One Brahman Appears as the Trimurti-s through Maya (Ignorance) - Srimad Bhagavatam

[V Subrahmanian]

The One Brahman Appears as the Trimurti-s through Maya (Ignorance) - Srimad Bhagavatam

In this chapter there is a hymn by Brahma, Rudra and other deva-s before the birth of Lord Krishna. Here, first is described the world of bondage with a tree metaphor and then this statement is made:

श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः १०/पूर्वार्धः/अध्यायः २

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त्वमेक एवास्य सतः प्रसूतिस्त्वं सन्निधानं त्वमनुग्रहश्च।

त्वन्मायया संवृतचेतसस्त्वां पश्यन्ति नाना न विपश्चितो ये २८।

You alone are the Lord of creation, sustenance and resolution of this world. (Even so) they see you as different from you due to their delusional (ignorant) mind. But the wise do not see You that way.

In Sridhara Swamy's commentary to this verse (see image below), considering the context, he says that the ignorant see You as the Trimurti-s. Because here the functions of the creation, etc of the world are clearly stated.

It is clear from the words of this Bhagavata verse that it is ignorance to know the Trimurti-s as distinct persons. In the Bhagavata, Bhagavan himself has criticized this vision of difference in the Daksha yagna episode and praised the vision of non-difference.

Similarly, here also the Trimurti bheda is defined as the vision of the ignorant and Abheda as the vision of the Jnani.

This premise holds good only in Advaita. For others, this premise is counterproductive. That is why others are bound to struggle with its interpretation.

Incidentally here one can easily see the non-difference of the concept of Maya and Avidya: The shloka says 'by Your Maya deluded minds see difference and those undeluded do not see the difference. The phrase 'Your Maya' is significant. Bhagavan/Ishwara's Maya is here stated to be producing ignorance/delusion. So, Maya-avidya identity is clearly hinted here.

Om