Line 198: |
Line 198: |
| *माया ॥ Maya (Illusion), Shakti, Power, the Will, of Ishvara. | | *माया ॥ Maya (Illusion), Shakti, Power, the Will, of Ishvara. |
| *जीवः ॥ Jiva (Embodiment of Atman in an [[Upadhi (उपाधिः)|Upadhi]]), The Many, arising from Mulaprkriti. | | *जीवः ॥ Jiva (Embodiment of Atman in an [[Upadhi (उपाधिः)|Upadhi]]), The Many, arising from Mulaprkriti. |
− | *सर्गः ॥ Sarga (Origin of Srshti (सृष्टिः)<ref name=":022" /> | + | *सर्गः ॥ Sarga (Origin) of Srshti (सृष्टिः)<ref name=":022" /> |
| *ज्ञानम् ॥ Jnana (Knowledge) | | *ज्ञानम् ॥ Jnana (Knowledge) |
| *अविद्या ॥ Avidya (Ignorance) | | *अविद्या ॥ Avidya (Ignorance) |
Line 214: |
Line 214: |
| One which is described as without a second, is Infinite, Absolute, eternal is called as तत् । THAT, without attributes, gunas, beyond name and form, and cannot be explained by any similies or worldly descriptions is the Nirguna Brahman. | | One which is described as without a second, is Infinite, Absolute, eternal is called as तत् । THAT, without attributes, gunas, beyond name and form, and cannot be explained by any similies or worldly descriptions is the Nirguna Brahman. |
| | | |
− | Chandogya Upanishad clearly expounds the Nirguna Brahmatattva through the Mahavakyas such as<blockquote>एकमेवाद्वितीयम्। One only, without a second. (Chand. Upan. 6.2.1)<ref>Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AC Adhyaya 6])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म । All this is verily Brahman. (Chand. Upan. 3.14.1)<ref>Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 3])</ref></blockquote>Shevatasvatara Upanishad <blockquote>यदाऽतमस्तन्न दिवा न रात्रिर्न सन्नचासच्छिव एव केवलः ।... ॥ १८ ॥ (Shvet. Upan. 4.18)<ref>Shvetashvatara Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 4])</ref></blockquote>When there was mere tamas, and neither day nor the night, neither the universe (having a form) or without a form, there existed that pure auspicious principle alone signifying the One Principle.<ref name=":03" /> | + | Chandogya Upanishad clearly expounds the Nirguna Brahmatattva through the Mahavakyas such as<blockquote>एकमेवाद्वितीयम्। One only, without a second. (Chand. Upan. 6.2.1)<ref name=":3">Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AC Adhyaya 6])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म । All this is verily Brahman. (Chand. Upan. 3.14.1)<ref>Chandogya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 3])</ref></blockquote>Shevatasvatara Upanishad <blockquote>यदाऽतमस्तन्न दिवा न रात्रिर्न सन्नचासच्छिव एव केवलः ।... ॥ १८ ॥ (Shvet. Upan. 4.18)<ref name=":5">Shvetashvatara Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 4])</ref></blockquote>When there was mere tamas, and neither day nor the night, neither the universe (having a form) or without a form, there existed that pure auspicious principle alone signifying the One Principle.<ref name=":03" /> |
| | | |
| These common and well known examples amply illustrate the concept of Nirguna or formless Brahman. | | These common and well known examples amply illustrate the concept of Nirguna or formless Brahman. |
Line 254: |
Line 254: |
| While though inseparable from the Paramatma, when turned towards Him, she is called Vidya or Mahavidya, the Supreme Knowledge which leads a Jiva to Him (moksha). When turned away from Him, toward the worldly aspects, she is called Avidya or Mahamaya, the Great Illusion (the lack of true knowledge) which permeates in the Mulaprakrti and remains inseparable from it.<ref name=":022" /> | | While though inseparable from the Paramatma, when turned towards Him, she is called Vidya or Mahavidya, the Supreme Knowledge which leads a Jiva to Him (moksha). When turned away from Him, toward the worldly aspects, she is called Avidya or Mahamaya, the Great Illusion (the lack of true knowledge) which permeates in the Mulaprakrti and remains inseparable from it.<ref name=":022" /> |
| | | |
− | This Mulaprakrti or Prakrti | + | This Mulaprakrti or Prakrti (Shakti) and Maya are often interchanged and thus used synonymously. Devi Bhagavata describes the matter side of Nature which is regarded as Maya. The Upanishads describe the visible universe, and the human experience, as an interplay of Purusha (the eternal, unchanging principles, consciousness) and Prakrti. Ishvara by his Maya, creates, preserves and destroys the innumerable world systems that form the ocean of Samsara. Chandogya Upanishad explains the plurality feature as follows <blockquote>तदैक्षत बहु स्यां प्रजायेयेति तत्तेजोऽसृजत । तत्तेज ऐक्षत बहु स्यां प्रजायेयेति तदपोऽसृजत । (Chan. Upan. 6.2.3)<ref name=":3" /></blockquote>The siddhanta about Maya is mentioned as follows in the Upanishads. |
| | | |
− | The Upanishads describe the visible universe, and the human experience, as an interplay of Purusha (the eternal, unchanging principles, consciousness) and Prakrti. The Upanishads refer to the knowledge of ''Atman'' as "true knowledge" (''Vidya''), and the knowledge of ''Maya'' as "not true knowledge" (''Avidya'', Nescience, lack of awareness, lack of true knowledge).
| + | Shvetasvatara Upanishad says<blockquote>क्षरं प्रधानममृताक्षरं हरः क्षरात्मानावीशते देव एकः । तस्याभिध्यानाद्योजनात्तत्त्वभावाद्भूयश्चान्ते विश्वमायानिवृत्तिः ॥ १० ॥ (Shvet. Upan. 1.10)</blockquote><blockquote>छन्दांसि यज्ञाः क्रतवो व्रतानि भूतं भव्यं यच्च वेदा वदन्ति । अस्मान्मायी सृजते विश्वमेतत्तस्मिंश्चान्यो मायया सन्निरुद्धः ॥ ९ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान्मायिनं च महेश्वरम् । तस्यवयवभूतैस्तु व्याप्तं सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥ १० ॥ (Shvet. Upan. 4.9-10)<ref name=":5" /></blockquote>Brhdaranyaka Upanishad says<blockquote>इदं वै तन्मधु दध्यङ्ङाथर्वणोऽश्विभ्यामुवाच । तदेतदृषिः पश्यन्नवोचत् । रूपरूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव तदस्य रूपं प्रतिचक्षणाय । इन्द्रो मायाभिः पुरुरूप ईयते युक्ता ह्यस्य हरयः शता दशेतिय् अयं वै हरयो ऽयं वै दश च सहस्रणि बहूनि चानन्तानि च । तदेतद्ब्रह्मापूर्वमनपरमनन्तरमबाह्यम् अयमात्मा ब्रह्म सर्वानुभूरित्यनुशासनम् ॥ १९ ॥ (Brhd. Upan. 2.5.19)<ref>Brhdaranyaka Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D_2p Adhyaya 2])</ref></blockquote>Darshanas particularly the Vedanta darshana of Sri Adi Shankaracharya highlights this Maya as the cause of bondage to samsara and that Brahman alone is real and all else is unreal.<ref name=":022" /> |
| + | |
| + | ==== सर्गः ॥ Sarga ==== |
| + | The classic concept of origin (synonymous with procession from or production of, the evolving of, the sending forth) of the |
| | | |
− | In the Upanishads, Māyā is the perceived changing reality and it co-exists with Brahman which is the hidden true reality.<sup>[71][72]</sup> ''Maya'', or "illusion", is an important idea in the Upanishads, because the texts assert that in the human pursuit of blissful and liberating Self-knowledge, it is ''Maya'' which obscures, confuses and distracts an individual.
| |
| ===उपनिषद्वैशिष्ट्यम् ॥ Vaisishtyam === | | ===उपनिषद्वैशिष्ट्यम् ॥ Vaisishtyam === |
| Although all Upanishads proclaim that the goal of human life, embroiled in the flow of samsara, is to attain Jnana that leads to Moksha, the ultimate paramapurushartha, each of the upanishads have their own special features about their siddhantas as follows <ref name=":22" /> | | Although all Upanishads proclaim that the goal of human life, embroiled in the flow of samsara, is to attain Jnana that leads to Moksha, the ultimate paramapurushartha, each of the upanishads have their own special features about their siddhantas as follows <ref name=":22" /> |