Those who seek knowledge should know the Truth in this way.

एकत्वं च बहुत्वं च प्रकृतेरनुतत्त्ववान्।
एक्तंव प्रलये चास्य बहुत्वं च प्रवर्तनात्।। २४३.७५ ।।
पञ्चविंशत्प्रबुद्धात्मा बुध्यमान इति श्रुतः ।
यदा बुध्यति आत्मानं तदा भवति केवलः ॥ २४३.८४॥

When one knows the Self, one stands in the state of being non-dual Brahman - Kevalam.

सम्यग्दर्शनमेतावद्भाषितं तव तत्त्वतः ।
एवमेतद्विजानन्तः साम्यतां प्रतियान्त्युत ॥ २४३.८५॥

This is what is said to be Samyagdarshana, right awareness. By knowing this, he will attain a 'sameness'.

This 'sameness' is stated in the well-known verses 3.1.1 - 3 in the Mundakopanishad passage 'dvaa suparnaa' (the analogy of two birds).

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते ।
तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्ति अनश्नन्नन्योऽभिचाकशीति ॥ १ ॥
समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नोऽनीशया शोचति मुह्यमानः ।
जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्यन्यमीशमस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः ॥ २ ॥
यदा पश्यः पश्यते रुक्मवर्णं कर्तारमीशं पुरुषं ब्रह्मयोनिम् ।
तदा विद्वान्पुण्यपापे विधूय निरञ्जनः परमं साम्यमुपैति ॥ ३ ॥

Here the jiva-atman, owing to ignorance, knows itself as paricchinna samsari, a finite bound entity, then gradually realizes that its true nature is non-different from the Supreme, and becomes liberated.

Here the Upanishad says 'Paramam Saamyam'. Thus the Advaitic non-dual state that is liberation that is meant by the terms 'kevala' and 'saamyataa' in the Brahmapuranam.

Om

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