Samvrti

Samvrti refers to a concept in Indian philosophy, particularly within the context of Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualist school of Hindu thought. The term originates from the Sanskrit words *sam* (together) and *vrti* (turning or movement), collectively meaning "the apparent world of experience." In Advaita Vedanta, samvrti is understood as the phenomenal or relative reality that appears to exist independently of the ultimate reality, known as *paramartha* (absolute truth). While paramartha represents the unchanging, eternal, and non-dual Brahman—the ultimate, absolute reality—samvrti encompasses the ever-changing, illusory, and relative nature of the perceived world, including individual souls (*jivas*), time, space, and the material universe.

Advaita Vedanta teaches that samvrti is a *maya* (illusion or veiling) that obscures the true nature of reality. The world as experienced through the senses and intellect is considered a superimposition (*adhyasa*) upon Brahman, rather than an independent existence. This distinction is crucial in understanding the relationship between the individual self (*jiva*) and the universal self (*Brahman*). The jiva, bound by ignorance (*avidya*), perceives itself as separate from Brahman, leading to the experience of samvrti. Liberation (*moksha*) occurs when this illusion is dissolved, and the individual realizes their true identity as Brahman.

Samvrti is not merely dismissed as false but is acknowledged as a necessary aspect of human experience, serving as a means for spiritual growth. Philosophers like Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE) elaborated on samvrti in his commentaries on the *Brahmasutras*, distinguishing it from paramartha to explain how apparent duality arises from the single, non-dual reality. This duality is not real but a projection of the mind, which the seeker must transcend through knowledge (*jnana*) and meditation.