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Re: Prakruti Body ?

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • August 31, 1998 


A member of Bhakthi group had asked me to
comment on a central doctrine of 
Sri VisishtAdvaitham .There were two Questions .
I thought some of you might be intersted 
in these information points .

V.Sadagopan 
  
>Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 20:52:59
>From: Sadagopan 
>Subject: Re: Prakruti Body ?
>
:
>
Response to Question 1 by a BhakthA :(AdiyEn)
>
>This doctrine of the Universe being 
>the body of the Brahamn is central to 
>VisishtAdvaitham . Universe consists of 
>Chith ( Jeevans ) and Achith ( insentient
>prakruthi). When ChaandhOgya Upanishad 
>declares : Sarvam kalvidham Brahman ( all 
>this Brahman) , it is related to the earlier 
>sruthi vAkhyam (Rg Vedam , the oldest Vedam ),
>in Purusha Sooktham : purusha yEvatham SARVAM .. 
>
>Dr.Chari quotes VishNu purANam in support of 
>the same view :jyothImshi VishNur , BhuvanAni VishNur ,
>VanAni VishNur girayo disAsccha ; nadhya: samudrasccha 
>SA YEVA SARVAM .
>
>Our  theology accepts that the entire universe 
>is pervaded by VishNu ( Sarvam VishNu mayam 
>Jagadhth) .The Universe ( Chethanams and Achethanams ) 
>is as real and eternal as Brahman ( Isvaraa) and that
>Universe is the SarIrA (Body) of  BhagavAn,
>Sriman NaarayaNan .Therefore , the statement 
>that this Universe is VishNu mayam recognizes 
>Him as a VyApaka Brahmam , Sriman NaaraayaNaa ,
>who pervades the entire Universe , which becomes 
>His body or SarIram . 
>
Response to Question 2 (By AdiyEn):
 
BhagavAn's Body as Suddha sathvam and 
>therefore how can it be part of Universe , which is 
>not Suddha Sathvam ?
>
>Suddha sathvam is the most important concept 
>for VisishtAdvaithins and is a complex one 
>to understand. This concept is rather difficult 
>to explain in a brief note . I wonder whether you 
>have a copy of Dr.S.M.SrinivAsAchAri's book on
>VaishNavism. He explains beautifully the
>interelated concepts of Universe being the Body 
>of Brahman and the Lord of Parama Padham 
>having Suddha Sathvam body and yet having
>the Jata Prakruthi as His body undergoing 
>changes due to admixtures of the thriguNams
>because of His sankalpam or IcchA . 
>
>That sankalpam or IcchA is of two kinds:
>Nithya Sankalpam , the will to make some entities of 
>His body etrnal ( like the Jivans) and 
>the anithya Sankalpam , which 
>permits the creation of certain things endure for
>limited periods .This is applicable to Vibhava 
>mUrthys ,  who have existence until their 
>avathAra Kaimkaryam is completed and then 
>they return to the para VasudEvA form made
>up of Suddha Satthvam .The Vibhava mUrthys 
>are made up of Suddha Sattvam .
>
>Same is true for Nithya SUris like Jaya and Vijaya , 
>who have taken a descent due to Para Vaasudevan's 
>sankalpam .The Universe existing in avyakthA form inside 
>the Lord during PraLayam is made manifest ( Vyaktham )
>by BhagavAn's Sankalpam and gets name and form 
>after creation .They return to Him at the time of
>PraLayam as a part of His body .The Nithya Vibhuthi 
>does not undergo any change like Prakruthi and 
>stays without VikAram ( change).AprAkrutha in 
>this context refers to non-material (spiritual) 
>made up of Pure Or Suddha Sattvam .PrAkruthi 
>objects are made up of five elements (pancha BhUthA ) 
>in His leela Vibuthi or His stage for play .
>
>Our Lord in Sri Vaikuntam is therefore saluted as
>Ubhaya VibhUthi Naathan ( the master of both kinds
>of Isvaryam : mundane and supra-mundane worlds ). 
>A consecrated metallic Vigraham worshipped in
>the Divya Desams becomes under this context 
>an AprAkrutha Vigraham , a suddha sattvA 
>entity appropriate for Worship by us .
>
>In describing the important concept of 
>Suddha Satthvam , One is touching upon the central
>doctrine of VisishtAdvaitham , which forms the basis 
>of the philosophical and theological infrastructure. 
>  
>Additional elaborations on Suddha satthvam Concept
>***************************************************
>We refer often to three GunAs ( SatthvA ,
>Rajas and Tamas ). That Sattva has nothing 
>to do with Suddha satthvam associated intimately
>with BhagavAn and His Nithya VibhUthi , Sri Vaikuntam .
>The Physical Universe and the material substance ( Jata
>Prakruthi)associated with it is known as LeelA VibhUthi 
>( divine wealth for the Lord's leelAs ).
> 
>The trascendental spiritual Universe existing
>outside the above definition is called Nithya 
>VibUthi full of Suddha Sattvam without
>admixture of the three guNAs . Prakruthi is
>made up of the different proportuions of
>the three guNAs .The existence of Nithya 
>VibUthi has many Sruthi PraMANams . This 
>nihtya vibhUthi constituted by Suddha Satthvam 
>is self-luminous (Svayam JyOthi) as opposed 
>to Prakruthi .Isvara and Jivan are self luminous 
>in contrast to Prakruthi .
>
>Hope this helps some what .I will not be surprised
>if additional questions arise due to the complexity of
>the concepts covered in many works of our AchAryAs .
>I strongly recommend the acquisition of the book
>by Dr.Chari for a clearer understanding of these 
>difficult concepts , if you are interested in the 
>deeper metaphysical concepts.For the enjoyment of
>ParamaathmA , we do not need to worry about these
>subtle and difficult concepts. 
>
>V.Sadagopan   
>At 08:27 AM 8/26/98 PDT, you wrote:
>>
>>>Dear Sriman V.Sadagopan
>>
>>>In the KumKum artilce , you write Our body is formed
>>>of Prakrithi , which forms also the body of the Lord in 
>>>Sri VisishtAdvaitha SiddhAntham .>How is this so ? 
>>> I thought the Lord is body is formed of
>>Suddha Sathva only.
>>
>>Please clarify.
>>