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

[Anand Hudli]

Dear Shri Sadanandaji, Shri Venkatraghavanji, Shri Bhaskarji, and others,

I read your messages expressing concerns about jIva taking on the role of
creating the world. However, MadhusUdana Sarasvati, a strong proponent of
the ekajIvavAda has this to say in the siddhAnta bindu:
mukhyo vedAntasiddhAntaH ekajIvavAdAkhyaH| imameva
dRShTisRShTivAdamAcakShate| asminshca pakShe jIva eva svAjnAnavashAt
jagadupAdAnaM nimittaM ca| dRshyaM sarvaM prAtItikam|

This ekajIvavAda is the main siddhAnta of vedAnta. It is also called
dRShTisRShTivAda. In this theory, the jIva itself is the material and
efficient cause of the world, due to its own ignorance. All perceived
objects are illusory.

Who is this single jIva that creates the world? The VivaraNa prameya
saMgraha of BhAratI tIrtha gives this conclusive and unambiguous reply:

tathAhi- yastvaM mAM prati bandhamokShavyavasthAM pRcchasi sa tvameka eva
sarvakalpanAdhiShThAnabhUtashcidekarasa AtmA, tvadanye muktA mucyamAnA
mokShyamANAshca sarve jIvAH tvadavidyayA svapna iva kalpitAH

To you who ask us about the scheme of the bound and liberated, (we say) you
alone are that jIva, the source of imagination of the entire world, wholly
the essence of Consciousness, Atman. Other than you, the liberated, being
liberated, and going to be liberated jIvas are all creations of your avidyA
like in a dream.

As far as being branded as Buddhists, we should not have that concern,
because shrIharSha says in the khaNDana-khaNDa-khAdya:

evaM ca sati saugatabrahmavAdinorayaM visheShaH- yadAdimaH
sarvamevAnirvacanIyaM varNayati ...vijnAnavyatiriktaM punaridaM vishvaM
sadasadbhyAM vilakShaNaM brahmavAdinaH saMgirante|

This being so, the difference between Buddhists and BrahmavAdins
(vedAntins) is that the former hold everything to be anirvacanIya , while
the BrahmavAdins hold everything *except Brahman* to be anirvacanIya, i.e.
different from sat and asat.

Anand