अतो देवा अवन्तु नो यतो विष्णुर्विचक्रमे ।
पृथिव्याः सप्त धामभिः ॥ १६ ॥
इदं विष्णुर्वि चक्रमे त्रेधा नि दधे पदम् ।
समूढमस्य पांसुरे ॥ १७ ॥
त्रीणि पदा वि चक्रमे विष्णुर्गोपा अदाभ्यः ।
अतो धर्माणि धारयन् ॥ १८ ॥
विष्णोः कर्माणि पश्यत यतो व्रतानि पस्पशे ।
इन्द्रस्य युज्यः सखा ॥ १९ ॥
तद्विष्णोः परमम्पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरयः ।
दिवीव चक्षुराततम् ॥ २० ॥
तद्विप्रासो विपन्यवो जागृवांसः समिन्धते ।
विष्णोर्यत्परमम्पदम् ॥ २१ ॥
ato devA avantu no yato viSNurvicakrame |
pRthivyAH sapta dhAmabhiH || RV 1 22 16 ||
idaM viSNurvi cakrame tredhA ni dadhe padam |
samUDhamasya pAMsure || 17 ||
trINi padA vi cakrame viSNurgopA adAbhyaH |
ato dharmANi dhArayan || 18 ||
viSNoH karmANi pashyata yato vratAni paspashe |
indrasya yujyaH sakhA || 19 ||
tadviSNoH paramampadaM sadA pashyanti sUrayaH |
divIva cakSurAtatam || 20 ||
tadviprAso vipanyavo jAgRvAMsaH samindhate |
viSNoryatparamampadam || 21 ||
16. The Gods be gracious unto us even from the place whence Viṣṇu strode
Through the seven regions of the earth!
17. Through all this world strode Viṣṇu; thrice his foot he planted, and the whole
Was gathered in his footstep’s dust.
18. Viṣṇu, the Guardian, he whom none may injure, made three steps; thenceforth
Establishing his high decrees.
19. Behold Viṣṇu’s deeds, whereby the worthy friend of Indra
Hath let his holy ways be seen.
20. That highest place of the All-pervading, the wise ones ever perceive;
As roams the Eye in the Sky (with unobstructed gaze).
20. The wise evermore behold that loftiest place where Viṣṇu is,
Laid as it were an eye in heaven.
20. The wise ever contemplate that supreme station of Viṣṇu,
As the eye ranges over the sky.
21. This, the supreme station of Viṣṇu, the wise, ever vigilant,
Diligent in praise, amply glorify.
Such praise is always directed to Saguna Brahma!
The “wise ones” are not eternal (they were born), but while incarnate they always contemplate and praise the “supreme station of Viṣṇu”.
If Saguna Brahma is eternal, then either Nirguna Brahma does not exist or there are two eternally different Brahmas!
Before the first creation, there could have been no “unliberated souls” ~ unless you are positing another band of eternal rivals to Brahma!!
And, so long as Vishesha is taken in its general sense of “distinction, characteristic difference, peculiar mark, special property, particularity, or essential difference”, and assuming that there is no confusion with the characteristic meaning intended by the Vaisheshika school (which presumes eternity of distinction), then Vishesha is equivalent with Guna ~ and so too, Nirvishesha is no different to Nirguna.
In the state of Advaita there is ONLY Mukti. But in describing the state of Samsara, and the way out of it, Advaita philosophy does mention Sadyomukti and Kramamukti.
Avidya is removed only in Samadhi, but for so long as the Jiva remains attached to a mortal body, Maya (and thus Avidya) yet remains ~ and this is Kramamukti (the first stage of Mukti).
When this state is maintained until the mortal frame is finally discarded (in Mahasamadhi) and both Avidya and Maya are entirely removed, then this is Sadyomukti.
Originally Posted by
Madhavan
Is Saguna Brahman eternal or not? Yes, he is eternal because Saguna Brahman is always with respect to an observer, and does not exist apart from an observer, and with infinite jIvas around there will always be an observer.
Even the Gods are not eternal, they were created! So how can all individual Jivas be considered as eternal?
Then was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it.
What covered in, and where? And what gave shelter? Was water there, of unfathomed depth?
Death was not then, nor was there immortality: no sign was there, the divider of day and night.
That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothing whatsoever.
Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness, this All was indiscriminated chaos.
All that existed then was void and formless: by the great power of Warmth was born that Singularity.
Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire the primal seed and germ of Spirit.
Sages, who searched with their hearts, discovered the existent’s kinship in the non-existent.
Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it?
There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder.
Who verily knows and who can declare it, when was it born and whence comes this creation?
The gods are later than this world’s production. Who knows then when it first came into being?
He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it,
Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows it not.
And Prajapati divided His own Paramatma in order to create the manifest diversity of Jivatmanah ~ and if one Paramatma and many Jivatmanah have always existed, then Prajapati had no reason for His original Self-Sacrifice!!
P.S. I have never intended to imply that Kramamukti is “nought”. Kramamukti is a vital staging-post for Sadyomukti (and it is the best that can be attained without becoming permanently discarnate), but it is not “absolute” Mukti.
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