Vivartavada
Vivartavada is the Vedantic theory of causation; it is the ality is due to ego which veils reality from its true essence
method of asserting this doctrine.
1 Overview
The Sanskrit word - vivarta () means alteration,
modication, change of form, altered condition or state.
According to Advaita Vedanta, vivarta involves vikara or
modication but only apparent modication (of the real
which does not change). Therefore, the world is vivarta
[1] reality, and thus Brahman remains hidden or concealed
of the sole real entity Brahman, and merely an illusion.
The term, Vivartavada is derived from the word vivarta
and refers to the Theory of Causation that was proposed
by Adi Sankara to explain the world-appearance or is the
method to assert the Vedanta doctrine.[2]
2 Connotation
Vivartavada is a philosophical term that refers to 'the
origin of the universe from the manifestation or appear-
ance of the unique Brahman' or in other words it refers to
the material causehood of Brahman; it is juxtaposed to
the term parinamvada.[3] It denotes the Advaita theory of
Superimposition (adhyasa) which is in concurrence with
the statements of the Upanishads to the eect that when
ignorance is ended by right knowledge the true nature
of an object becomes known. The relation that obtains
between Brahman and the world as between the creator
and the created has in its background the general the-
ory of Satkaryavada, the theory which is based on the
premise that the eect pre-exists in its cause, and vivar-
tavada according to which theory the eect, this world,
is merely an unreal (vivarta) transformation of its cause,
Brahman. Advaita Vedanta holds Creation to be only an
apparent change and not a modication of Brahman in
reality. Brahman is reality and reality is non-dual,[4] for
which reason Sankara in his Vivekachudamani Sloka 261
reiterates - That which exists as
one only, is the cause of multiplicity, superimposed.[5]
3 Buddhist view
Buddhist thinkers and teachers have expressed their views
on the concept of Duality developed by the Vedic thinkers
and teachers. Zen teaches that we should be free from du-
alities in order to be what we are meant to be, and that du-
(explained by Buddhists in terms of non-essence); ego,
which is an articial condition not having a true identity
because it is a creation of the mind, and distorts reality
in an attempt to perceive what it wants to perceive and
not what it is. Taoism teaches that reality is like the un-
carved block (the symbol of Tao), one must not carve the
block lest Tao is changed. Sankara considers Maya as a
temporary or phenomenal reality and Brahman as the Ul-
timate reality; and that living in Maya the Jiva (the 'ego-
self') superimposes its own interpretation of reality onto
and Maya is viewed as the ultimate reality.[6]
4 Basics of Advaita Vedanta
There are broadly seven basics of the Advaita philosophy
advocated by Adi Shankara, and they are:-
1. There are three levels of Satya (Truth) a) the
'Transcendental' or the Paramarthika level, in which
Brahman is the only reality and nothing else ex-
ists apart from Brahman, b) the 'Pragmatic' or the
Vyavaharika level, in which both Jiva and Ishwara
are true and, c) the 'Apparent' or the Prathibhasika
level, in which even the material world is false, an
illusion.
2. Brahman (Nirguna) due to ignorance (avidya)is vis-
ible as the material world and its objects,.
3. Maya is the complex illusionary power of Brahman
that causes Brahman to be seen in many forms.
4. Ishvara or the Saguna Brahman is the reection of
the Self falling upon the mirror of Maya, it is igno-
rance which is the cause of unhappiness and sin in
the mortal world.
5. Atman is the soul or the self that is identical with
Brahman, it is not part of Brahman that ultimately
dissolves into Brahman but the whole Brahman it-
self; Atman is alone, when its reection falls on
Avidya it becomes the Jiva and experiences the
world existence through the senses.
6. Moksha or Liberation results when Maya is removed
when there ultimately exists no dierence between
the Jiva and the Atman.
1
2 6 REFERENCES

7. Creation Though the karana named Brahman, due 6 References

to vivarta, appears as the karya named jagat, there
is actually no separate karya in reality Brahman is [1] The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Digital Dic-
the only reality and jagat is mithya ('illusion'). tionaries of Asia.

[2] Sanskrit dictionary. Spokensanskrit.de.

[3] Vassilis Vitsaxis. Thought and Faith. Somerset Hall

Advaita denies real creation from the level of the highest
truth, at ordinary level it accepts the world just as it ap-
pears to common sense. Ajativada (the theory of no origi-
nation of Gaudapada) is associated with Vivartavada (the
theory of manifestation of Sankara), they are the same
teaching at the parmartha basis but from two dierent an-
gles viz. a) when the focus is kept on the changeless Brah-
man, and as a consequence of that perspective the world
is seen to be merely an unreal appearance, the teaching
is ajativada; and b) when the focus shifts to the empir-
ical fact of the world-appearance, and specically onto
the relation between the world-appearance and Brahman,
the teaching is vivartavada, the former nds the world to
be a dream and a magic, whereas to the latter, the world
existence is illusory.[7] Aurobindo considers Vivartavada
to be the denial of causation and the assertion of identity
presupposing parinama or 'eectual transformation'.[8]
Press. p. 535.
[4] The Mystery of Creation. Chinmaya Mission. p. 30.
[5] Sri Candrashekhara Bharati of Srngeri. Sri Samkaras
Vivekacudamani. Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p.
274.
[6] Ishwar C. Harris. The Laughing Buddha of Tofukuji.
World Wisdom Inc. p. 34.
[7] Michael Comans. The Method of Early Vedanta. Motilal
Banarsidass Publishers. pp. 355356.
[8] Ramacandra Misra. The Integral Advaitism of Aurobindo.
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 219.
[9] Andrew J. Nicholson. Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and
Identity in Indian Intellectual History. Columbia Univer-
sity Press. p. 48.

[10] Krishan Lal Kala. The Literary Heritage of Kashmir. Mit-

tal Publications. p. 278.

[11] Chen-chi Chang. A Treasury of Mahayana Sutras. Moti-

lal Banarsidass publishers. p. 246.
5 Opposition
[12] Devarshi Ramanath Shastri, Shuddhadvaita Darshan
(Vol.2), Published by Mota Mandir, Bhoiwada, Mum-
The 'Theory of Manifestation' propounded by the Advaita bai, India, 1917.
Vedanta is not without its opponents. Vijnanabhiksu por-
[13] Brahmavd Sagraha, Pub. Vaishnava Mitra Mandal
trays casual relation as having three terms unchange- Sarvajanik Nyasa, Indore, India, 2014.
able locus cause, changeable locus cause and eect the
locus cause is inseparable from and does not inhere in
the changeable cause and the eect .[9] and, the Pratyab-
hijna philosophy of Somananda refutes the Arambh-
vada (the 'Realistic view' of the Nyaya-Vaisesika), the
Parinamavada (the theory of Transformation of the
Sankhya-Yoga) and the Vivartavada (the theory of Man-
ifestation of the Advaita), by postulating the theory of
Svatantryavada (the 'Universal voluntarism') which states
that it is due to the sovereignty of Gods Will that Ef-
fect evolves from Cause.[10] Whereas Ramanuja accepts
Prakrti as the material cause but Madhava rejects this
contention since material cause does not mean that which
controls and superintends; Madhava also rejects the Vi-
vartavada because it does not accept any eect that has
got to be accounted for.[11] In his philosophy of pure non-
dualism (Shuddhadvaita), Vallabhacharya also does not
support 'vivartavada' and propounds that Maya (or the 'Ja-
gat') is real and is only a power of Brahmana who himself
manifests, of his own will, as Jiva and the world[12] and
there is no transformation of Brahmana in doing so, just
as a gold ornament still remains gold only. Shuddhad-
vaita is also therefore known as Avikta Parimavda
(Unmodied transformation).[13]
 3

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1 Text
Vivartavada Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivartavada?oldid=709484858 Contributors: Gregbard, Presearch, Robert1947,
Wieno, Mr. Granger, Aditya soni, Northamerica1000 and

7.2 Images
File:Dharma_Wheel.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Dharma_Wheel.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: Shazz, Esteban.barahona
File:Om_symbol.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Om_symbol.svg License: Public domain Contribu-
tors: No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims). Original artist: No machine-readable author
provided. Rugby471 assumed (based on copyright claims).

7.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0