[Advaita-l] Question: prAgabhAva apratiyogitvam Vs pravAha anAditvam

[Murali Karamchedu]

Dear List Members,

I am trying to understand a distinction that Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati 
makes in his Vivekachudamani  Bhashya . The context is the part where he 
says that the linga SarIra is identical for all the janmAs until mukti. He 
says that while avidyA has the characteristic of ‘prAgabhAva 
apratiyogitvam’, the linga SarIra has the characteristic of ‘pravAha 
anAditvam’.

Now, here is how I understand prAgabhAva apratiyogitvam:

prAgabhAva – antecedent non-existence
pratiyogini – the subject of antecedent non-existence.

So, using a stock example; the non-existence of a pot is the prAgabhAva of 
the pratiyogini, pot:

Let,

P = state of prAgabhAva., then we define,
P{A} = prAgabhAva of entity A.

If P{A} exists; then A is the pratiyogini.

E[P{A}] => p{A};  ----------------- (1)

where E[X] implies existence of X; and p{X} implies the affirmation that A 
has the characteristic of being a pratiyogini

now, if

~E[X] means, that it is not true that state X exists; then

~E[P{A}] => ~p{A}; ---------------(2)
Where ~p(A) means that A cannot be a pratiyogini to any prAgabhAva, since 
there cannot exist such a prAgabhAva.

So, if we say that ‘avidyA’ is a prAgabhAva – apratiyogini, we mean that 
there is no state of prAgabhAva for ‘avidyA’. avidyA is beginingless. Lets 
denote the state beginningless, of X as B{X}; so, from the above:

~E[P{A}] => ~p{A} => B{A} ----(3)


In the context I mentioned, he says that while avidyA has ‘prAgabhAva 
apratiyogitvam’ the linga SarIra has ‘pravAha anAditvam’. Beyond the 
superficial meaning of the words, continuous beginninglessness, I do not 
have any other information on this.  But, continuing with the above 
formulation, if L is the linga SarIra, then this suggests the assertion:

B{L} -------------(4),
is true.

So, going by the superficial meaning, continuous beginninglessness, alone 
seems to imply ‘prAgabhAva apratiyogitvam’ to me.

1.	So, what am I missing in the distinction between the two?

2.	Why doesn’t prAgabhAva apratiyogitvam apply to the linga SarIra?

3.	In the same passage, earlier, the acharya says that if we admit that the 
linga SarIra is distinct for each janma, then one would have memory and 
experience in dreamless sleep. Why? I understand the other reasons mentioned 
why the linga SarIra is the same, I don’t understand this one.

Best Regards,
Murali Manohar