[Advaita-l] Shankara and DrishTi-SrishTi vAda - eka jeeva vaada

[Anand Hudli]

The sidhhAntaleshasaMgraha of appayya dIkshita cites one view of the
dRShTisRShTi vAda. In response to an objection, "nanu
dRShTisRShTimavalambya kRtsnasya jagatprapaMchasya kalpitatvopagame
kastasya kalpakaH? nirupAdhirAtmA vA, avidyopahito vA?" Who creates this
entire world? Is it the Atman without upAdhis? Or is it the Atman with
upAdhis? To this objection, one reply is as follows. It is the Atman with
avidyA upAdhi who creates the next avidyA. The Atman with the resultant
avidyA upAdhi creates the next avidyA and so on
(pUrvapUrvakalpitAvidyopahita uttarottarAvidyAkalpakaH). Since there is no
specified beginning for this process (similar to the seed-sprout process),
there is no anavasthA defect (the created avidyA requires Atman with avidyA
and hence mutual dependence). As can be seen here, the entire world
creation is similar to a dream, created by Atman with avidyopAdhi. Another
objection can be raised. If the dRShTisRShTivAda does not allow ajnAtasattA
of objects (no object can exist if it is unknown, "if a tree falls in the
forest and nobody heard it, did it really fall?") how do you account for
shruti statements that talk of creation of AkAsha (space) etc.? The answer
given is that these creation theories are only put forward to teach the
adhyAropa-apavAda method of arriving at niShprapancha Brahman, and there is
no other essence conveyed by such creation theories.

Anand