The Shāntī Pāth & Cantor’s Infinities

We go back to our original shlöka, the Shāntī Pāth and rewrite it using Cantor’s terminology as :-

Om That (Brahman) is א1, this (universe) is א0. The א0 (universe) emanates from the א1 (Brahman).

Assimilating the infinitude of the א0 (universe), the א1 (Brahman) alone is left.

What at first reading of the Shāntī Pāth  sounds like a quibble on the word pūrna or ‘whole’ actually turns out to be a mathematically significant statement. It reflects on the very nature of continuity and its relationship with discreteness. The pūrnam adah is the Supreme Brahman, the integral whole that is paripūrna , attribute less and immutable. The pūrnam idam is also an infinity but like א0, it is quantifiable. The human intellect by its very process of comprehension relegates the Unknowable to an erudite graininess. This in essence is the very basis of Quantum Mechanics and Heisenberg’s principle. The pūrnam adah is the א1 the incomprehensible, unchangeable infinity that can give rise to as many א0s as desired and yet not be exhausted. Cantor used the rules of contradiction to show this. And similarly we have the neti – neti explanation in Brhad. Upanishad II.3.6 – Now therefore there is the teaching, not this, not this for there is nothing higher than this, that he is not this. Now the designation for him is the truth of truth…. S. Radhakrsihnan1.