[Advaita-l] BGB 4.5: More on dharmAdharmAdi pratibaddhajnAnam

[Murali Karamchedu]

Dear List Members,

In my previous email I had asked:

>Specifically, he says: 'dharmAdharmAdipratibaddhajnAnaSaktitvAt'.

>In the 'dharma adharma Adi', what does the 'Adi' refer to? What else, other 
>than our actions of dharma and adharma constrain our power of jnana?

After that post, I looked up Anandagiri's vyAkhyA. Here is what he says:

Adi Sabdena rAgalobhAdayo grahyante [The word Adi - etc - comprehends raga, 
lobha etc, i.e
attachment, greed etc]

As I think this trough, here are some of the implications that occur to me:

1. The very factors that constrains our knowledge of our numerous births are 
also the factors that
constrain our knowledge of brahman.

2. The constraining factors, the avidya, is because of attachment and 
identification with this body
and this birth

3. If one has get past the identification with this body and birth; then 
what is necessary
for that is the Atma-anAtma viveka; the very thing necessary for avidya 
nivritti ultimately.

4. Therefore, the pratibaddhajnAnaSakti, which causes us to know only this 
birth is a
'side effect' of avidya in general.

5. Is the converse then true? i.e if one were to have clear and 
unconstrained knowledge
of prior lives, can one conclude that avidya-nivritti has 'occured' for that 
person (say jada bharatha ?)


Respectfully,
Murali Manohar