[Advaita-l] Vaadiraaja Teertha's Yuktimallika - Advaita Criticism - Slokas 1-14 to 1-16

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

Vadiraja now continues with objection against Niraakaara Brahman of the
Advaitis.

अन्धश्च बधिरो मूकः पङ्गुः षण्डो विनासिकः ।

इत्याद्या व्यङ्गताहेतोर्या निन्दा लोकसम्मताः ।

ताः सर्वाश्च निराकारवादे किं न स्युरीश्वरे ॥

१-१४
The blind, the deaf, the dumb, the lame, the impotent, having no nose and
so on - because of these deficiencies scolding with these scolding words is
accepted in the world. If you accept Niraakaara Vaada saying Brahman has no
Form why these scolding words will not apply for Ishwara?
Vaadiraaja's argument is like this. We scold people with these words. If
someone is not seeing a object lying in front of him we scold 'Are you
blind? It is in front of you only'. If someone is not hearing when we speak
we will scold 'Are you deaf? Did you not hear what I said'? If some one is
not speaking at all even though we are asking questions we will scold 'Are
you dumb? Why you are not answering me?' If someone is lazy and wants to
avoid walking a small distance we will scold 'Are you lame? Have you no
legs? Why cannot you walk?' If a husband is not showing courage and facing
some harassing people like her inlaws  the wife and her family will scold
her husband 'Are you impotent? Are you wearing bangles? Why you are not
facing those people and replying boldly to them?' And so on.

If Brahman is without Form it is like saying He has missing organs and
deficiencies like blind, deaf, dumb, impotent people and so on. Therefore
all the scolding words will apply for Him. Vadiraja is indirectly saying we
have to worship God with Form having all organs.

Response - The Svestasvatara Upanisad is saying

अपाणिपादो जवनो ग्रहीता पश्यत्यचक्षुः स शृणोत्यकर्णः । He has no hands and
legs but He goes fast and grasps. He has no eyes and ears but he sees and
hears. The Geeta also is saying He has no organs - Sarvendriya Vivarjitam




*sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁsarvendriya-vivarjitamasaktaṁ sarva-bhṛc
caivanirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca*

We can find many Sruti statements to show Brahman is Niraakaara. Therefore
Vadiraja's attack is not only on Advaita but also on Sruti itself.

He will now attack the Nirguna Brahman.

युक्तिमल्लिका -

विद्याविनयहीनस्त्वं निर्दयो निर्व्रतोऽशुचिः ।

औदार्यधैर्यशौर्याद्यैर्हीन इत्यादिकाश्च याः । १-१५

सद्गुणाभावतो निन्दास्तास्तु नैर्गुण्यवादिनाम् ।

मते स्युर्ब्रह्मणि परे सर्वाः सर्वस्य सम्मताः ॥ १-१६

If you accept Brahman is Nirguna - without qualities He will be OBJECT of
all abusive words people in the world accept to use for a person without
good qualities. People will say a person is Nirguna if he has no Vidya, no
humility, no pity for suffering people, no rules and conduct, no
cleanliness, no generosity, no courage, no bravery and so on. If there is
no Sadguna - good qualities in Brahman all these abusive words will
apply for Para Brahman.

Response - All the good qualities in the world come with bad qualities. If
a person has no Vidya no education he has Ignorance as a bad quality. If a
person has no humility he has arrogance as a bad quality. If a person has
no pity he has Cruelty as a bad quality. If a person has no good conduct he
has bad conduct as bad quality. If a person has no cleanliness his bad
quality is being dirty. If a person has no generosity he has stinginess as
bad quality. If a person has no courage he has cowardice as bad quality. If
a person has no bravery he has cowardice as bad quality and so on. Every
Sadguna will have opposite Durguna. Therefore if people call a person as
Nirguna in the world it means he has bad qualities. It does not mean he has
NO qualities. Nirguna in the world means Sadguna-Heena and
Durguna-Sampanna.

BUT when Advaitis say Brahman is Nirguna they mean Brahman has no Sadguna
and no Durguna also. Therefore the abusive words of above list will not
apply for Brahman. Sruti and Geeta have also statements to show Nirgunatva
of Brahman. In the above mentioned Geeta Sloka itself it has the word
Nirgunam. In Svetasvatara Upanisad also  - sarvabhutesu gudhah sarvavyapi
sarvabhutantaratma | karmadhyaksah sarvabhutadhivasah saksi ceta *kevalo
nirgunasca* || *Svetasvatara* Upanisad (6.11). Now my dear Vadiraja don't
argue 'it is not Kevalo Nirgunasca but Kevalo Anirgunasca' because that is
a silly argument. We have responded in Nyayaratnavali discussion itself to
this.

Requesting scholars to kindly respond with details and finer points.