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Concept of a personal God is seen in all regions in one form or other. Common people generally maintain belief in the supernatural powers of the same. He/She is considered as destroyer of all sufferings and the protector of the world. Often it is believed that this God accepts the prayers and satisfies the wants of the devotees. Religious systems always tried to explain the existence of everything in connection with these divine entities according to their speculations. The non dual spiritual philosophies also have to address this qualified God to exist within the society. As compared with the 狈颈谤驳耻峁嘺 Brahman God or 莫艣惫补谤补 is called as 厂补驳耻峁嘺 Brahman, i.e. qualified Brahman with the qualities like cause of creation, existence and dissolution or destruction. Both 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Advaita 痴别诲腻苍迟补 maintain some concept of these Gods.

1. Qualified God in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻

In 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 besides 艢颈惫补, the Supreme Being, there are some divine beings, which are the manifestations of 艢颈惫补 Himself, seen described in the texts. They are 艢补办迟颈, Sada艣iva, 莫艣惫补谤补 and 艢耻诲诲丑补惫颈诲测腻. These are representing the various powers of 艢颈惫补 and included in the 艢耻诲诲丑腻诲丑惫补, where there is no impurity caused by 惭腻测腻. These divine beings are also called in the names like Mantramahe艣vara, Mantre艣vara and Mantra according to their experience level. 莫艣惫补谤补, the fourth category, is said as the creator of the outer world.^[1]

Uptala and Abhinavagupta have mentioned the names of some Gods from the pantheon of Hindu mythology like Rudra, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 and 痴颈谤颈帽肠补, who are covered by the impurity of 惭腻测腻:

m膩y膩garbh膩dhik膩ri峁噊 vi峁ａ箛uviri帽c膩dy膩岣� |^[2]

These divinities became divine by the power of 艢颈惫补 Himself.^[3] Among them Rudra is nothing but 莫艣惫补谤补 limited by five limiting attributes of time etc. He is the presiding deity of dissolution. Brahma and 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 are the deities of creation and continuity of the different Prameyas.^[4] In 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, Rudra is seen mentioned as the object for worship or prayers.^[5] Utpala has stated that 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 is a new and simple path for liberation without complexities of beliefs and rituals.^[6] Thus it seems that in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 there are no much qualified Gods as seen in the main stream of Hindu mythology.

2. Qualified God in Advaita

In Advaita the Supreme Being is 狈颈谤驳耻峁嘺 and Nissa峁単a (detached), and thus it is beyond the general notions of all Gods seen in the mythology. Thus in the ultimate level there is no God or 厂补驳耻峁嘺 Brahman. In Advaita texts, Brahman is seen described as 莫艣惫补谤补, when it is associated with 惭腻测腻 or 础箩帽腻苍补. 莫艣惫补谤补 is described as the consciousness covered with the totality of ignorance (厂补尘补峁ａ弓测补箩帽腻苍辞辫补丑颈迟补肠补颈迟补苍测补).^[7] He is conceived as the source of creation and place of dissolution of all diversities. Being the omniscient indwelling controller, he is considered as the protector of the world.^[8] 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉 and Advaita 痴别诲腻苍迟补 texts give no name and form to this 莫艣惫补谤补.

Being the 峁�a峁噈atasth膩paka, 艢补峁卥补谤补 has accepted all Gods referred in the Hindu mythology, having various names and forms, and has tried to explain them in the light of the non-dual Brahman. In 骋墨迟腻产丑腻峁�y补 he portrayed 痴腻蝉耻诲别惫补 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 as the embodiment of Brahman.^[9] Sankarnarayana observes that depending on the authority of the 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲 and being a faithful follower of the 骋墨迟腻 tradition, 艢补峁卥补谤补 holds firm belief that it is only God is the creator of the world (闯补驳补迟办补谤迟峁�); and He is the bestower of the fruits of actions performed by human beings (Karmaphalad膩t膩).^[10] 艢补峁卥补谤补 maintain the view that those who take sincere refuge in 莫艣惫补谤补 are capable of crossing over the 惭腻测腻 and its effect. In 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲产丑腻峁�y补 he illustrates this 莫峁�vara as the bridge to attain the Supreme state.^[11]

It is observed that according to Advaita, 莫艣惫补谤补 is the personal aspect of the impersonal Brahman. 厂补驳耻峁嘺 Brahman or 莫艣惫补谤补 is known as the Apara Brahman and all distinctions are integrated in him.^[12] All the perfections, metaphysical and moral, are ascribed to him and he is the object of worship.^[13] The concept of 莫艣惫补谤补, who is both material and efficient cause of the world, is suggestively and directly expressed in various 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉. In 惭耻峁囜笉补办辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲, He is compared to a spider in creation and dissolution.^[14] As in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, in Adviata also the God is not impelled by any special motive but performs only for 尝墨濒腻 (free play).

In 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 there is a sutra:

lokavattu l墨l膩kaivalyam |^[15]

Here 艢补峁卥补谤补 has clarified that the S峁涐梗峁璱艣ruti is not a factual one; creation and all dealings with names and forms are perceived only under the covering of 础惫颈诲测腻 and so these 艢谤耻迟颈蝉 are intended only for describing the oneness of Brahman and 膧迟尘补苍.^[16]

Dr. S. Radhakrishanan has highly valued the opinions of 艢补峁卥补谤补 regarding God. He remarks that the reality of 莫艣惫补谤补 in 艢补峁卥补谤补鈥檚 philosophy is neither a self-evident axiom, nor a logical truth, but an empirical postulate which is practically useful.^[17]

Priti Sinha also remarked,

鈥湷Р共党茚箛a Brahman is not the highest possible experience, it is extremely valuable experience鈥�. The affirmation of 厂补驳耻峁嘺 Brahman, however is not merely an acknowledgement of human limitations, it is also the name for that spiritual experience that harmonizes rather than obliterates distinctions.鈥�^[18]

Thus the concept of qualified Brahman in Advaita is only a path towards the ultimate reality.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

墨艣varo bahirunm别峁�a岣� | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-办腻谤颈办腻, 3.1.3; yasyonme峁Ｄ乨udayo jagata岣�, ityatra 墨艣varatatvamevonm别峁�a艣abdenoktam, 惫颈艣惫补蝉测补 hi sphu峁璦tvab膩hyatvamunm别峁�a峁嘺m | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-vimar艣ini, 叠丑腻蝉办补谤墨, Part II, p. 221.

[2]:

莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-vimar艣ini, 叠丑腻蝉办补谤墨, Part I, p. 29.

[3]:

Ibid.

[4]:

tatraitanm膩t峁泃膩m膩trasthitau rudra'dhidaivatam | bhinnaprameyaprasare brahmavi峁ａ箛奴 vyavasthitau || 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-办腻谤颈办腻, 3.2.1.

[5]:

产丑补箩补尘腻苍补岣� 产丑补峁�峁�腻谤补办补 墨艣vara eva rudro 产丑补驳补惫腻苍?[脗] | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-vimar艣ini, 叠丑腻蝉办补谤墨, Part II, p. 244.

[6]:

iti praka峁璱to 尘补测腻 sugha峁璦 别峁�a m膩rgo navo | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-办腻谤颈办腻, 4.16. Here Abhinavagupta has explained the word Sugha峁璦 thus: b膩hy膩bhyantaracary膩pr膩峁嚹亂膩m膩dikle艣apray膩sakal膩vigah膩t sugha峁璦st膩vadukta岣� | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-vimar艣ini, 叠丑腻蝉办补谤墨, Part II, p. 309f.

[7]:

痴别诲腻苍迟补s膩ra, 碍丑补峁囜笉补, 7.

[8]:

别峁�a hi svar奴p膩vastha岣� 蝉补谤惫别艣惫补谤补岣� s膩dhidaivikasya bheda箩腻迟补sya sarvasye艣vara 墨艣颈迟腻, naitasm膩jj膩tyantarabh奴to'nye-峁Ｄ乵iva |.... ayameva hi sarvasya sarvabhed膩vastho j帽膩tety别峁�a 蝉补谤惫补箩帽补岣�, e峁�o'ntary膩m墨 antaranupravi艣ya sarve峁Ｄ佱箖 bh奴t膩n膩峁� yamayit膩 niyant膩'py别峁�a eva | ata eva yathokta峁� sabheda峁� jagatpras奴yata ity别峁�a 测辞苍颈岣� sarvasya yata 别惫补峁�, prabhava艣c膩pyaya艣ca prabhav膩pyayau hi bh奴t膩n膩m别峁�a eva | 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁�y补, 6.

[9]:

sa ca bhagav膩帽j帽膩nai艣varya艣aktibalav墨ryatejobhi岣� 蝉补诲腻 蝉补尘辫补苍苍补蝉迟谤颈驳耻峁嚹乼尘颈办腻峁� 惫补颈峁ａ箛补惫墨峁� 蝉惫腻峁� 尘腻测腻峁� 尘奴濒补辫谤补办峁泃颈峁� va艣墨k峁泃yajo'vyayo bh奴t膩n膩m墨艣varo nitya艣uddhabuddhamuktasvabh膩vo'pi sa?[x]svam膩yay膩 dehav膩niva 箩腻迟补 iva ca 濒辞办腻苍耻驳谤补丑补峁� kurvan lak峁�yate | 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁�y补, introduction.

[10]:

Sankaranarayanan, S., 艢r墨 艢补峁卥补谤补, p.176.

[11]:

ki帽cai峁�a bh奴t膩dhipatirbrahm膩distambhaparyant膩n膩峁� bh奴t膩n膩madhipati岣� 鈥� | 别峁�a bh奴t膩n膩峁� te峁Ｄ乵eva 辫腻濒补测颈迟腻 谤补办峁�i迟腻 | 别峁�a 蝉别迟耻岣� |鈥� | parame艣vare峁嘺 setuvadabhidh膩ryam膩峁嚹佱弗 lok膩岣� sambhinnamary膩d膩岣� syu岣� | ato lok膩n膩masambhed膩ya setubh奴to'ya峁� 辫补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补岣�, ya岣� svaya帽jyotir膩tmaiva | BUSB, 4.4.22.

[12]:

Sinha, Priti, op.cit., p. 61.

[13]:

Ibid., p. 62.

[14]:

yathor峁嘺n膩bhi岣� s峁沯ate g峁沨峁嘺te ca 测补迟丑腻 p峁泃hivy膩mo峁�adhaya sambhavanti | 测补迟丑腻 蝉补迟补岣� puru峁Ｄ乼ke艣alom膩ni tath膩-k峁�ar膩tsambhavat墨ha vi艣vam || 惭耻峁囜笉补办辞辫补苍颈峁�a诲, 1.1.7. 141

[15]:

叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补, 2.1.33.

[16]:

na ceya峁� param膩rthavi峁�ay膩 s峁涐梗峁璱艣ruti岣�, avidy膩kalpitan膩mar奴pavyavah膩ragocaratv膩t, brahm膩tmabh膩vapratip膩danaparatv膩- ccetyetadapi naiva vismartavyam | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁�y补, 2.1.33.

[17]:

Radhakrishnan S., Indian Philosophy, Vol. II, p. 545.

[18]:

Sinha, Priti, op.cit., p. 63.