[Advaita-l] A reference to 'jIvAshritA avidyA'

[Anand Hudli]

Shri Bhaskar YR wrote:

>is nothing but 'ekatvaM' (ekatvamenAjnAnahetuH).  I think even sureshwara
>also accepts this agrahaNa in sushupti and clarifies reason for this is
>existence of 'kevala kUtasTha drushti'.

Speaking of suShupti, sureshvara says that even before the rise of the
triad of pramAtA, pramANa, and prameya, there is a first-hand experience of
ajnAna (avidyA). This avidyA must be related to Cit, Consciousness/Brahman
because it is not related to anything else (in the state of sleep).
Therefore, we can conclude that avidyA has Brahman as its locus. Please see
the brihadAraNyaka upaniShad vArtika 1.4.288, "pramAtrAdyutthiteH pUrvaM
cidanyAnanvayAttamo visheShaNA cidevaikA svAnubhUtyaiva gamyate||" Note
that sureshvara says "tamo visheShaNA cid", Cit characterized by Tamas or
ajnAna is experienced in the sleep state. The very next verse makes it
clear that sureshvara is talking about avidyA in its causal state, possibly
referring to the nAsadIya sUkta of the Rig Veda, and he is identifying the
ajnAna experienced in the sleep state with the causal ajnAna that existed
prior to Creation. Note that as per the nAsadIya sUkta, only Brahman and
avidyA in a causal state existed then. "AsIdidaM
tamobhUtamaprajnAtamalakShaNam| apratarkyamavijneyaM ityetat
svAnubhUtitaH". That primordial ajnAna is known as what is experienced as
ajnAna in the sleep state.

Anand