SHANKAR’S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF MAYA AND BRAHMA.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i1.2024.2629Keywords:
Maya, Brahma, Perspective, World, Atman, Reality, Conscious, Unconscious, Advaita, Ultimate RealityAbstract [English]
In this paper I will discuss about the Sankara’s concept of Maya and Braham according to the ninth century Advaita Hindu Philosopher Adi Sankara, Maya is an internet power of Brahman and the world is a illusory appearance, Shankar believed that Maya is the empirical reality that entangles consciousness and prevents the unveiling of the truth self, or Brahman. Maya pre-exists and co-exits with Brahman- the ultimate principal, consciousness. Maya is perceived reality one that does not reveal the hidden Principals, the truth reality. Maya is unconscious, atman is conscious. Maya is the literal Brahman is the figurative Upandana the Principle. The basic trend of Indian philosophy is to speculate on the three concepts namely the Individual soul, the World and the Lord. In a way this is also 'trika' except for the difference lying only in, the concept of the world here, instead of 'Pasa'. On these three principles only Acarya founded his theory of the Advaita. In other words, according to Acarya Brahman is eternally present, and except for some difference the individual soul is nothing but Brahman or Siva, and the world or jagat itself means 4that which goes' (gacchati iti jagat) i.e. the substratum of the transient. Naturally the world is perishable and has only temporal existence. Qualitatively the individual Soul and Brahman are alike. This is the evidence enough for the existence of Brahman i.e. the Advaita or non-duality. While founding his theory of the Advaita, Acarya modified the theory of the Ajativada i.e. non-production, as put forward by Gaudapadacarya. Gaudapadacarya denied the existence of the world by declaring that all this duality is due to Maya only, and Advaita is the ultimate reality.1 He firmly believed that the individual Soul is neither born nor produced. Gaudapadacarya was Sarikaracarya's ‘Paratpara Guru’. Govindayati was Acarya's spiritual guide, whose writings are not available today. Gaudapadacarya1 s karikas on the Mandukyopanisad are known as 'Gaudapadakarika' a tract on the doctrine of Ajativada. According to him whatever is visible is futile and is dismissed as dream by the rational thinkers.3 This detailed sketch of the background will enable us to understand how and why Acarya arrived at the theory of Advaita. The contradiction implied in Gaudapadacarya's theory that the visible world is non-existent is only apparent. Significantly enough Gaudapadacarya's use of the word 'Paramarthatah' nullifies this apparent contradiction.
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