[Advaita-l] Question on adhyaasa

[Venkatraghavan S]

Sorry to trouble, but would it be possible to post the text. Not on
Facebook.

Thanks
Venkatraghavan

On Mon, 10 Dec 2018, 06:03 V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org wrote:

> Here is a fine post on adhyasa, which appeared as a comment to my FB post:
>
> https://www.facebook.com/subrahmanian.vaidyanathan/posts/2421964061150274
>
> The poster of the comment is Sri Rahul. He uses Hindi too in the comments..
>
>
> The Adhyasa of Atma on Anaatma is known as संसर्गाध्यास. In simple language
> it is the Adhyasa of संसर्ग (संबंध) between Atma and Anatma.
>
> This is explained elsewhere as catching the semblence (आभास) of चैतन्य by
> the Anatma.The analogy of fire and a red-hot iron ball is given on this
> context.
>
> In Upanishad Bhashya, Acharya remarks that this semblence is not an actual
> reflection since Atman is all-pervading (Niroopa) like space.
>
> However, those who advocate Pratibimba Vada argue that even a Niroopa,
> Niravayava entity may have a reflection ~ e.g. Vivarana Prameya Samgraha,
> Siddhanta Bindu etc.
>
> (
>
> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=782425041833141&set=a.251918044883846&type=3
> <
> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=782425041833141&set=a.251918044883846&type=3&hc_location=ufi
> >
> )
>
> Acharya does not elaborate much on this. In Upadesha Sahasri 1.58, refuting
> the objection of Nihilism, He says,
>
> " Atman, like space is not in actual contact with anything. Just as nothing
> is bereft of space though space is not in actual contact with them, so
> Anatma is not bereft of Atman though Atman has no actual contact with them.
> "
>
> In Samkshepa Shariraka, the topic is dealt in details -
>
> When a silver is superimposed on shell, the " This " aspect (इदमंश) of the
> shell is superimposed on the illusory silver, since the Adhyasa is : " This
> is a silver. " Here, इदमंश of the shell is the सामान्यांश, which gets
> superimposed on the illusory silver during अन्योन्याध्यास.
>
> Similarly, during the संसर्गाध्यास of Atman on Anatma, only those aspects
> of Atman EXCEPT the " Infinite Bliss " (पूर्णानन्दत्वरूप) aspect get
> superimposed.
>
> Objection :- Nirvisesha Atma being devoid of Amsa / Dharma, cannot have any
> सामान्यांश and विशेषांश.
>
> The answer to the objection is somewhat abstruse. I prefer to write in
> Hindi :
>
> // निर्विशेष आत्मा स्वरूपतः निर्धर्मक होनेपर भी सांशत्व औपचारिकरूप से
> (व्यवहार के सामर्थ्य बलपर) सिद्ध ही हैं - अविद्यावशतः अखण्ड चैतन्य में भी
> जीवत्व, ईश्वरत्व आदि सांशत्व विद्यमान हैं ।
>
> जब " इदं " अंश का रजत में आरोप होता है तो " इदं " स्वरूपतः सत्य होनेपर भी
> रजततादात्म्यापन्नरूप से अर्थात् रजतसम्बद्धरूप से मिथ्या है ; इसी तरह आत्मा
> में अनात्मा का अध्यास होनेसे आत्मा यद्यपि स्वरूपतः सत्य है, किन्तु
> अनात्मतादात्म्यापन्नरूप से अर्थात् अविद्याप्रयुक्त अनात्मसम्बद्धरूप से
> मिथ्या है ; अतः इस मिथ्या आत्मा का अनात्मा में (पूर्णानन्दरूपत्व व्यतीत
> अन्य रूपत्वेन) अध्यास संभव होता है //
>
> One can go to Rahul Smartha's FB wall and see many more posts on Advaita,
> Mimamsa, etc.
>
> regards
> subrahmanian.v
>
> On Fri, Dec 7, 2018 at 1:32 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Since we are discussing the topic 'Adhyasa', it would be of interest to
> > see here a collection of shlokas on Adhyasa in the Srimadbhagavatam:
> >
> >
> >
> https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/adhyasa-demonstrated-in-the-bhagavatam/
> >
> > A part of the article:
> >
> > श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः
> > Sri Shankaracharya has demonstrated in the adhyAsa bhAShya that / how
> > ‘adhyAsa’ is the cause of samsara.  In the BhAgavatam, BhagavAn Veda
> VyAsa,
> > through the medium of BhagavAn Krishna, demonstrates adhyAsa with a
> couple
> > of examples:
> >
> > The uddhavagItA Chapter 17 concluding portions contain the relevant
> verses:
> >
> > प्रकृतेः एवम् आत्मानम् अविविच्य अबुधः पुमान्।
> > तत्त्वेन स्पर्शसंमूढः संसारं प्रतिपद्यते॥५०॥
> >
> > The ignorant man, failing to rightly discriminate thus  the Atman from
> the
> > prakRti, is deluded by the sense-objects and goes from birth to birth.
> >
> > The adhyAsabhAShya words:  इतरेतराविवेकेन …नैसर्गिकोऽयं लोकव्यवहारः is
> > what is meant in the above verse.
> >
> > सत्त्वसङ्गात् ऋषीन् देवान् रजसा असुरमानुषान्।
> > तमसा भूततिर्यक्त्वं भ्रामितः याति कर्मभिः॥५१॥
> > Swayed by his past karma, a man through his attachment to sattva becomes
> a
> > sage or a god, under the influence of rajas, an asura or a man, and under
> > the influence of tamas a ghost or a beast.
> >
> > नृत्यतो गायतः पश्यन् यथैव अनुकरोति तान्।
> > एवं बुद्धिगुणान् पश्यन् अनीहः अपि अनुकार्यते॥५२॥
> >
> > Just as a man watching a band of dancers or singers imitates them
> > (spontaneously at least in the mind) so the Atman, even though without
> > activity, is moved to imitate the attributes of the buddhi (intellect).
> >
> > Here the इतरेतर-अध्यासः is spoken of.  adhyAsa is अन्यत्र अन्यधर्मावभासः
> > the manifesting / perceiving of the attributes of object ‘x’ in object
> ‘y’
> > (and vice versa too).  In this verse the attributes of the
> dancers/singers
> > that constitute the ‘other’ / different / object/ viShaya (for the one
> who
> > watches the performance who is really the viShayI / the subject) are
> taken
> > upon himself and he identifies himself with the dancers/singers and he
> too
> > engages in dancing/singing, at least in the mind. Even so, the Atman
> takes
> > upon itself, as though they are its own, attributes belonging to the
> > non-Atman, the anAtman, buddhi.  Atman is niShkriya, asanga.  Yet, the
> > kriyaa of the buddhi is superimposed on the Atman and one comes to think
> ‘I
> > act/deliberate/think etc.
> >
> > Please read the rest in the link:
> >
> >
> >
> https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/adhyasa-demonstrated-in-the-bhagavatam/
> >
> >
> > regards
> >
> > subbu
> >
> >
> >>
> >>
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> https://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>