[Advaita-l] What is Krishna's 'tattva'?

V Subrahmanian v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
Sat Nov 18 21:33:35 EST 2017


Copying a post from the Advaitin forum:

Venkatraghavan S
Today at 1:58 AM
Thank you for the enlightening post Subbuji. The first part reminded me of
Mahaperiyava's Chandrashekharendra Sarasvati Svamigal's commentary on this
Bhagavad Gita sloka 18.55, in his own voice: (in Tamil)
https://youtu.be/3JiyzcJMB4Q

Regards,
Venkatraghavan


On Sun, Nov 19, 2017 at 12:22 AM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> The word 'tattva' means: tasya bhāvaḥ tattvam. The true nature of a thing
> is called tattvam.
>
> Shankara says BSB 1.1.21:
>
> कथमेतदवगम्यते ? ‘येनाक्षरं पुरुषं वेद सत्यं प्रोवाच तां तत्त्वतो ब्रह्मविद्याम्’
> (मु. उ. १ । २ । १३)
> <http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Mundaka?page=1&id=MD_C01_S02_V13&hl=%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D> इति
> प्रकृतस्यैवाक्षरस्य भूतयोनेरदृश्यत्वादिगुणकस्य वक्तव्यत्वेन
> प्रतिज्ञातत्वात् ।
>
> Here the word 'tattva' of the Mundakopanishat is given the meaning: That
> Source of the Beings that cannot be seen with the eye, etc.
>
> We have in the Bh.Gītā the Lord saying:
>
> भक्त्या मामभिजानाति
> यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः ।
> ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा
> विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥ ५५ ॥
>
> He who knows Me as the Vishvarupa and also As I am actually in truth,
> thus having known Me actually, he becomes one with Me immediately.
>
> Shankara says: भक्त्या माम् अभिजानाति यावान् अहम् उपाधिकृतविस्तरभेदः,
> यश्च अहम् अस्मि विध्वस्तसर्वोपाधिभेदः उत्तमः पुरुषः आकाशकल्पः, तं माम्
> अद्वैतं चैतन्यमात्रैकरसम् अजरम् अभयम् अनिधनं तत्त्वतः अभिजानाति । ततः माम्
> एवं तत्त्वतः ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरं मामेव ज्ञानानन्तरम् । नात्र
> ज्ञानप्रवेशक्रिये भिन्ने विवक्षिते ‘ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम्’ इति । किं
> तर्हि ? फलान्तराभावात् ज्ञानमात्रमेव, ‘क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि’ (भ.
> गी. १३ । २)
> <http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Gita?page=13&id=BG_C13_V02&hl=%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BF> इति
> उक्तत्वात् ॥
>
> Shankara gives the Tattva of Bhagavān: By devotion one knows Me with the
> upādhi-created expansive form (Vishvarūpa), and 'As I am' free of all
> upādhis, the Supreme Purusha, Brahman, just like ether, Advaitam, without
> any kind of second, Pure Consciousness, free of old age, fear, death, thus
> knowing Me 'tattvataḥ', As I Am in truth...Having secured the right
> knowledge of Me, he 'enters' Me. Shankara raises a question, with a teaser:
> Is this 'entering' the Lord mean anything like: After knowing, one enters
> later?'. No. Then what does the Lord say: By using the word 'viśate
> tadanantaram', 'enters immediately upon knowing'. There is no fruit other
> than knowing, as the Lord has said in the 13.2: Know Me as the Kshetrajna
> as well.'
>
> Shankara is reiterating the Vedānta siddhānta: there is no two-step
> procedure here: first know and then enter. It is jnanamātrāt mokṣa. He has
> said this elaborately in the BSB 1.1.1.4, samanvaya sutra bhashya. This is
> an aside.
>
>
>


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