[Advaita-l] PARAMARTHIKA AND VYAVAHARIKA SATYAM

Varadaraja Sharma rishyasrunga at rediffmail.com
Thu Feb 18 04:35:33 CST 2010


Radhe Krishna

Shriman Subrahmanian, Radhe Krishna, PranAmaH

I am a learner and from that perspective I have been reading with interest the postings on drushti and satya; paramartika satyam and vyavaharika satyam.  I am still perplexed and could not comprehend “vyavaharika satyam and pratibasika satyam” and have following doubts.

1.	Does the word “Satyam” wherever occurs in “Shruti” mean “permanent truth”? 
2.	The preamble to Advaita says “Brahma satyam; Jagat Mithya”. Further, from your posting on “Paramarthika satyam and Vyavaharika satyam”, I  understood, that the perception of mirage – water gets “corrected” in “Vyavahara” itself and even “empirical truth” in “vyavaharika jagat” gets “corrected” on attaining “Brahma Jnyana”.  Whether it is “Pratibasikam” or “Vyavaharikam”, when as to what is perceived is “incorrect” which requires “correction”, then why the “incorrect” perception is termed as “satyam”?
3.	About the terms, “rutam” and “satyam”.  I have noticed these two terms together like in the following verses :
a)	“rutagum satyam param brahma purusham krushna pingalam”
b)	“rutancha svadhyaya pravachanecha”; “satyancha svadhyaya pravachanecha”
c)	“rutancha satyanchabidha tapasodyajayata”

Are these two terms synonymous or there is any difference or gradation?


Radhe Krishna



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