Drg Drsya Viveka 18 Trans/Notes

DDV 18

Similarly, the distinction between creation and reality remains veiled, and because of the influence of this power, reality appears to undergo modifications.

~A

Tathā sarga-brahmaņośca bhedam-āvṛtya tisthati,

Yā śaktis-tadvaśād-brahma vikṛtatvena bhāsate.

तथा – similarly; सर्ग-ब्रह्मणोः of the creation and Reality; च भेदम् – distinction; आवृत्य covering; तिष्ठति – remains; या which; शक्तिः (veiling) power; तत् वशात् – due to its influence; ब्रह्म – the Reality; विकृतत्वेन though undergoing modifications; भासते appears as

Similarly, the veiling power covers the distinction of the creation and Reality and due to its influence, Reality appears as though undergoing modifications.

~T

तथा similarly या which शक्तिः power सर्गब्रह्मणोः of Brahman and the phenome- nal universe भेदं distinction आवृत्य concealing तिष्ठति exists तद्वशात् through its influence ब्रह्म Brahman विकृतत्वेन as being of the nature of modification भासते appears.

18. Similarly, (1) Brahman, through the influence of the power (2) that conceals the distinction between It (3) and the phenom- enal universe, appears as endowed with the attributes (4) of change.

~N

Similarly, the Creation and Reality distinction remains veiled; and due to the influence of this veiling power, Reality Appears as though It is undergoing modifications.

~S

Notes

Māyā veils Reality, causing only the names and forms of the world to be perceived. Māyā is not some external, mysterious power which casts spells. It exists within only due to lack of enquiry. For instance, the play of form and colour, light and shade on the movie screen are constantly changing. Our attention is focused only on them and not on the unchanging screen. When we see the forms, what we are really seeing is only the screen. Hence, even whilst seeing, we see not. This is māyā.

~T

Here the author says that because the confusion is at two levels the resolution has to be done at two levels. First confusion is that I require support. That confusion is resolved by understanding that I am the sākṣī through śravaṇaṃ and mananam. The author does not talk about nididhyāsanam here because he will talk about nididhyāsanam exclusively later.

Once the substantiality of Brahman has been transferred to the non-substantial nāma-rūpa, the hollow nāma-rūpa world is mistaken to be substantial and real. When that mistake happens, I decide to lean upon the non-substantial world. It is similar to sitting on the non-substantial chair made of cardboard, which appears real. Therefore in the non-substantial world, I should not depend on any person, possession, or position but depend on only one thing, which is Brahman.

~P

Translators / Commentators Legend

A: Aumdada

D: Dayananda

N: Nikhilananda

P: Paramarthananda

S: Sandeepany

T: Tejomayananda