[Advaita-l] chid-aabhaasa

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Thu, 26 Feb 2009, Pranipata wrote:

> Hence citAbhAsa is different both from antaHkarana assemblage(mind, 
> intellect, memory, ego) and Atman(cit)/caitanya.
>

This puzzled me at first but now upon reading the panchadashi more 
closely, I see why you put it this way.

8:34-36 refutes several arguments that chidAbhAsa is the same as the 
intellect (dhI or buddhI).  (Translation is from Swami Swahananda with 
some minor changes by myself)

nahi dhIbhAvabhAvitvAdAbhAso'sti dhiyaH pR^ithak |
iti chedalpamevoktaM dhIrapyevaM svadehataH || 34 ||

Objection: chidAbhAsa is not different from the intellect because its 
existence depends on the existence of the intellect.

Reply: You say little, for the intellect itself might also be similiarly 
regarded as not different from the body.[1]

[1] The intellect depends for its functioning on the body and functions 
only in certain specific states of the body.

dehe mR^ite'pi buddhishchechchhAstrAdasti tathAsati |
buddheranyashchidAbhAsaH praveshashrutiShu shrutaH || 35 ||

Objection: The shastras declare the survival of the intellect after the
body falls (and therefore the intellect is the same as chidAbhAsa.)

Reply: According to the Shruti passages which declare the entry of the 
Atman into the body, chidAbhAsa is distinct from the intellect.[1]

[1] See Brhadaranyaka 4.4.2, Aitereya 1.3.12, and Taittiriya 2.6

dhIyuktasya praveshashchaennaitareye dhiyaH pR^ithak |
AtmA praveshaM sa~Nkalpya praviShTa iti gIyate || 36 ||

Objection ChidAbhAsa and the intellect enter the body together.

Reply: This is not so. For in the Aitereya Upanishad it is said that the 
Self enters the body by its own will apart from the intellect.[1]

[1] see the reference to Aitereya Upanishad in the previous shloka.

The other interesting thing about the pa~nchadashis exposition is that 
chidAbhAsa is compared to kuTastha.  This term refers to the Atma as 
silent witness (sAkShi). Literally it means "standing on a mountain" 
Perhaps the image to be conveyed is of an eagle or other bird of prey that 
watches motionless on a mountain peak before swooping down to catch its 
victim.  AFAIK, this word is used in the Gita but not in the upanishads. 
chidAbhAsa is the reflection of kuTastha.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>