If God is all the universe and more, and if the meaning of 'more' is not 'more' in space and time, but 'more than space-time', then it follows that the space-time universe is only an appearance of God. The non-quantitative and non-qualitative greatness of God signifies His--or Its--non-duality.
Visnu is One
(ekah), (725); as the
supreme- Reality, He is free from external relations and internal differentiations. There is nothing of a like kind nor a different kind, from which He is different; nor has He internal variety.
The Real is one only, without a second
(ekamevadvitiyam).16 It is the One Self
(ekatma, 965), the supreme Self
(paramatma, 11), which is distinct from the collocations of causes and effects, and is of the nature of eternal pure
consciousness which is release.
As it is unconditioned and attributeless
(nirgunah, 840), it is indicated through the negative mode as 'not this; not this'
(neti netity-atma).
In the
Sahasranama there is a whole series of expressions with the negative particle prefixed as the names of Visnu:
aksarah (17),
aksaram (481), the immutable witness of all change;
acalah (745), the unmoving; the immovable;
ajah (95) the unborn;
amurtih (830), the Formless;
amurtiman (720), the One having no form;
avyaktah (722), the Unmanifest;
avyayah (13), the Unchanging;
aprameyah (46), that which is uncognisable through means of knowledge;
ameyatma (102), the immeasurable;
agrahyah (55) the ungraspable;
adrsyah (304), the unseeable;
atindriyah (169), that which is beyond the reach of the senses;
aeintyah (832), the unthinkable.
16.Sri Sankara: paramarthatah sajatiyavijatiya- svagata-bheda-vinirmuktatvat
ekah.' |