Brahman Itself appears as the jlva and the world through illusion – says Prahlada

Prahlada, teaching his fellow daitya students, says these words:

श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ७/अध्यायः ६
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परावरेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्मान्तस्थावरादिषु ।
भौतिकेषु विकारेषु भूतेष्वथ महत्सु च ॥ २० ॥
गुणेषु गुणसाम्ये च गुणव्यतिकरे तथा ।
एक एव परो ह्यात्मा भगवानीश्वरोऽव्यय: ॥ २१ ॥
प्रत्यगात्मस्वरूपेण द‍ृश्यरूपेण च स्वयम् ।
व्याप्यव्यापकनिर्देश्यो ह्यनिर्देश्योऽविकल्पित: ॥ २२ ॥

The same Brahman appears as the jiva and the observed world.

केवलानुभवानन्दस्वरूप: परमेश्वर: ।
माययान्तर्हितैश्वर्य ईयते गुणसर्गया ॥ २३ ॥

Residing in the body it is this Brahman that is known as ‘Antharyami’ and is said to be the Pratyagatma (innermost self) that lends sentience to   the senses and mind. Knowing this Entity correctly leads to liberation. This is what Kathopanishad 2.2.1 says:

पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत्स्वयम्भूस्तस्मात्पराङ् पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् ।
कश्चिद्धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्षदावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन् ॥ १ ॥

The senses are turned outward. An aspirant  becomes inward turned by effort and knows this Pratyagatman as-it-is.

The Antaryami Brahmana of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: 3.7.23:

यो रेतसि तिष्ठन्रेतसोऽन्तरो यं रेतो न वेद यस्य रेतः शरीरं यो रेतोऽन्तरो यमयत्येष त आत्मान्तर्याम्यमृतोऽदृष्टो द्रष्टाश्रुतः श्रोतामतो मन्ताविज्ञातो विज्ञाता नान्योऽतोऽस्ति द्रष्टा नान्योऽतोऽस्ति श्रोता नान्योऽतोऽस्ति मन्ता नान्योऽतोऽस्ति विज्ञातैष त आत्मान्तर्याम्यमृतोऽतोऽन्यदार्तं ततो होद्दालक आरुणिरुपरराम ॥ २३ ॥

This Upanishad says that the ‘I’ that we say in the experiences ‘I see, know…’ is none other than the immanent Brahman, Antharyami.

This is what Prahlada says in the  Bhagavata as ‘Pratyagatma’.

Prahlada also says that the same Brahman appears as the entire world.

This premise of Bhagavata is duly accepted only in Advaita:

‘ब्रह्म सत्यम्, जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मेव नापरः’  [Brahman alone is Real, the world is unreal, the Jiva is none other than Brahman.]

An article ‘Prahlada’s Advaita Experience – Sri G.R. Patil, Dharwad: (translated to English by Ajay Mujumdar )

Click to access e-am-pralhada-advaita-grp-english-.pdf