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Vishnu Purana (was Re: Vedanta discussions)
The Vishnu Purana is the most authentic Vaishnava Purana, and yet our
Vaishnava friends from ISKCON do not quote from it. On the other
hand, Sankaracharya, the "mAyAvAdin" quotes this Purana in his
commentary to the Bhagavad Gita. Let us see what the Vishnu Purana
has to say, shall we?
In response to his student Maitreya's question, Parasara, the
teacher, explains that Vishnu is the principle behind the origin,
sustenance and destruction of the universe. All names of Gods,
including Hiranyagarbha, Hari, Siva, Sankara, Brahma, Achyuta,
Vasudeva etc. are names of Vishnu. Therefore, even though the
Veda-vadins, Vedanta-vadins, Vaishnavas, Saivas, Pancharatrins,
Yogins etc. worship different Gods, all these Gods are only different
forms, different manifestations of Vishnu. Therefore, exclusiveness,
sectarian bigotry and narrowness are born out of ignorance. The wise
man realizes that all these Gods are really the same.
Maitreya, the student, is justifiably confused, and asks how this can
be so. Parasara explains this in terms of the "not this, not this"
idea of the Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad. In reality, Vishnu is nothing
but the Absolute Spirit, the Para Brahman. This Absolute Spirit is IN
ITSELF above the highest concepts of human understanding, without any
form or color, or any other determining characteristic, without any
special predicate in terms of which It can be positively conceived,
wihout any temporal qualities such as birth, change, death, decay or
destruction. This Absolute Spirit is infinite, eternal, formless,
changeless, effortless, attributeless. Nothing can be said of It
except that It Eternally Exists. This is the ultimate nature of
Vishnu - "tad Vishno: paramam padam."
This is in fact as good a description of Nirguna Brahman as you can
find in any advaitic text. We now turn to the Vishnu Purana's
description of Vasudeva. The Vishnu Purana's use of the term Vasudeva
fits in perfectly with Advaita. The word means not just vasudevasya
suta: vAsudeva: (Vasudeva's son) but ya: deva: sarve vasati iti
vAsudeva: - He who is immanent eternally in all, i.e. the Atman.
Vasudeva eternally transcends the world and is immanent in it.
Vasudeva is identical to Vishnu. Thus, Parasara explains, Atman :
Brahman :: Vasudeva : Vishnu.
When Maitreya asks how the universe can come out of Vishnu and leave
Him unchanged, Parasara explains that this is due to the mysterious
power called Maya. As such the world itself is in fact Maya, it is
only an appearance, a relative reality at best, while Vishnu is the
Sole Ultimate Reality.
Thus, right in the beginning, the Ultimate Nature of Vishnu is
affirmed in terms pretty similar to Nirguna Brahman. Vishnu as
Vasudeva is identified with the Atman that is immanent in all the
Universe. No one questions the identity of Krishna Vasudeva with
Vishnu. The non-difference of the Atman and the Para Brahman -
(advaita!) - is thereby affirmed. The world as a creation is
described in terms of Maya. Finally, sectarian narrowness is
condemned as bigotry, and as arising out of ignorance. All this is in
fact advaita at its most practical facet. Quite opposite to the Padma
Purana's description of advaita as "prachanna bauddham", isn't it?
S. Vidyasankar
