[Advaita-l] What is the difference between Maya and avidhya ?T

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms
Hare Krishna

The mention of upAdAna kArana (instead of nimitta kArana), bhAva rUpa (Ashrita in Brahman), existence of causal potentiality much before any adhyAsa occurs, laya, beeja shakti wrt mUlAvidyA, possible content-wise difference between tUlAvidyA and mUlAvidya?, gives rise to many clarifications, as some doubts related to persistence of avidyA beeja in kArana sharIra which is not removed by  jnAna of adhishThAna, but requires samAdhi like abhyAsa to completely remove it.


Ø   mUlAvidyA is the material cause (upAdAna kAraNa) for the adhyAsa.  So, if you see the sarpa in place of rajju it is the effect of that mUlAvidyA or for this mithyAjnAna (adhyAsa) the main avidyA (mUlAvidyA) is the material cause.  jnana of rajju can remove only this adhyAsa but not its upAdAna kAraNa which is mUlAvidyA which is present even in sushupti (not as jnAnAbhAva) and it is NOT an antaHkaraNa dOsha-s like jnAnAbhAva, saMshaya and anyathAgrahaNa.  It is avidyA beeja Shakti which is existed in brahman.  Hence according to them brahman / Atman is the Ashraya for this mUlAvidyA which is an entity or substance (adhishtAna padArtha) in bhAvarUpa.  Due to  this bhAva rUpa mUlAvidyA only first brahman thought of becoming ‘many’.  So says this school of thought.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar