33. The Only Original Cause

Adhyaya 1 PAda 4 AdhikaraNa 4

Brahman Is The Only Original Cause

The sa~Nkhya theorist raises another doubt:
"It cannot be said that the VedAnta
describes Brahman as the sole cause of the universe, for the
VedAnta philosophy does not describe a single original
cause of creation. In TaittirIya UpaniShad 2.1.1
Atma (self) is revealed as the source of creation
in the following words:

tasmAd vA etasmAd Atmana AkAshaH
sambhUtaH

"From AtmA the sky was born."

Another passage (TatittirIya UpaniShad 2.7.1)
describes asat (non-existence) as the original
cause in the following words:

asad vA idam agra AsIt tato vA sad ajAyata tad AtmAnaM
svayam akuruta

"In the beginning was non-existence. From non-
existence existence was born. Existence created the self."

Another passage (ChAndogya UpaniShad 1.9.1)
affirms that AkAsha (sky) is the original cause:

asya lokasya kA gatir ity AkAsha iti hovAca

"What is the origin of this world? Sky is
the origin, he said."

Another passage (ChAndogya
UpaniShad 1.11.5) affirms that breath is the original cause
in the following words:

sarvANi hA vA imAni bhUtAni prANam
evAbhisamvishanti

"Everything was born from breath and
ultimately enters into breath again."

Another passage again
proclaims asat (non-existence) as the original
cause in the following words:

asad evedam agra AsIt tat
samabhavat

"In the beginning was non-existence. From non-
existence this world was manifested."

Another passage (
ChAndogya UpanisAd 6.2.1) proclaims Brahman the original
cause in the following words:

sad eva saumyedam agra
AsIt

"O saintly one, in the beginning was Brahman."

Another passage (BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad 1.4.7)
proclaims avyAkR^ita (the unmanifested) as the
original cause in the following words:

tad vaidaM tarhy
avyAkR^itam AsIt tan-nAma-rUpAbhyAM vyAkriyata

" In the
beginning was the unmanifested. From it all the names and forms
have come."

Many other passages could also be quoted to show the
different theories of creation. Because in these passages of the
Vedas many different things have been described as
the sole original cause of creation, it cannot be said that
Brahman is the sole cause of the creation of the world. However,
it is possible to say that pradhAna is the sole
cause of creation, as we find in the passage (beginning with the
word tarhi already quoted from the BR^ihad-
AraNyaka UpaniShad. If this view is accepted, then the
contradiction of seeing one thing sometimes as the original cause
and sometimes as a product of the original cause becomes at once
resolved.
Because it is all-pervading the pradhAna
can appropriately be called AtmA, AkAsha, and
brahma, because it is the resting-place of all
transformations and because it is eternal it may appropriately be
called asat, and because it is the origin of all
breathing it may metaphorically be called breath. When the
scriptures state that the original cause performed activities,
such as thinking (BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad 1.2.5
explains sa aikShata: The original cause thought.)
these may also be considered metaphors. All this evidence clearly
demonstrates that pradhAna is the original cause of
creation of the world as described in the VedAnta
literature. In the context of this argument:


SUtra 14


kAraNatvena cAkAshAdiShu yathA vyapadiShTokteH

kAraNatvena - as the cause; ca - certainly; AkAsha - sky; AdiShu - beginning with; yathA - as; vyapadiShTa - described; ukteH - from the statement.


The UpaniShads state that Brahman is the cause
of sky and the other elements.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


The word ca (certainly) is used here to dispel
doubt. It may be said that Brahman is the only cause of the
world. Why? Because "the UpaniShads state
that Brahman is the cause of sky and the other elements." The
words yathA vyapadiShTam (as described) mean
Brahman who in the lakShaNa-sUtra of
VedAnta (1.1.2) and in other places in Vedic literature
is described as all-knowing, all-powerful, and full of all other
powers and virtues." This is true because in all
VedAnta literatures Brahman is described as the original
cause of sky and all the elements. That Brahman is all-knowing and full of ahost of transcendental qualities: is
described in the following words (TaittirIya UpaniShad
1.2.2):

satyaM j~nAnam anantam

"Brahman
is eternal, limitless, and full of knowledge."

That Brahman is
the original cause of all causes is described in these words
(TaittirIya UpaniShad 1.2.3):

tasmAd vA
etasmAt

"From Brahman sky is manifested."

The qualities of
Brahman are described in the following words (ChAndogya
UpaniShad 6.2.1):

sad eva saumyedam

"O gentle
one, in the beginning was the eternal Brahman."

Also, in these words
(ChAndogya UpaniShad 6.2.3):

tad aikShata bah
syAm

"He thought: I shall become many."

The
truth of Brahman is also described in the following words (
TaittirIya UpaniShad 6.2.3):

tat tejo .asR^ijata


" Then He created light."

The relationship between cause and
effect in regard to Brahman we will describe later on. The words
atmA, AkAsha, prANa, sat, and Brahman mean
all-pervading", "all-effulgent," "all-
powerful," "the supreme existence," and "the
greatest," respectively. These words are very appropriate as
names for Brahman. In the same way the statement sa
aikShata (He thought.) is very appropriate for Brahman.
Now, describing the meaning of the
words asat (non-existence) and avyAkR^ita
(unmanifested), he says:


SUtra 15

samAkarShAt

samAkarShAt - from appropriateness.


The words "asat" (non-existence) and
avyAkR^ita" (unmanifested) also refer to Brahman, for that
interpretation is appropriate in this context.

Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa


Because it is preceded by the words so .akAmayata
(He desired.) the word asat in the
TaittirIya UpaniShad 2.7.1 passage asad vA idam
agra AsIt (In the beginning was asat) must
refer to the Supreme Brahman, and because it is preceded by the
words Adityo brahma (splendid Brahman) the word
asat in the passage asad evedam (In
the beginning was asat) must also refer to the
Supreme Brahman. Because before the creation of the material
world the Supreme Brahman.as names and forms had not existed in
the material world, the Supreme Brahman is sometimes known as
asat (non-existence).
The idea that asat and not the Supreme Brahman
is the original cause of creation is refuted in the following
statement of ChAndogya UpaniShad (6.2.1-2):


sad eva saumyedam agra AsId ekam evAdvitIyaM tad dhaika Ahur
asad evedam agra AsId ekam evAdvitIyaM tasmAd asataH saj jAyate.
kutas tu khalu saumyaivaM syAd iti hovAca katham asataH saj
jAyeteti sat tv eva saumyedam agra AsId ekam evAdvitIyam.

"O gentle one, in the beginning was sat,
who is one without a second. Some say that in the beginning was
asat, who is one without a second, and from that
asat the sat was born. O gentle one,"
he said, "how is it possible that the sat
was born from the asat? O gentle one, it is the
sat, which is one without a second, that existed in
the beginning."

The idea that asat was the original cause of
creation is also refuted by the argument of time.

Note: The argument of time is that is not possible to use the
verb "to be" with the nound asat (non-
existence). Because it is thus not possible to say "In
the beginning non-existence was," it is also not
possible to say that asat (non-existence)
was the original cause of creation.

In this way the wise declare that it is not possible for
non-existence to be the cause of creation and for this reason
when asat is described as the cause of creation it
must refer to the Supreme Brahman, who is asat
because His transcendental potencies are supremely subtle and
fine. That is the proper understanding of the word
asat in this context.
The BR^ihad-
AraNyaka UpaniShad (1.4.7) explains:

tad vaidaM tarhy avyAkR^itam
AsIt tan-nAma-rUpAbhyAM vyAkriyata

"In the beginning was
the avyAkR^ita. From it all the names and forms have
come."

The word avyAkR^ita should be understood to
mean Brahman. In the words sa eSha iha praviShTaH
(Then He entered within) that immediately follow it becomes clear
that the avyAkR^ita that becomes manifested by name
and form is the powerful Supreme Brahman who appears by His own
wish. Any conclusion other than this would oppose the clear
teachings of VedAnta-sUtra and the general
conclusions of all the shruti-shAstras. For these
reasons it is therefore confirmed that the Supreme Brahman is the
actual cause of the material universes.