Search:
Bhakti List Archives

RE: 'Akshara' etc. in the BhG

From the Bhakti List Archives

Martin Gansten • April 4, 2002 


Dear Krishna,

>It is surprising to find that the 15.16's axara purusha is made out to be
the Jiva,
>when the Uttama purusha himself states in no uncertain terms that 'ksharaH
>sarvANi bhUtAni'. It is not possible to make this phrase 'sarvANi bhUtAni'
out
>to the material/matter of this world, for, in many other instances in the
Gita itself,
>this phrase is used to denote sentient beings 

As you yourself point out, 'similarity of adjectives does not prove much'.
The fundamental meaning of 'bhuta' is that which has come into being or
been created; and this may refer to sentient as well as insentient
entities. The BhG in at least one place (7.6) defines 'bhuta' as a
combination of the two (etadyonini bhutani...). In 15.16-18, the word is
certainly used to denote either 'creatures' in the empirical sense (i.e.,
bodies) or material elements (mahabhuta), as it would go absolutely against
the grain of the text -- and, indeed, of all vedantic texts -- to describe
the self as destructible (kshara). Matter, as you rightly point out, is not
really destructible either; but it forms are, in contrast to the self.

On the other hand, while a single adjective may be used to refer to
different entities, a long list of identical or near-identical attributes
narrows the scope considerably. 'The dark one' may refer to any number of
persons; 'the dark, four-armed, yellow-robed, discus-holding,
serpent-resting one' not so... The epithets in 2.24-25 and 12.3 are surely
too similar to leave an unprejudiced mind in doubt of their common
referent. To describe the self as akshara, and as the object of meditation,
is more in keeping with the tenor of the BhG than reading references to Sri
and her worship into the text (where they are never mentioned).

Ramanuja Dasa,
MG





--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/