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

[V Subrahmanian]

For both the objections, the one answer is: Advaita does not consider
Nirguna Brahman a 'person', vyakti, at all. Nirguna Brahman, a word in the
neuter gender, is no person of any linga. Saguna Brahman is admitted by
advaitins to take any form to bless the aspirant. Even if NB is admitted to
take a form to bless a devotee, it will only be with an upadhi. So, NB
being nirupadhika brahman, the stated objection of 'brahman is object of
the loka-nindā vācaka shabda-s' will not apply to It at all. In the
language of the Advaita siddhi, निर्गुणब्रह्मणो व्यक्तित्वानभ्युपगमात् ।
Thus this 'objection' stems from the lack of right understanding the
Advaitic Nirguna brahman.

The pratishedha of nose, eye, etc. is possible only in a dharmi that is
yogya for having those dharma-s. NB is no dharmi at all that could be
admitted to possess such dharma-s as sa-nāsikatva, sa-chakShuṣṭva, etc.
When there is no prasakti at all in NB for these dharma-s, where is the
question of their pratiṣedha?

regards
vs

On Wed, Jun 21, 2017 at 11:46 AM, Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> 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.
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