Karika verse 1.13

13. (K⁷). Some thinkers (the pantheists or pariṇāma-vādins) are of opinion that the creation proceeds from the transformations of Viṣṇu, others (the Idealists—vivarta and māyāvādins) think that the creation is like unto a dream or an illusion (with no reality in it).—13.

Notes.

[Note.—Vibhūtim (Vibhūti)—the modification, different (vi) transformation or existences (bhavana) of Viṣṇu, such as Mahat, etc. They say Brahman itself becomes modified into objects.]

[Note.—Sṛṣṭi-cintakāḥ (Sṛṣṭicintaka)—creation-thinkers: those who have the conceit that they are expert in the knowledge of cosmogony: such as the followers of Bhāskara.]

[Note.—Svapna-māyā-svarūpā—dream-illusion-like: as is the creation of objects of dream, or as the objects of illusion created by a hypnotist (aindrajālika-māyā-sadṛśa).]

[Note.—Anyaiḥ—by others, such as the followers of Māyavāda, the crypto-Buddhists.]

[Note.—If Īśvara, the Unchangeable, modifies himself as creation, then he becomes something inferior. So the first view cannot be correct. The second view is open to the objection, why should the Almighty resort to illusion. A hypnotist who cannot produce a real object, creates the illusion of an object. Moreover, the Lord who is always Omniscient, can have no dreams—His knowledge is always valid and is subject to no sublation.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

Both the learned and the ignorant propound various theories as to creation. Some say Viṣṇu himself gets modified or transformed into the various objects such as ether, air, &c. This becoming (bhūti) of diverse (vi) objects is called His vibhūti or transformation. Only the seeming wise and not the truly wise, however, say so. Another class, equally ignorant, assert that the creation is unreal as a dream, or as an illusion created by an illusionist.