Indian Antiquary Vol 53

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 85

APRIL 1924]
BHARTR-PRAPANCA : AN OLD VEDANTIN
79
and its coils, hood, etc.,' or the sun and its rays' alluded to in the Vedanta-sútras.13 This relation may however exist, as indicated by these very illustrations, between several types of things. Four such aro mentioned in the works we are now considering:14
1. Karana and karya : i.c., the material cause and the effect, as for example, chay' and 'pot.' The apara.brahman with all its rariety springs into being from the parn and eventually returns to it, so that the two are neither altogether distinct, nor quite the same.
2. Amsthavat and avasthah : i.e., Substance and its modes: as for example, the unagitated and the agitated ocean. The apara.brahman would accordingly represent a heterogeneous transformation of the homogeneous para-brahman. The difference between this and the previons vicw is to be explained by the well-known difference between the conceptions of creation' and 'ovolution.'
3. Améin and amsa : i.e., whole and part, as for example a 'tree' and its 'branches,' leaves,' etc. The para-brahman would thus be the whole of which the parts are to be found in the variety constituting the apara-brahman.
4. Samanya and visesa : i.e., the universal and the corresponding particulars, as for instance cow-ness and the several individual cows.' According to this view, the parabrahman would be the basic or inmost principle revealing itself in all existent things-the particulars ;16 and the apara-brahman, these existent things themselves.
It is difficult to determine which of these views B. specifically had in his mind when he formulated the relation of 'bhedabheda between the para and the apara-brahmans. To judge from what Sankara says in his commentary on the Br. Up.16 it would seem that these views were maintained by different thinkers. But according to Ananda-jñâna's more explicit statement in his gloss on the Vartika, 17 all the four views were acceptable to B. Whichever of these statements may represent the actual fact, the view most commonly associated with B. is (2) viz., that of avasthah and avasthåvat and he seems to have reduced the variety of the universe into eight avasthås or modes of Brahman, viz., (1) antaryamin, (2) sdksin, (3) avydkyta, (4) sütna, (5) viraj, (6) devata, (7) játy and (8) pinda.18 We shall say a few words about each of these following B., except in one or two cases where, as it is not possible to get at his views definitely, we have to be content with the statement of the general Upanisadic position.
1.1. Antaryamin : This is the spiritual principle controlling everything from within as described in Br. Up., III, vii, and is also sometimes termed Isvara on that account.19 It is
19 III, ii, 27-8. The relation considered here is between Brahman and the jiva. In B.'s doctrine, it holds not only between these two but, also between Brahman and the physical universe. See Sankara on Br. Up., V, 1, 1 (p. 731).
14 Soo e.g., Vartika, pp. 623-4, st. 948-50, and Tika on st. 952. The Parica.pddik. Vivarana mentions five types of things instead of four (p. 259).
16 According to Vårtika, p. 573, st. 695, and p. 625, st. 954, these particulars would include not only tho individuals (antya-videsas) but also what the Vaidesika would describe as apara-sdmdnyas, so that the whole is not a mere mass of unrelated particulars but an ordered system.
16 III, viii, 12 (p. 492). Sankara does not mention here all the four views but, according to the commentary, they are all meant. More than one form of the bhedabheda doctrine is known to Indian Philosophy. Compare, e.g., Sruta.prakddikd on Ramanuja's commentary on the Vedanta-8tras, 1, 1, 4 Acid. brahmagorbhedabhedah adbhdvika iti Bhaalara Yadavayorapyabhimatam Oidbrahmanostus bhedabhedau Budbhdvildviti Yadava-mata-vydu yttyarthamdha latreti
17 Tikd on Vartika (p. 624), st. 949-950 : lawaoidityubhayatra tadiya-grantha-defolatin. 18 See e.g., Tiled on Vártika, (p. 643), st. 1043. 19 OJ. Vartika, p. 532, st. 487.