Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study)
by Sadhu Gyanananddas | 2021 | 123,778 words
This page relates ‘Multiplicity and Atomicity’ of the study on the Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam in Light of Swaminarayan Vachanamrut (Vacanamrita). His 18th-century teachings belong to Vedanta philosophy and were compiled as the Vacanamrita, revolving around the five ontological entities of Jiva, Ishvara, Maya, Aksharabrahman, and Parabrahman. Roughly 200 years later, Bhadreshdas composed a commentary (Bhasya) correlating the principles of Vachanamrut.
1.5. Multiplicity and Atomicity
The self’s individuality is mentioned here. It is noteworthy that all jīvas are ontologically the same, but they are not one entity.
The Vacanāmṛta declares its multiplicity:
“In addition, when all of those brahmānds are destroyed, all other jīvas lie dormant within māyā, whereas the devotees of Parabrahman attain the abode of Parabrahman.”(Vacanāmṛta Gadhadā I/12)
Svāminārāyaṇa also refers to this fact in many Vacanāmṛtas (Vacanāmṛta Vartāl 6, Gadh. 3/10, and Gadh. 3/39). In the same way, the multiplicity of jīvas and īśvaras is described by the Bhāṣyakāra as well.
In his commentary of Katha-upaniṣad, he elucidates:
“nityo nityanāṃ cetanaśca cetanānām iti bahuvacanena bahutvakhyāpanājjīveśvarāṇāṃ parasparaṃ ca svarūpabhedaḥ prasthapitaḥ” (Katha-upaniṣad 5/13, p.155).
At many places, the scriptures use plural nouns and pronouns:
“He (Akṣarabrahman) is the one eternal self among many eternal selves”..(Svetāśvatara-upaniṣad 6/13)
“That from which these beings are born...” (Taittiriya-upaniṣad 3/1/1)
“From that, all these beings are born...” (Praśna-upaniṣad 1/14)
“... Whereas all beings are kṣara.” (Bhagavad-Gītā 15/16)