Brahman is the One who grants Liberation

To Pratibimba-vada Jiva Gosvami responds in this way:

 

“That which has no attributes, which pervades everything and has no parts, cannot be reflected anywhere; what lacks attributes cannot have connections with superfluous appendages; if Brahman is omnipresent, there can be no distinction between the object and its reflection; and what has no parts cannot be perceived.”

 

Sri Jiva is using the same arguments of the Mayavadi to point out how many inconsistencies exist in their theories. The sun that reflects on the water is a limited body, possessing attributes and consisting of sections. Otherwise, it could not be reflected in water, also because, being omnipresent (as the Mayavadis preach), there should be no distinction of any kind between sun and water. Baladeva Vidyabhusana adds that “it cannot be that Isvara and jiva are separate portions of Brahman, divided by royal additions (such as pieces of a stone cut with a chisel), since Brahman is indivisible and therefore devoid of parts.”

 

In section thirty-eight, Jiva Gosvami argues with the Advaitavadi that even if the doctrines of “division” and “reflection” were true, they certainly could not be denied with the simple belief that the terms tat and tvam (indicating Isvara and jiva respectively) refer to the same reality, i.e., Brahman. In other words, it takes more than conviction to counter something real. 

Sri Baladeva ironically comments, “No convict has become king simply by thinking, I am the king.” 

With these words, the Vaishnava professors invalidate the procedure based on the accumulation of knowledge (jnana-marga) so dear to the Advaitavadi.

 

Moreover, if it were argued that it is thanks to the extraordinary power of being to which the term tat refers that superfluous additions (upadhi) can be eliminated, then his opinion would agree with ours. 

 

But in this case the Mayavadis would fall into an irresolvable contradiction, since those who manage to grant freedom cannot be victims of prison. 

No doubt Brahman is the one who grants liberation; that’s why he’s called Mukunda. No prisoner (not even one in the potential state) can grant the release of material energy.

 

This is a section of the book “Tattva Sandarbha”, in English.

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