Dvaita and Sophistry - Part 3(Inherent natures of jivas)

[kalyan chakravarthy]

Namaskaaram,

> > > > A pre-requisite for eternal transit is the eternal existence of
> > > > such dark worlds which again has not been indicated(definitely not
>by andHam
> > > > tamah).
> > >
> > > On the contrary, there is no indication that the transit is ever
>reversed.
> >
> > Sure there is.  Both Ish. 11 and 14 talk about "mrtyu tirtva" crossing
> > over death.  The "people who kill the Self" go into the asurya lokA
> > that are characterized by blinding darkness after death.  (Ish 3.)  But
>if
> > death can be crossed over then it logically follows that the blinding
> > darkness is not a permanent state.
>
>That amounts to equating mR^ityu with andhaM tamas, which is unsupported
as the latter follows the former.  That death can be crossed over
>does not
>automatically imply that andhaM tamas can be crossed over as well.

There is nothing inherently wrong in saying that mR^ityu(or more
importantly being under the control of mR^ityu) is equivalent to
andhaM tamas. For in the katha upanishad it is said, *mR^ityoh sa
mR^ityum gachchhati*(KU 2.4.) One who sees multiplicity here goes
from death to death. Elsewhere in KU Yama also says that deluded
people come under his sway again and again.(Note that there is no
mention of eternal hell here.)

This is very similar to saying that one who worships avidya goes to
andhaM tamas or one who has neglected Self-Knowledge goes to sunless
worlds after death. And so crossing over of death can indeed imply
crossing over of andhaM tamas. Incidentally this also answers your
original question of getting out of andhaM tamas as Sri Jaldhar has
correctly pointed out.

>Further, there is no indication that the people referenced vide `mR^ityuM
>tIrtvA amR^itaM ashnute' are the same people who are stated to go to
>andhaM tamas.

Again, if the same person who used to neglect Self-Knowledge before
or in previous births, concetrates on the Self in the present(and
future), then there is nothing that stops him/her from achieving
liberation. So there need not be any such indication as asked by
you, in the first place.


Best Regards
Kalyan





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