[Advaita-l] Dvaita Vaada - Vadiraja Teertha's Nyayaratnavali Slokas 231-242 Law of Karma Part 2

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

Advaiti response -

It is a sorrowful situation because Vaadiraaja does not even read
Sankara Bhashya before expressing objection after objection. He can
get all his doubts cleared in Sankara Bhashya itself.

ब्रह्मसूत्रभाष्यम् । द्वितीयः अध्यायः । तृतीयः पादः । अंशाधिकरणम् । सूत्रम् ५०

आभास एव च

आभास एव च एष जीवः परस्यात्मनो जलसूर्यकादिवत्प्रतिपत्तव्यः, न स एव
साक्षात्, नापि वस्त्वन्तरम् । अतश्च यथा नैकस्मिञ्जलसूर्यके कम्पमाने
जलसूर्यकान्तरं कम्पते, एवं नैकस्मिञ्जीवे कर्मफलसम्बन्धिनि जीवान्तरस्य
तत्सम्बन्धः । एवमव्यतिकर एव कर्मफलयोः । आभासस्य च
अविद्याकृतत्वात्तदाश्रयस्य संसारस्याविद्याकृतत्वोपपत्तिरिति,
तद्व्युदासेन च पारमार्थिकस्य ब्रह्मात्मभावस्योपदेशोपपत्तिः ।
Translation by Swami Gambhirananda - And it is to be understood that
this individual soul is a reflection of the Supreme Self like the
semblance of the sun in water. Not that the soul is the Self Itself,
nor is it something else. From this also it follows that just as when
any one of the reflections of the sun moves, the others do not,
similarly when any one individual  becomes associated with the result
of its work, no other soul is associated with it. Thus the works and
the results of works do not certainly get intermixed. And since a
false appearance is a creation of Ignorance, it is but logical that
the transmigratory state centering round that appearance must also be
a creation of ignorance, and hence the instruction is logically proper
that the identity of the soul with Brahman, which is the Supreme
Reality, is attained by eradicating that appearance.

In Upadesha Sahasri also Adi Sankara has explained very clearly -

न दृशेरविकारित्वादाभासस्याप्यवस्तुतः ।
नाचित्तित्वादहंकर्तुः कस्य संसारिता भवेत् ॥ १८ - ४४ ॥
Translation by Swami Jagadananda  -
Who is the experiencer of transmigratory existence as it cannot belong
to the Self as it is changeless, neither to the reflection which is
not real nor to the ego which is not a conscious entity.
अविद्यामात्र एवातः संसारोऽस्त्वविवेकतः ।
कूटस्थेनात्मना नित्यमात्मवानात्मनीव सः ॥ १८ - ४५ ॥
Let the transmigratory condition then be only a delusion due to the
indiscrimination between the Self and the non-Self. It always has an
apparent existence due to the real existence of the changeless Self
and therefore appears to be pertaining to it.

What happens to people believing Samsaara is real and Atma is also
experiencing real transmigration of birth and death? Adi Sankara has
said this -
आत्माभासापरिज्ञानाद्याथात्म्येन विमोहिताः ।
अहंकर्तारमात्मेति मन्यन्ते ते निरागमाः ॥ १८ - ४८ ॥
Having no knowledge of the Vedas and deluded on account of the lack of
real knowledge of the Self and Its reflection they consider the ego to
be the Self.
संसारो वस्तु संस्तेषां कर्तृभोक्तृत्वलक्षणः ।
आत्माभासाश्रयाज्ञानात्संसरन्त्यविवेकतः ॥ १८ - ४९ ॥
The transmigratory existence consisting of agency and the experiencing
of pain and pleasure is according to them a reality. They therefore
continue to be born again and again on account of the ignorance of the
Self, Its reflection and the Seat of the reflection (the intellect)
between which they cannot discriminate.

These विमोहिताः people like Vaadiraaja have to understand what is real
and what is not real. For this they must have Viveka. Let them
cultivate Viveka first before simply objecting to Advaita.

Learned members are kindly requested to give additional points.

Commentary - Vaadiraaja out of frustration has decided to bowl
directly at the batsman's body instead of the stumps. He is hoping if
the ball hits the batsman he will suffer pain and he will be afraid to
play the next ball. But the Advaiti batsman quickly moves back and
towards the leg side and hits the full toss ball over point for
another six.

-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh