‘Difference/multiplicity’ is an illusion – Srimad Bhagavatam

Shri Krishna, while preaching the spiritual philosophy to Uddhava, says, ‘Variety is an illusion, from which the aparokshajnani comes out’:

श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ११/अध्यायः ११

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वैशारद्येक्षयासङ्ग शितया छिन्नसंशयः।

प्रतिबुद्ध इव स्वप्नान्नानात्वाद्विनिवर्तते १२।

Just as the one who wakes up from a dream realizes that the objects of his dream are not true, the Self-realized man is freed from the illusion of multiplicity, difference, by Aparokshajnana.

एवं जिज्ञासयापोह्य नानात्वभ्रममात्मनि।

उपारमेत विरजं मनो मय्यर्प्य सर्वगे २१।

Diversity is a self-conceived illusion. Sridhara Swamy’s commentary says that the bodies and the outer world are all adhyasa, a superimposition.

The verses also are a paraphrasing of the famous Upanishadic statement: neha nAnAsti kinchana.. नेह नानास्ति किंचन॥ मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति॥ ..( Brihadaranyaka and kaThopanishad), nAtra kAchana bhidA asti नात्र काचन भिदाऽस्ति नैवात्र काचन भिदाऽस्त्यत्र भिदामिव मन्यमानः….. (Nrsimha tapaniya upanishad).

Om Tat Sat