[Advaita-l] Advaita Siddhi series 016 - dvitIya mithyAtva vichAra: (part 8)

[Anand Hudli]

This discussion is found in the jIvanmukti-upapatti topic taken up in the
fourth (last) pariccheda of the advaitasiddhi. After having explained
avidyAlesha as a remnant of avidyA after the dawn of jnAna and the
destruction of (AvaraNa) shakti of avidyA, Madhusudana explains another way
of looking at avidyAlesha, beginning with the words, yadvA ajnAnasya
sUkShmAvasthA leshaH. The subtle form of ajnAna is what is known as
avidyAlesha. Madhusudana draws a parallel between the apUrva of the
mImAMsakas and this avidyAlesha. The mImAMsakas posit a potency called
apUrva, either as belonging to a yajna (the means) or to the end, such as
animals (pashu, svarga, etc.), that accomplishes the result of the Yajna,
in accordance with the shloka vArtika of Kumarila, "tasmAt phale
pravRttasya yAgAdeH shaktimAtrakam| utpattau vApi pashvAderapUrvaM na tataH
pRthak." (codanAsUtra shloka 199). After the Yajna has ended and gone, so
to speak, the apUrva remains and accomplishes the task of bestowing the
result. The apUrva may be viewed as the sUkShma-avasthA of the Yajna which
has terminated.  In a similar fashion, even after the destruction of
ajnAna, the lesha remains to accomplish the appearance (persistence) of the
body, etc. Thus, Madhusudana, citing the vArtika, says, "iti vArtikena yAge
gate api yAgasUkShmAvasthArUpamapUrvaM yAge sAdhanatAnirvAhakamaMgIkriyate,
tathA ajnAne gate api tatsUkShmAvasthArUpo lesho dehAdipratItyanukUlaH
svIkriyate." However, an objection to this could be that this
sUkShma-avasthA of avidyA may continue indefinitely and may not be
destroyed at all. To this, BrahmAnanda replies in his laghu-candrikA,
"ajnAnanivRttajnAsyaiva-anubhavAt." Due to the experience of jnAna that
destroys ajnAna, this cannot be the case. And he further clarifies that in
a sopAdhika-bhrama, due to the proximity of the upAdhi (eg. the red flower
placed next to a colorless crystal), there is a pratibandha (obstacle) to
destroying the illusion caused by the lesha. The redness of the crystal is
still seen, although one knows the crystal is not red. ata eva
adhiShThAnasAkShAtkRte api sopAdhikabhramasthale upAdhisAnnidhyAdinA
leshopAdAnakabhramanivRttAveva pratibandhaH kalpyate.

Anand