[Advaita-l] About samsara

[V Subrahmanian]

श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः

To get a clear idea of a thing, its cause, nature/characteristics and
effects are to be  studied.  This method is seen to be recognized well in
the shaastrasampradaya.  For example in the Panchadashi 6th chapter we find:

वैराग्यबोधोपरमाः सहायास्ते परस्परम् |
प्रायेण सह वर्तन्ते वियुज्यन्ते क्वचित्क्वचित् ||२७६||
हेतुस्वरूपकार्याणि भिन्नान्येषामसंकरः |
यथावदवगन्तव्यः शास्त्रार्थप्रविविच्यता ||२७७||After saying that the
triad of vairagya, jnana and
withdrawal are mutually contributive, Sri Vidyaranya
goes on to analyse the 'cause-nature-effect' triad

for these to prove the point.

Now, this method of analysis of anything by applying
the हेतुस्वरूपकार्याणि triad is not uncommon in the shastra.
Even in the Naishkarmyasiddhi Sureshwaracharya applies

this.

Shankaracharya, in the adhyAsabhAShyam, applies this
triad implicitly which the Bhashya Ratnaprabha gloss
brings to the fore:

The bhashyam says that adhyasa is the cause of samsara.
However, adhyasa itself comes about owing to the fundamental

ignorance.  This ignorance-adhyasa twin constitute
the cause: हेतु of samsara.

Next the svarUpa of samsara is also stated by the
bhashya:  मिथ्याप्रत्ययरूपः. The Ratnaprabha explains:

उपादानं च निमित्तं च उक्तं भवति । हेतुमुक्त्वा स्वरूपमाह - मिथ्येति ।
मिथ्या माया यया प्रतीयते इति
प्रत्ययः कार्यप्रपञ्चः तत्प्रतीतिश्च इत्येवंस्वरूपः इत्यर्थः ।
The avidya/adhyAsa kArya prapancha / samsara is experienced owing to
mAyA.  Now the
effect of samsara is specified:

तस्य कार्यमाह - कर्तृत्वेति ।
Thus, samsara has for its cause avidyA-adhyAsa.  Samsara has for its svarupam:
the falsely appearing world (of body-mind and objects) that is experienced. The
effect of samsara is the feeling/experiencing of doership, enjoyership, etc.

The Bhashya vAkyam based on which the above analysis was made is:

अध्यासो नाम अतस्मिन्स्तद्बुद्धिरित्यवोचाम ।  तद्यथा पुत्रदारादिषु
विकलेषु सकलेषु वा अहमेव विकलः सकलो वेति
बाह्यधर्मान् आत्मनि अध्यस्यति । तथा देहधर्मान् स्थूलोऽहं
कृशोऽहं.....लङ्घयामि चेति । तथेन्द्रियधर्मान् मूकः काणः

......अन्धोऽहमिति । *एवमहंप्रत्ययिनमशेषस्वप्रचारसाक्षिणि प्रत्यगात्मनि
अध्यस्य तं च प्रत्यगात्मानं सर्वसाक्षिणं
तद्विपर्ययेणान्तःकरणादिषु अध्यस्यति ।* [Here it is beneficial to
recall the Bh.Gita
13.21 verse: where this अन्योन्याध्यासः is specified by
Bhagavan:*पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो* हि भुड़्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं
गुणसड़्गोस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥ २१ ॥
and the Acharya's Bhashya[this is the cause of
samsara.] एवमनादिरनन्तो नैसर्गिकोऽध्यासः मिथ्याप्रत्ययरूपः [this is the svarUpam
of samsara) कर्तृत्वभोक्तृत्वप्रवर्तकः [this is the kArya of
samsara)सर्वलोकप्रत्यक्षः। [This is the pramANa for the
existence of samsara.]

Once the cause, nature and effects of samsara are determined the process
for eliminating the cause becomes possible.  Sadhana becomes relevant. Study
of the shAstra becomes meaningful.  This is the significance of the
adhyAsa bhAshya of Shankaracharya.

ऒम् तत् सत्