[Advaita-l] Anantaa vai vedaah

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 1:16 PM, Shrinivas Gadkari
<sgadkari2001 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Shri Subramanian:
> >Sarvajnatva of a knower, Jnani, is not about the mithyA; it is
> >only with respect to the Satyam.  Nor can it be said on the basis of any
> >pramANa, that the knowledge of Sat will automatically make that knower a
> >visheShajna of the mithyA.
>
> Namaste,
>
> I am suggesting let us be open to the claim that brahma vidyA also
> opens doors to all vyAvahArika sciences and arts. Those few who want
> to explore this domain should do so (provided they have done the
> required the preparatory work AND have sadguru bhakti to support).


I agree with Sri Subrahmanian and Sri Vidyasankar on this. sarvajnatvam does
not mean you know the particularities of all things. As nirvisesha brahman,
there are no particular objects for you to know or not know in the first
place. But the problem is perhaps in leaving it at that. You are forced to a
conclusion that a Jnani (=Brahman) does not know something. Though it may
tally with direct experience by the observers, the point is that we cannot
say that brahman (jnani) does not know as much as we cannot say that brahman
(jnani) knows. He is at a stage beyond known and unknown, which are with
respect to the cognizer where as brahman is pure intelligence or
consciousness (substratum of cognizer, cognition and cognized). Though He is
distinct from all names and forms, all the names and forms are present in
Him. Sankara quotes this in BSBh (2.1.14) "that within which these forms and
names are contained is Brahman' (*Kh*. Up. VIII, 14, 1)". A jivan mukta DOES
NOT have any obstacle to objective knowledge or ignorance because the cause
of both (viz ajnana) does not exist for him. If he does have difficulties to
either objective knowledge or ignorance then it is either because he is not
a jivan mukta or because he attained mukti by isvaranugraha even before
complete mano-nasa and vasana kshaya takes place. So, he has tattva jnana
but not the complete experience of jivan mukti. He is perhaps in the fourth,
fifth and sixth stages of jivan mukti but not the seventh. We are
attributing the defects of his mind to his soul. Madhusudana talks about
this in Gudartha Dipika. But if you achieve mano-nasa and vasana kshaya
before attaining jivan mukti, you will experience sarvajnatva (in the sense
of knowing all objects) as well as rulership over all things and giving that
up you will attain advaita siddhi.