[Advaita-l] Tamas, physical darkness, is a positive object

[V Subrahmanian]

Here is a verse from the Panchadashi which says that 'when we close our
eyes, the internal darkness is perceived':

In the second chapter titled 'pancha mahā bhūta viveka', Swami Vidyaranya
is explaining the source of the sense/motor organs, their objects, etc.
After saying that the organs are largely turned outwards, he says that the
objects of perception present inside the body too can sometimes be
perceived:

कदाचित्पिहिते कर्ण्णेश्रूयते शब्द आन्तरः। प्राणवायौ जा-ठराग्नौ
जलपानेऽन्नभक्षणे।  8
व्यज्यन्तेह्यान्तराः स्पर्शा मीलने चान्तरं तमः। उद्गारे रसगन्धौ
चेत्यक्षाणामा-न्तरग्रहः। 9

8. But sometimes we hear the sounds made by our in-going and out-going
breaths, and we hear buzzing sound when our ears are stopped. We feel an
internal sensation of hot and cold when food and water are swallowed.

9. *When our eyes are closed, we see inside the inner darkness*, and in
belching we experience taste and odour. Thus the sense organs give rise to
experience of things within the physical body.

regards
subbu



On Thu, Jul 20, 2017 at 6:24 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Tamas, physical darkness, is a positive object
>
> In the BSB 1.3.40, Shankara says: ‘एष सम्प्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात्समुत्थाय
> परं ज्योतिरुपसम्पद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यते’ (छा. उ. ८ । १२ । ३)
> <http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Chandogya?page=8&id=Ch_C08_S12_V03&hl=%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%B7%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9B%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%20%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%87> इति
> श्रूयते । तत्र संशय्यते — किं ज्योतिःशब्दं *चक्षुर्विषयतमोपहं तेजः*, किं
> वा परं ब्रह्मेति ।
>
> Does the word 'jyotis' in the Chandogya passage 8.12.3 refer to the
> physical light that dispels darkness that envelops objects perceptible to
> the eye or the Supreme Brahman?
>
> From the usage  *चक्षुर्विषयतमोपहं*   it is clear that darkness is a
> positive entity that is also popularly understood as 'absence of light' and
> that it is dispelled by light. In any case that darkness is admitted by the
> Vedantin as an object that is grasped by the eye is what we understand from
> the usage. We do have the Upanishad itself admitting darkness, tamas, as a
> specific entity and not as an abhava. In the antaryami brahmanam 3.7.13 is
> this mantra:
>
>
>