[Advaita-l] shankara speaking on behalf of or speaking to ??

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri ChandramouLi prabhuji
Hare Krishna

I am replying to your old mail.  Today only I have some time to read and reply the old mails.  For the ready reference I am replying with my old observations as well. .  Kindly bear with me.

Namaste Sri Bhaskar Ji,



Reg  << So, karma phala is experience and residual impression after that experience is vAsana. jnAni due to his prArabdha karma *experience* the phala in the current janma / body and after experiencing it the shesha / traces / impression is what can be called as vAsana.  And this vAsana is the reason through which samyak jnAni’s indriya-s engage in ‘pravrutti’ and for the pravrutti of the jnAni PKP (prArabdha karma phala) is not the direct reason.  Am I now, clear in my understanding of your view point prabhuji??  If not, please correct me. >>,



No. It is not correct. Impressions left  behind by experience in the current body is covered under स्मृति (smRRiti). It is not vAsana. vAsana relates to the impressions carried forward to the current birth from “experience” in previous births.

Ø   Though I am not clear about the difference between vAsana and smruti in this context, it seems you are talking about the vAsana-s in jnAni which he accrued in the previous janma experience !!  That means you are talking about the sanchita karma and resultant experience through which created  vAsana is carried forward to the current body of the jnAni.  As we know saNchita & Agaami do not affect jnAni  in whatsoever manner but only karma that is already started giving fruit is the problem for the jnAni.  But here from your clarification it seems jnAni  would get the vAsana from the provious birth experience.  This experience of previous janma and resultant vAsana in current janma can be put into which category of karma whether it is saNchita or prArabdha?? Please clarify.







Reg  << Eating the ‘masAla dOsa’ is because of karma phala the smell of ghee dOsa, chatni,  palya that remains on the palm  after eating dOsa is vAsana.  Here in this example ‘eating’ (bhOga) is karma phala and smell is vAsana aroused due to this phala.  By the influence of this ‘smell’ (vAsana) the ‘eater’ (the jnAni) may be  tempted to go for the dOsa again ( pravrutti) or by knowing the health issues he may avoid it (by exercising his jnana/ viveka / vivechana).  Please let me know whether this example would tally with what you have explained >>,



God forbid, Absolutely NO. Already covered above.



Ø  Okay prabhuji I agree that I might have mistaken.  But bit elaboration required with regard to previous janma experience and current janma vAsana within the scope of ‘karma’.



Reg  << jnana pravrutti daurbalyaM due to karma phala (labdhavrutteH karmaNO baleeyastvAt) and to overcome this daurbalya tyAga, vairAgya sAdhana prescribed  shankara clarifies in this bhAshya bhAga >>,



This is from BUB 1-4-7. I did not see anything which contradicts my understanding. You may like to refer to the translation by Sri SSS again.

Ø   jnAnavannu karma prAbalya / saMskAra hodeya bahudu says Sri SSS in Kannada.



Reg  << My understanding with prasankhyAna is like this.  (ofcourse based on Sri SSS’s works.  If you need I shall quote his exact words from one of his works).  shAstra vAkya janita jnana though nishchita / paramArtha over a period of time due to saMskAra bala this jnana may become parOksha and to maintain the intensity of this nishchita jnana as ‘paramArtha aparOksha jnAna’ the jnAni has to regularly practice this aparOksha jnana to establish himself in this jnana.  This continuous effort to maintain the shAstra vAkya janita jnana is called prasankhyAna.  vijnAya prajnAm kurveeta is the supportive vAkya to justify the prasankhyAna.  In short vAkya janita paramAtma jnana though nishchita over a period of time may get weakened due to anAdi saMskAra bala i.e. he is bhOktru, kartru etc.  So to maintain this paramAtma jnana intact with same intensity the custodian of this jnana should practice it regularly.  And that regular / continuous practice after the jnana is called prasankhyAna which you know shankara refuted in bhAshya-s. >>,



As far as my knowledge goes, my understanding of prasnkhyAna is not different from what Sri SSS has said. You may please give reference to the relevant work of Sri SSS.

Ø   I shall provide Sri SSS’s explanation with regard to this in due course in the meanwhile kindly let me know the  different interpretation that you have with regard to ‘prasaMkhyAna’.





Reg  << A paramArtha jnAni does not required any further efforts since his jnana is aparOksha but if it is parOksha then he is NOT aware of the ‘TRUTH’. >>,



“any further efforts” for what ??  If you are contending that with aparOksha jnana, a jnani ALWAYS remains in that state, I clarify that my understanding is different. Such a jnani needs to undertake further sAdhanAs to remain continuously established in that state. That is what vidwat sanyAsa is all about. And the sAdhanAs are not prasankhyAna.

Ø   Sri SSS observes that for the aparOksha jnAni no further effort required it because of the simple reason that absence of katrutva and bhOktrutva in the jnAni after the dawn of aparOksha paramArtha jnAna…saNyAsa shama damAdi sAdhana / Ashrama is not for paramArtha / aparOksha jnAni it is only for the mumukshu and vijnAya prajnAM kurveeta does not mean after vAkya vijnAna one has to practice it to get the sAkshAtkAra anubhava etc. clarifies Sri SSS.  Exact reference will be provided shortly.

 Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar