[Advaita-l] GYAnimAtra and the sthitapraGYa (was Re: FW: Avidya, Jnanis and SSS' views)

[S Jayanarayanan]

--- On Wed, 5/12/10, Shyam <shyam_md at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Pranams Shri Subbu-ji and Shri
> Karthik-ji
> 
> Let me complement and thank both of you on a truly
> illuminatiing and stimulating series of exchanges, which
> have allowed us to examine two aspects of the highly
> pregnant term "mukti" in all its connotations. It is
> striking that both of you have picked different shades of
> the same work the JMV - to arrive (quite logically in your
> own ways) at polarized conclusions!
> 
> If I may succinctly paraphrase the two positions here:
> 
> Position A
> Jnana is the ONLY proximate cause for mukti. A person
> endowed with discriminatory knowledge - a Jnani - is
> liberated, a mukta. If he by means of supreme
> vairagya/sannyasa develops vasanakshaya/manonasha he can
> here-in in this embodiment itself enjoy the fruit of moksha
> or jivanmukti. If however such is not his lot(prarabdha?
> plus? freewill?) then he does not attain to the Supreme
> Peace for the period of embodied existence, but upon death,
> does not suffer rebirth - is free from samsara.
> 
> 
> Position B
> Jnana "alone" (minus nishta) cannot confer mukti - it is
> jnananishta alone that ultimately leads to a complete
> consummation of the ahankara by means of
> vasanakshaya/manonasha (on the strength of that jnana alone)
> - and this is what results in mukti - which alone is
> jivanmukti. A jivanmukta when he casts off this body, is
> said to attain to videhamukti.
> 
> (Both these are of course quite distinct from krama mukti
> which is attained to by a worshipper or upasaka of Saguna
> Brahman)
> 
> I would like both of you to share your viewpoints and
> comments on a section of the Vivekachudamani, which I
> reproduce along with the invaluable commentary of His
> Holiness Sri Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal 
> 

Namaste. Thank you very much for taking the time to post the relevant extracts from the VivekachUDAmaNi along with H.H. Chandrasekhara Bharati MahaswamigaL's revered commentary. I have added a little bit more at the end from HH's commentary on an earlier verse to add to the already complete explanation you have given below:

> ___________________________________
> Verse 300
> YAvat syAt svasya sambandho’hamkAreNa durAtmanA |
> tAvanna leshamAtrApi muktivArtA vilakSaNA ||
> 
> So long as there is any connection of oneself with the
> wicked ahamkAra ( ego-sense), there can not be any talk,
> even in the least, of liberation, which is unique.
> ___________________________________
> This is ofcourse not a matter of any debate. Now then -
> 
> ___________________________________
> Verse 304
> 
> yAvadvA yatkincid viSadoSasphUrtirasti ceddehe|
> kathamArogyAya bhavet tadvad ahamtApi yogino muktyai||
> 
> How can one be healthy if there is even a trace of poison
> in the body? So also is ahamkara in respect of the
> liberation of the yogin.
> 
> It was indicated by the previous sloka that ahamkara should
> not remain EVEN as a MERE TENDENCY - VASANATMANAPI. The
> instruction ‘cutting asunder’ in the previous sloka is
> here expanded.
> 
> Dehe: in the body Yatkincit: even a small particle.
> Even if there is a minute remnant of the poison, how can
> one enjoy health? So too, so long as the ahamkara remains
> even as a natural tendency - vasanatmana, it is an obstacle
> to liberation - muktyai pratibandhika - for the yogin.
> 
> 
> 310
> samUlakrtto’pi mahAnaham punah vyullekhitassyAdyadi
> cetasA kSaNam|
> sanjIvya vikSepashatam karoti nabhassvatA prAvrSi vArido
> yathA||
> 
> Like the cloud brought in by the wind in the rainy season,
> even though completely rooted out, if this ahamkAra is
> awakened in the mind even for a moment, coming to life
> again, it creates hundreds of perplexities.
> 
> mahAn aham: the ahamkara which has grown grotesque or
> colossal for a long time into numberless branches.
> samUlakrttopi; THOUGH CUT asunder ALONG WITH its ROOT,
> AJNANA, [by discriminative knowledge]. punashcetasa yadi
> ksanam vyullekhitah: if allowed to SPROUD AGAIN by the mind
> EVEN FOR A MOMENT, it will strike terror like a terrible
> dream remembered by one just awakened from it. SPROUTING
> AGAIN, it will be cause of hundreds of wrong projections. An
> example for this is given. In the autumn season there is no
> cloud at all. But, gathered by the wind in [at the end of]
> the rainy season, it purs heavily, again. So, too, here.
> 
> If it be asked HOW the ahamkAra which has been destroyed
> will AGAIN COME TO LIFE, it is replied that, like the dead
> reviving by the sprinkling of amrta, thinking of the
> sense-objects is the cause therefor.
> 
> 311
> nigrhyashatrorahamo’vakAshah kvacinna deyo
> viSayAnucintayA|
> sa eva sanjIvanaheturasya nprakSINajambIratarorivAmbu||
> 
> Vanquishing the enemy namely ahamkAra, no quarter should be
> given to it by thinking of senseobjects. Like water
> sprinkled on a lime tree, it is the AGENT OF REJUVENATION.
> nigrhya: vanquishing satrorahamah: of ahamkAra which is the
> cause of universal destruction. visayAnucintaya avakAsho na
> deyah: no chance should be given to it by thinking of
> sense-objects
> to come back to life. Thinking of the sense-objects is the
> cause of reviving it. It will be said in the sloka 323: 
> na pramAdAdanarthonyo jnAninah svasvarUpatah tato
> mohstatohamdhis tato
> bandhas tato vyathA.
> 
> To a decayed lemon tree that comes to life again, water
> becomes the cause of its revival and growth. Thus, THOUGH
> AHAMKARA IS DESTROYED BY DISCRIMINATORY KNOWLEDGE, IT COMES
> BACK TO LIFE IF one indulges in the thought of sense-objects
> - AND THAT MAKES FOR SAMSARA.
> 
> Thus, EVEN THOUGH DESTROYED BY DISCRIMINATIVE KNOWLEDGE,
> evam vivekavijnanena nashitopyahankarah - when SPRINKLED BY
> VASANAS which have arisen from beginningless time, ahamkara
> WILL GROW in the mind AND LEAD TO SAMSARA in the absence of
> concentration on the atman by the mind turned inwards. So,
> one will not be affected by vasanas as there will be no
> occasion for thinking etc., on sense-objects if one is
> continuously established in Brahman without negligence.
> Therefore, one should subdue the effect, i.e., one should
> not engage in thinking about sense-objects.
> ___________________________________
> 
> 
> Here what is interesting is the assertion : that even AFTER
> discriminatory KNOWLEDGE has successfully annihilated and
> ERADICATED the AHANKARA - the force of vasanas is said to be
> such that even a sprinkling of these can indeed give a new
> lease of life to the Ego, and cause the AHANKARA to be
> REBORN. And hence the conclusion - elimination of vasanas
> ALONE is mukti.
> _______________________________________
> 316&317
> tAbhyAm pravadhamAnA sA sUte samSrtimAtmanah| trayANAm ca
> kSayopAyAssarvAvasthAsu sarvadA||
> sarvatra sarvatah sarvam brahmamAtrAvalokanam|
> sadbhAvavAsanAdArDhyAt tattrayam layamaSnute||
> 
> Growing by these two, the VASANA PRODUCES ONE'S
> TRANSMIGRATION. The means to bring about the destruction of
> these three vAsanas – tendency, thought and action – is
> to see everything as Brahman under ALL conditions, ALWAYS,
> everywhere AND IN ALL WAYS. By the strengthening of the
> vAsana of being Brahman, those three are annihilated.
> 
> tabhyam pravardhamana sa vAsanA: that vasana which grows by
> those two, namely thought and action. Atmanah samsmrtim
> sUte: produces one’s [involvement in] samsara.
> 
> Verse 318
> For one who is not able to see everything as Brahman, the
> guru gives out a method by saying that the cause should be
> subdued by the subjugation of the effect.
> 
> kriyAnAshe bhaveccintAnAsho’smAdvAsanAkSayah|
> vAsanAprakASayo mokSassa jIvanmuktiriSyate||
> 
> When the action is destroyed, longing ceases; that will
> lead to annihilation of vasana. THE ANNULMENT OF VASANA
> ITSELF IS MUKTI. That is called jivanmukti.Thus, effort
> should be made by a person till the state of ‘no action’
> arises. Then, there arises complete destruction of vAsanas;
> that itself is liberation. Such a state is said to be
> jivanmukti, liberation even while alive. For it is said:
> muktim prahuhtadiha munayah vasanatanavam yat: “The munis
> say WHAT IS CALLED MUKTI IS ATTENUATION OF VASANA”. VAsana
> is the subtle condition of a thing. Its attenuation means
> destruction.
> __________________________________
> 
> Similarly an examination of verses 322 - 325 with the
> Acharya's commentary will further expand on these ideas.
> 

HH's is quoting the verse 267 of the VivekachUDAmaNi "muktiM prAhustadiha munayo vAsanAtAnavaM yat.h" in His commentary on verse 318 above. Here is the verse, along with a small portion of the commentary by HH (the verse is numbered 268 in HH's commentary):

  GYAte vastunyapi balavatI vAsanA.anAdireshhA .
  kartA bhoktApyahamiti dR^iDhA yA.asya sa.nsArahetuH ..
  pratyag.h dR^ishhTyA.atmani nivasatA sApaneyA prayatnAn.h .
  muktiM prAhustadiha munayo vAsanAtAnavaM yat.h ..267..

  "Even after the Truth has been known, impressions such as
  I-am-the-doer and I-am-the-experiencer, the cause of saMsAra,
  remain strong. This has to be removed by steady abidance in
  the Self.
  The attenuation of vAsanAs is called mukti by the Sages."
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


HH begins His commentary with:

  vastuni Atmani GYAtepi...

  "Having known the Truth that is the Self..."

So there is no doubt that the verse is talking about a state AFTER AtmaGYAna has been achieved, as HH Himself takes it to be the case.

Note the last line of the above verse is "muktiM prAhustadiha munayo vAsanAtAnavaM yat.h", where mukti is defined as the accomplishment of vAsanAkShaya AFTER THE ATTAINMENT OF ATMAGYANA!! You cannot ask for a more explicit statement about mukti and vAsanAkShaya after AtmaGYAna (the verse refers to "mukti", NOT JIVANMUKTI).


HH continues:

  ataH BrahmAtmanA saMsthitiH apramAdena saMsthitiH muktiriti
  dR^iDhatama-sAdhanachatushhTaya-saMpattiM vinA janmAntara
  sukR^itavashAt.h brahmavidopi vAsanAkshaya-manonAshArthaM
  prayatnaH nirantara-samAdhirUpaH Avashyaka evetyuktaM bhavati .

  "Therefore, steady abidance in Brahman is known as mukti.
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  That Brahmavit (knower of Brahman), who has attained to his
  state by infirm qualifications (dR^iDhatama-sAdhanachatushhTaya-
  saMpattiM vinA) and past merits must make effort (prayatnaH)
  in vAsanAkshaya-manonAsha by means of uninterrupted samAdhi."


HH Himself writes that "prayatnaH" (EFFORT) is REQUIRED AFTER ATMA-GYANA by an akR^itopAsti (dR^iDhatama-sAdhanachatushhTaya-saMpattiM vinA) to attain MUKTI (again, note that he does not say "jIvanmukti", but just "mukti").

> The Acharya of Kanchi also echoes similar thoughts - vid.
> http://www.adi-shankara.org/2009/10/advaita-simple.html
> 
> My humble pranams and thanks to both of you for spending
> your valuable time, and thoughts.
> 
> Hari OM
> Shri Gurubhyoh namah
> Shyam  
> 
> 

Regards,
Kartik