A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy c7.s5.1.4

c7.s5.1.4

If we examine carefully the expressions which Śaṅkara uses about Māyā in his great Commentary on the Brahmasūtras and elsewhere, namely those of inexplicability (sadasadanirvachanīyasvarūpatva), super-imposition (atasmin tadbuddhiḥ), and illicit transformation (raju-sarpa and śuktikārajata) on the one hand, and those of subjective modification (ākāśe talamalinatvādi), and postulation of negation (khapushpa, mṛigatṛishṇikā, aindrajālika, śaśavishāṇa and vandhyāputra) on the other other, all to designate the phenomenal appearance of the world, we shall see that Śaṅkara is placing himself between the doctrines of lesser reality and illusion ; but his meaning is entirely unmistakable, that the world is merely an appearance on the background of Brahman. We cannot enter here into greater details about the doctrine of Māyā as Śaṅkara develops it. But we cannot leave unmentioned even in the short space at our disposal here the objections which Rāmānuja raises against Śaṅkara’s doctrine of Māyā, in order that we may be able to understand the real meaning of Śaṅkara’s doctrine better. Rāmānuja asks—What is the seat of Māyā, the Soul or Brahman ?—How does the ever-luminous Brahman come to be hidden ?—Is Māyā real or unreal ?