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The verses in the Mandukyopanisad that run Vibhutim prasavantvanye... 969 and others state the different views regarding the nature of the world and also of the process The Advaitins hold that these verses of world-creation. hint at Brahma Parinamavada or the Vikaravada. That means Brahman modifies Itself into various forms of the world. 971 Because, They say that the passage also indicates the illusory 970 nature of the world. But this is not correct. Modification is not admissible in the case of the God. He is glorified as Nirvikari or changeless. He is not of the nature of modification. world also cannot be treated as illusory. And moreover, Further, the Because, it is the desire of the Lord who creates the world. So it cannot be illusory. Even the Prakrti or material cause undergoes the changes and functions according to the desire of the 972 Lord. The God creates this world by His desire and not If the desire by any Maya as understood by the Advaitins. of the Lord itself is named Maya then there is no objection to it. Vadiraja opines that the term Prabhu indicates that the Lord is Sarvottama or Overlord, Sarvasakta or Omnipotent zhe and the like. He never seeks the help of others (in creation maintenance and the like connected with this world. Now the question is 'What is the Lord's purpose of

creating this world?' Some misinterpret the verse Bhogartham srstirityanye....... 972 A etc., and say that the God creates But it is not correct. the world for his own enjoyment. Because, He is Aptakama or ever-contented. 973 He has nothing There are some who hold the view that 974 1 This view is also not to get fulfilled. the God creates the world out of Himself for play. They think that during Pralaya the God's life would be charmless as there might be nothing and hence He, then, engages in the process of creation. correct. Because, Vadiraja says, that if this view is admitted then it would contradict with His Aptakamatva or self-contentment. So it is neither for enjoyment nor for play that the God creates the world, but it is His very nature that He creates the world. Because, He has no 975 desires including to play, to get fulfilled. 975 A It is clear from the passage 'Ichhamatram prabhoh srstih' and 'Devasya esa svabhavah... The expression 'Ichhamatram' indicates that He has the desire only for creation and not for any benefit out of that. It also conveys that the God's manifestation as Matsya, Kurma and so on, is because of His 976 Ichha or desire. The Upadana is not required for the manifestation of God's incarnations. Because, something in the form of Upadana is required for creation and not for manifestation. All the incarnations of the God are eternal but it is the desire of the God that makes them manifest. 323

} 324 977 So far as Kala or Time is considered, it is accepted as only instrumental cause and not as Independent efficient cause. The statement Dravyam karma ca kalasca... makes it clear that all these are under the control of the Lord. These become useful and favourable in creation etc., provi ded the God desires, otherwise not. So it is evident that the God is the Creator, Prakrti is the material cause, time and the like are instruments. The term Prabhu in the passage also signifies that the God has no Ajnana or nescience and the creation of the world is not due to nescience. Since Brahman is Omnipotent, Omniscient and so on. He does not require Ajnana and such others for creation. And moreover, such a wonderful world cannot be the outcome of nescience. It is the Prakrti 978 (prime-matter) which is the material course. Creation is Nitya (Pravahato) or eternal because, the act of creation of the world is the very nature of the God. The world is present with minute form in the God during Pralaya and the same gets manifested and created by the Lord at the time of creation. This proves that the world, either with minute form or with gross form, is present eternally. Hence, the total non-existence of the world cannot be thought of. It also ascertains the fact that this world is eternally distinct from the God. As it is under the control of the Lord, who is supreme. 979

325 980 The Brahmasutra-Vaidharmyacca na svapnadivat (II.ii.29) rejects the view that the world is illusory like a dream. If the creation of the world is compared with the dream or magic then, that would lead to many defects. In the dream, there is a dreamer, his body, bed, and the like who are real. And in magic also, the magician is real, observers are real. So the Advaitins have to specify the real things in the world-creation first and then they can talk of illusory aspect of creation. Therefore, it is not proper to compare the creation of the world either with a dream or with magical creation. Further, the Advaita view that the illusion 981 of the world, after sublation leads to liberation and bliss is also not agreeable and tenable because, an illusory cause can never lead to real effects. Otherwise, the effects liberation, bliss and the like must also be held as unreal. So the world is real: And the reality of the world can be ascertained and also realized as mentioned above. Thus, the passages quoted above establish the reality of the 982 world.