Vedanta - Discussion Forum I (introductory))

[gangajal]

Sundar ji,
You have hit the nail right on the head. Of course, I am a spiritual infant It is not just Sridhar ji who uses ^v. There is still a problem with the Kevala Advaita system. Is Maya Shakti real or unreal or anirvachaniya? We who come from the Shakta tradition will never accept that Mahamaya is anything other than Brahman. Sages and saints of the Shakta tradition are unanimous that MahaMaya is Brahman. Let me post a poem by the Shakta Master Ramprasad:
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Once for all, this time, I have thoroughly understood.
From one who knows it well, I have learnt the secret of bhava(spiritual
mood).
A man has come to me from a country where there is no night,
And now I can not distinguish day from night any longer:
Rituals and Devotions have all grown profitless for me.

My sleep is broken: how can I sleep any more?
For now I am wide awake in the sleeplessness of Yoga.
O Divine Mother, made one with thee in yoga-sleep at last,
My slumber I have lulled asleep evermore.

I bow my head, says Prasad, before desire and liberation;
Knowing the secret that KALI IS ONE WITH THE HIGHEST BRAHMAN,
I have discarded, once for all both righteousness and sin.
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Once You accept MahaMaya as real then you have to accept Jiva, Jagat and Sagun Brahman as real.

Also even if you say that ONLY Brahman exists you still have the problem of Maya. Shankaracharya says in BrahmaSutra Bhasya that Maya is the paramesha Shakti. If Maya is Brahman's shakti and only Brahman exists then does Maya exist or not? If you say Maya does not exist and only Brahman exists then it will lead to a very peculiar situation.

You are right about TAT TWAM ASI. I do not think Ramanujacharya's interpretation as correct.