Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)
by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words
This page relates 鈥楳ultiplicity and Atomicity鈥� of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.
1.5. Multiplicity and Atomicity
The self鈥檚 individuality is mentioned here. It is noteworthy that all 箩墨惫补蝉 are ontologically the same, but they are not one entity.
The 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 declares its multiplicity:
鈥淚n addition, when all of those 产谤补丑尘腻苍诲蝉 are destroyed, all other 箩墨惫补蝉 lie dormant within 尘腻测腻, whereas the devotees of Parabrahman attain the abode of Parabrahman.鈥�(痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 Gadhad膩 I/12)
Sv膩min膩r膩ya峁嘺 also refers to this fact in many 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补s (痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 Vart膩l 6, Gadh. 3/10, and Gadh. 3/39). In the same way, the multiplicity of 箩墨惫补蝉 and 墨艣惫补谤补蝉 is described by the 叠丑腻峁补办腻谤补 as well.
In his commentary of Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁诲, he elucidates:
鈥�nityo nityan膩峁� cetana艣ca cetan膩n膩m iti bahuvacanena bahutvakhy膩pan膩jj墨ve艣var膩峁嚹佱箖 辫补谤补蝉辫补谤补峁� ca svar奴pabheda岣� 辫谤补蝉迟丑补辫颈迟补岣�鈥� (Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 5/13, p.155).
At many places, the scriptures use plural nouns and pronouns:
鈥淗e (A办峁谤补brahman) is the one eternal self among many eternal selves鈥�..(Svet膩艣vatara-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 6/13)
鈥淭hat from which these beings are born...鈥� (Taittiriya-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 3/1/1)
鈥淔rom that, all these beings are born...鈥� (Pra艣na-耻辫补苍颈峁诲 1/14)
鈥�... Whereas all beings are 办峁谤补.鈥� (叠丑补驳补惫补诲-骋墨迟腻 15/16)