PURPORT

The first verse of the Brahma-sūtra is athato brahma-jijnasa: "We must now inquire into the Absolute Truth." The second verse [1.1.2] immediately answers, janmady asya yataḥ: "The Absolute Truth is the original source of everything." Janmady asya yataḥ does not suggest that the original person has been transformed. Rather, it clearly indicates that He produces this cosmic manifestation through His inconceivable energy. This is also clearly explained in Bhagavad-gita, where Krsna says, mattaḥ sarvam pravartate: "From Me, everything emanates." (Bg. 10.8) This is also confirmed in the Taittiriya Upanisad: yato va imani bhūtani jayante: "The Supreme Absolute Truth is that from which everything is born." (Tait. Up. 3.1.1) Similarly, in the Munḍaka Upanisad (1.1.7), it is stated, yathorna-nabhiḥ srjate grhnate ca: "[The Lord creates and destroys the cosmic manifestation] as a spider creates a web and draws it back within itself." All of these sūtras indicate the transformation of the Lord's energy. It is not that the Lord undergoes direct transformation, which is called aparinama-vada. However, being very anxious to protect Srila Vyasadeva from criticism, Sahkaracarya became a pseudo gentleman and put forward his theory of illusion (vivarta-vada). Sahkaracarya concocted this meaning of parinama-vada, and by word jugglery he endeavored very hard to establish parinama-vada as vivarta-vada.