ATMABODHA | VERSE 08 | SRI ADI SANKARACARYA upAdAne akhilAdhAre jaganti paramEshvarE sargasthitilayAnyAnti budbudAnIva vAriNi Pada Artha: english Upaadaane: which is the material cause Akhila Aadhaare: which is the support of everything Jaganti: the worlds Parameshware: in the supreme Self Sarga-Stithi-Layam – projecting, existing and dissolving Yaanti: pass away Budh budhaani: bubbles Iva: like Vaaraani: in the waters Like bubbles in the water, the worlds rise, exist and dissolve in the Supreme Self, which is the material cause and the support of everything. Till now we learnt the illusory nature of the world through various examples such as silver in pearl, dream etc. Sri Sri Sankara in this sloka is further explaining the impermanence of the world by another beautiful example. Just as the bubble that emerges out of water, burst and fall back in water, all the creations originate, sustain and merge back in Brahman. All the creations are but an illusion and Brahman is the substratum of everything perceived. The world seen cannot be easily negated for a seeker and hence Sri Sri Shankara is here explaining that this world though perceived, is impermanent just like the bubble of water. Though there is no creation ever happening, to explain the illusory world Sri Sri Shankara is explaining through this example that just as the bubbles, the worlds emerge, survive and dissolve back in Brahman. And that Brahman is the cause of everything. We can note here that “Sarga” means projection, i.e. there is no real creation happening at any time. The non dual Self can never undergo any modifications and hence this world of multiplicity has to be an illusion on Brahman only just like the bubbles projected from water. Bubbles are not different from water nor do they have any separate existence, so are the creations perceived by an ignorant person. Nothing new is ever created by anyone and all the changes of all names, forms, all that is creation, are nothing but Brahman alone, just as the bubbles of water are but water alone, all names and forms though different and multiple are Brahman alone. All the duality thus has to be known only as an illusion. And any illusion needs a substratum and that is Brahman. Also through this example, we also learn that Brahman is not only the efficient cause {Abhinna Karana} but the material cause {Upadana Karana} also. The support and material cause of all creation is thus the Self only.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 01:36:35 +0000
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