Adi-lila, Chapter 7 117

entities of the marginal potency maintain their individuality. Thus although the
energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead interact within the cosmic mani-
festation, each keeps its separate individual existence. Merging in the material or
spiritual energies, therefore, does not involve loss of individuality. According to Sri
Ramanujapada’s theory of visistadvaita, although all the energies of the Lord are
one, each keeps its individuality (vaisistya).

Sripada Sankaracarya has tried to mislead the readers of Veda@nta-sutra by mis-
interpreting the words gnandamayo ‘bhyasat, and he has even tried to find fault with
Vyasadeva. All the codes of the Vedanta-sutra need not be examined here, how-
ever, since we intend to present the Vedanta-sutra in a separate volume.

TEXT 122

afaena-aice Sada Scaa [asia |
OS Ble’ faqs-aie aire cl SIF UW Sari

parinama-vade isvara hayena vikari
eta kahi’ ‘vivarta’-vada sthapana ye kari

SYNONYMS

parinama-vade—by accepting the theory of transformation of energy; ivara—the
Supreme Lord; hayena—becomes; vikari—transformed; eta kahi’—saying this;
vivarta—illusion; vada—theory ; sthapana—establishing; ye—what; kari—do.

TRANSLATION

“According to Sankaracarya, by accepting the theory of the transformation of
the energy of the Lord, one creates an illusion by indirectly accepting that the
Absolute Truth is transformed.

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura comments that if one does not clearly understand
the meaning of parinama-vada, or transformation of energy, one is sure to mis-
understand the truth regarding this material cosmic manifestation and the living
entities. In the Chandogya Upanisad it is said, san-mulah saumyemah prajah
sadayatanah sat-pratisthah (Cha. U. 6.8.4). The material world and the living entities
are separate beings, and they are eternally true, not false. Sankaracarya, however,
unnecessarily fearing that by parinama-vada (transformation of energy) Brahman
would be transformed (vikari), has imagined both the material world and the living
entities to be false and to have no individuality. By word jugglery he has tried to
prove that the individual identities of the living entities and the material world are
illusory, and he has cited the examples of mistaking a rope for a snake or an oyster
shell for gold. Thus he has most abominably cheated people in general.

The example of misunderstanding a rope to be a snake is mentioned in the
Mandukya Upanisad, but it is meant to explain the error of identifying the body
