[Advaita-l] What is avidyA vR^itti as against antaHkaraNa vR^itti?

[Anand Hudli]

Dear Shri Chandramouliji,

You wrote:
>Is not sopadika bhranti ( सोपाधिक भ्रान्ति ) considered avidya vritti ,
even though it can be classified as objective knowledge ? Please clarify.

It depends on how you define "objective". If by "objective" you mean
something that is accepted by everyone in general, yes, a sopadhika bhrama
vastu, although avidyAvRtti is still objective. For example, a crystal
(sphaTika) placed near a red flower (japAkusuma) appears to be red, where
the redness (lauhitya) of the crystal is an illusion (bhrama). This is a
sopAdhika bhrama whereas the illusion of a snake on a rope (rajjusarpa) is
a case of nirupAdhika bhrama. As the advaitasiddhi, under the topic
"kartRtva-adhyAsa", says, the difference between the two lies in the fact
in a nirupAdhikabhrama, the thing being superimposed (adhyasyamAna), the
snake, is of a higher level of reality (adhikasattAka) than the illusory
thing (illusory snake). The snake, which is a vyAvahArika reality, is
superimposed on a rope to give rise to a prAtibhAsika snake. However, in a
sopAdhikabhrama, the superimposed thing is at the same level of reality as
the illusion. The redness of the flower (japAkusuma) is vyAvahArika, and so
is the illusory redness of the crystal, because it persists even after it
is known to be illusory. In fact, everyone in general sees the red flower
and "red" crystal simultaneously.

However, if you define "objective knowledge" as something that is valid
knowledge (pramA) acquired by one of the pramANas, the sopAdhikabhrama
vastu fails the test. Clearly, the redness of the crystal is illusory, not
classified as a pramA. And an a-pramAjnAna has to be taken as an
avidyAvRtti.

Anand