What is Akhyativada?

Akhyativada is a philosophical concept within Advaita Vedanta that addresses the nature of reality, particularly focusing on the relationship between words or linguistic expressions (akhyati) and the ultimate reality (Brahman). Coined by the renowned philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, Akhyativada challenges the conventional understanding of language and reality.

According to Akhyativada, the apparent multiplicity and diversity in the world are due to a fundamental error in perception caused by language and mental constructs. The term "akhyati" refers to the power of words or linguistic expressions to create apparent distinctions and divisions in the undifferentiated reality of Brahman.

Shankara argues that the world as perceived through names and forms is a result of superimposition (adhyasa) caused by language and conceptualization. Reality, in its ultimate nature, is undivided and unchanging, but linguistic expressions create an illusory perception of diversity.

Akhyativada aligns with the Advaitic principle that the ultimate reality is non-dual (advaita) and that the multiplicity observed in the world is a product of misapprehension. Shankara uses Akhyativada to elucidate the illusory nature of the phenomenal world and to guide seekers toward the realization of the underlying unity of Brahman beyond linguistic and conceptual limitations.