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VIVEKACŪDAMAŅI
are different, as ajñāna etc. being beginningless, there is no cause and effect relation between Brahman and ajñāna and according to the Advaitin the effect alone is the same as the cause. But by the rule that aropita is non-different from the adhisthāna, this doubt is dispelled.36
234 Having negated the reality of the world on the basis of śruti, it is further negated on the basis of accordant reasoning.
सत्यं यदि स्याज्जगदेतदात्मनो__ऽनन्तत्वहानिनिगमाप्रमाणता । असत्यवादित्वमपोशितुः स्यात्
नैतत्त्रयं साधु हितं महात्मनाम् ॥२३४ ॥ satyam yadi syājjagadetadātmano'
nantatvahānirnigamāpramāṇatā asatyavāditvam apīšituḥ syāt
naitattrayam sādhu hitam mahātmanām 11.
If this world were real, the infinitude of the atman will be affected; the Vedas will be rendered unauthoritative; Isvara will be proclaimed a speaker of untruth. These three are neither good nor desirable to the great.
If this visible world is real and not imagined, then the infinitude of the ātman will be impaired. For, the ātman is devoid of limitation by another object (It is vastupariccheda-śunya). If the world is not imagined, but real, then the ātman will be delimited (by the world) and will not be unlimited or infinite
If it is contended: 'Well, let the infinitude of the ātman go, the Veda will become invalid. The Veda says: satyam jñānam anatam brahma (Taitt.): "Brahman is existence, intelligence and infinitude". What it conveys will be negated.
If it is said: 'Let this happen; this is not unwelcome', then God who is supremely dear, who is omniscient, will be associated with speaking what is not true.37
If it is further said: 'Let that happen', this will not be acceptable to the mahatmās, the ästikas. The mahātmas are those who, by virtue of their knowledge of śruti and instruction by a guru, have
36 Jiva, isa, visuddhā cit, the distinction between jiva and iša, avidya and its connection with cit are beginningless. Jivah, išah, višuddha cit tatha jiveśayorbhidā avidyā taccitoryogaḥ sadasmakam anadayah 11
37 For the Vedas are said to be the very breath of God. He is said to have declared them at the beginning of each kalpa.
