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

[Ravi Kiran]

Namaste Praveenji

On Tue, Jul 25, 2017 at 8:24 PM, Praveen R. Bhat via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste Raviji,
>
> On Tue, Jul 25, 2017 at 5:22 PM, Ravi Kiran via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > Interestingly, only light (tejas) is listed under dravya (substance), but
> > not darkness (tamas), in tarka sangraha.
> >
> ​True. In Padakrtya, a doubt is raised: there is a saying that the
> darkness/shadow moves. नीलस्तमश्चलति। They also say that being touched with
> someone's shadow is auspicious while that of another is inauspicious. The
> answer given is: तेजसः अभावः तमः।
>
> That said, what about अभाव itself? Its a पदार्थ। So you can say that the
> तमः is that which is an अभावपदार्थ ! :)
>

In that case, which one of the 4 abhAva  :-)


>
> In any case, its not as bad for Vedantins, since we use नञ् as विरोधार्थे
> नञ् to result in अविद्या। Else, we should have no objection to Shunyavadins
> since अभावरूप शून्यत्वम् can also cause संसार then!!


Never, as bhAshya clearly says..

तत्त्वाग्रहणेन तमसा अन्यथाग्रहणबीजभूतेन बद्धो भवति


> Still, we do not
> really insist on भावरूपा, but we say it is not अभावरूपा। It can be said as
> यत्किञ्चिद् भावरूपा।
>

agreed, as some prakriyas admit so ..


>
> ​gurupAdukAbhyAm
> ,
> --Praveen R. Bhat
> /* येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति, तं केन विजानीयात्। Through what should one know
> That owing to which all this is known! [Br.Up. 4.5.15] */​
> _______________________________________________
>

Thanks