2023-03-01 15:21:47 by ambuda-bot
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Avyakta (or Maya or Avidya, Akasa, &c.) and
of its emanation, the manifested world. Hence
the Sutra i. 4, 23. Hence, also, Sankara ex-
plains as follows in his bhashya on that sutra:-
'उपादानकारणं च ब्रह्माभ्युपगन्तव्यं निमित्तकारणं च" "Brah-
man is to be acknowledged as the material
cause as well as the operative cause." If these
remarks are borne in mind, we shall easily see
how egregiously Colonel Jacob errs when he
says that "the word Maya is nowhere used by
Sankara as a synonym for avidya, but is express-
ly said to be produced by it, and that in no
sense whatever does he regard it as the cause of
the world." Further on he says:-"Maya has
without doubt the sense of an illusory appea-
rance, produced and withdrawn at will; but,
where in the whole range of Vedantic literature
is there anything predicated of avidya." No
doubt this is in one sense true, -for the word
maya has also another meaning that of an
illusory appearance, as in the state of dream;
But it is also used, as already explained, as
synonymous with avidya, prakriti, avyakta, &c.
and it is in this sense that it is an emanation of
Brahman, and that Brahman is-as above ex-
Avyakta (or Maya or Avidya, Akasa, &c.) and
of its emanation, the manifested world. Hence
the Sutra i. 4, 23. Hence, also, Sankara ex-
plains as follows in his bhashya on that sutra:-
'उपादानकारणं च ब्रह्माभ्युपगन्तव्यं निमित्तकारणं च" "Brah-
man is to be acknowledged as the material
cause as well as the operative cause." If these
remarks are borne in mind, we shall easily see
how egregiously Colonel Jacob errs when he
says that "the word Maya is nowhere used by
Sankara as a synonym for avidya, but is express-
ly said to be produced by it, and that in no
sense whatever does he regard it as the cause of
the world." Further on he says:-"Maya has
without doubt the sense of an illusory appea-
rance, produced and withdrawn at will; but,
where in the whole range of Vedantic literature
is there anything predicated of avidya." No
doubt this is in one sense true, -for the word
maya has also another meaning that of an
illusory appearance, as in the state of dream;
But it is also used, as already explained, as
synonymous with avidya, prakriti, avyakta, &c.
and it is in this sense that it is an emanation of
Brahman, and that Brahman is-as above ex-