SECTION THIRTY-SIX 

            The difference between the jéva and the Lord is not because of their pariccheda (separating or limiting) or pratibimba (reflecting) and so on into different types of upädhis or limiting adjuncts.        

 ÇRÉ JÉVA TOÑAËÉ COMMENTARY

             The Mäyäväda philosophers hold that there is one reality--the formless, indivisible, non-variegated, impersonal Brahman--and they have various theories for explaining the apparent existence of jéva and Éçvara. Out of these the two mentioned in this section are most prevalent, although there have been many modifications.  According to the paricchedaväda, the one indivisible Brahman appears divided into many embodied jévas because of various upädhis, just as the one great sky (mahäkäça) appears divided in various pots (ghatäkäça).

            No difference exists between the sky inside the pot and the sky ouside it. The distinction is assumed only for practical purposes. Once the pot is broken the sky inside merges into the great sky without and all apparent distinction vanishes. Similarly, there is no difference between Brahman and the embodied jéva. The limiting adjunct, the subtle body, is actually a false limitation the jéva adopts as a result of contact with the avidyä potency of Mäyä, causing him to appear seperated from Brahman.  When Brahman is limited by a subtle body It becomes a jéva. When It is limited by avidyä It is called Éçvara. This doctrine of separation was propagated by Väcaspati Miçra (9th. Century), the writer of the Bhämaté commentaries on Çaìkara Bhäñya.

            According to the pratibimbaväda, the formless, undivided Brahman reflects into the various subtle bodies made of avidyä and appears as many, just as the one sun reflects as many in various receptacles of water. In this example, the sun is never affected by movement or change in the water, only the reflection is affected. Similarly, happiness and distress is an illusion perceived by the jéva only in the conditioned or reflected state. In reality the jéva is Brahman, which is like the sun in that it is never affected by the reflected activities of the jéva. At the time of liberation the jéva, freed from illusion,  reverts to his original Brahman consciousness. This is the Mäyäväda version of how the jéva came about.

            The same Brahman, according to the Mäyävädis, when reflected in the vidyä potency of Mäyä is called Éçvara, or the Lord. By dint of this contact with Mäyä Brahman assumes a personal but non-eternal form, which is not influenced by Mäyä like the jéva. Nonetheless, Éçvara's manifestation in a personal feature is the work of Mäyä and is still inferior to the all-pervasive Brahman. All the incarnations of God described in Vedic literature are the result of Brahman combined with Mäyä's vidyä potency to produce these Éçvaras.  This personal manifestation of God has a subtle and gross body like the jéva, but, unlike the jéva, He does not accept this body because of past karma nor is He bound by His activities, like the jéva. Thus jéva and Éçvara are distinct from each other.

            The Mäyävädis try to further support their idea by citing scripture. For example, they quote the Ñruti statement, karyapadhirayam jévaù karëopadhiréñvaraù (Çuka-rahasyopaniñat 2.12), "The jéva is a reflection in the antaùkaraë, or heart, and Éñvara is a reflection in avidyä."[i]

"Just as the one effulgent sun appears as many when reflected in different pots of water, so does the one unborn Ätmä or Brahman appear as many beings when reflected in various bodies."[ii] (Quoted by Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa)

            Some monists also cite Çrémad Bhägavatam (12.4.30) as indicative of pratibimbaväda and paricchedaväda: 

"This is certain, that there is no variety in the Absolute Truth. If an ignorant person accepts variety in the Absolute Truth, his understanding is just like accepting a difference between the sky in a pot and the sky above, or between the Sun and it's reflection in water, or between the air outside the body and the air inside the body."[iii]

            Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, following in Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu's footsteps, contends that both of these doctrines of the impersonalists are not supported by the experience of Çré Vyäsadeva.  This is evident from the analysis already presented, but in the upcoming sections he points out the specific defects in these two theories of the Mäyäväda school.

 [i]*The real meaning is that the jéva is conditioned by the material body which is a product (kärya) of Mäyä and the Lord as a Puruña incarnation has Mäyä (käraëa) as His upädhi, but she never influences him.

[ii]**For the real meaning of this verse see section forty-two.

[iii] The implication of this verse is that there is one Absolute Personality of Godhead, who manifests in many sväàça and vibhinnäàça forms, but all these expansions are non-different from Him..