From Rāmānuja’s commentary
There are no chariots in that state, no horses, no roads; then he creates chariots, horses and roads
Svapna
Dream, as philosophical evidence
Definition
The dream state, used by both traditions in this pilot as a testing ground for questions about the reality-status of created/perceived objects and about who or what is the agent responsible for producing them. Both traditions treat the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad's account of dream-creation as the scriptural anchor for this discussion.
Related Māyā · Śaṅkara, Māyā · Rāmānuja, Jīva · Rāmānuja, Īśvara · Rāmānuja
Evidence from Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja and Madhva
Related sūtras
Where the commentaries discuss this concept. Open a sūtra to read the commentary context.
Rāmānuja
Viśiṣṭādvaita VedāntaFrom Rāmānuja’s commentary
The individual soul thus creates chariots, and so on, in its dreams
It is therefore able to create, even in the absence of special instruments
From Rāmānuja’s commentary
the Supreme Person creates things to be perceived by the dreamer and persisting for a certain time only
From Rāmānuja’s commentary
dreams are prophetic of future good or ill fortune
Not yet available in Compare.
Madhva
Dvaita VedāntaFrom Madhva’s commentary
Even dreams are not presented in cognition except by Him (without the agency of the Lord).
In the state of dream, (in the sky, in Svarga, or in heaven), there are no chariots, no horses, no paths; but at that time only the same Lord creates chariots, horses, paths, etc.
From Madhva’s commentary
He (the Lord) who is awake in these (beings), while they are asleep shaping the desired things according to His will
when He subjects the soul to the state of dream
With what means (and material does He create) ?
From Madhva’s commentary
The Lord solely at His pleasure makes the soul see (again) the impressions stored in the mind that has no beginning ; He does not create with any other means or out of any other material.
As the things of this creation have no forms of perceptible dimensions, they cannot be things made out of any other material
To think of them as the things of the waking state is the wrong notion (the illusion)
From Madhva’s commentary
Notwithstanding the absence of any other material and means, the Lord shows the things of dream as indicative of good or evil.
there is the actual experience and obser- vation of the dream visions proving to be true (signs)
Whatever a Brahmin or a God, a bull or a king may tell a person in dreams, will doubtless prove true.
From Madhva’s commentary
The Lord only is the author of withdrawing the dream creation from the view of the soul
It is He (the Lord) that makes the soul perceive the dream creation, etc., and hides them from his view
Śaṅkara
Advaita VedāntaFrom Śaṅkara’s commentary
From Śaṅkara’s commentary
From Śaṅkara’s commentary
From Śaṅkara’s commentary
From Śaṅkara’s commentary