[Advaita-l] Sleep, tamas and brahman

[Praveen R. Bhat]

​Namaste Kalyanji,

On Tue, May 1, 2018 at 2:32 PM Kalyan <kalyan_kg at yahoo.com> wrote:

>
> I dont know the answer to your question. Shankara raises a similar
> question in 4.3.31, but does not give any answer.
>

The lack of answer is not proof of no answer being there. It has been dealt
with by the same Bhashyakara in Mandukya 1.6 and Chandogya 6th chapter.
Bhashyakara may not answer all questions everywhere as they are answered
elsewhere. Brihad is the last studied Upanishad in the sequence of ten.
​Upanishads are one unit. Although one is sufficient, it doesn't mean that
others are completely contradictory or even tangential. Else Bhashyakara
need not quote other Upanishad mantras as hetus in any commentary.

pArisheShanyAya tells us that the answer is avidyA. The avidyAkArya such as
waking or dream is not possible without avidyAbIja in deep-sleep. Also,
since my first mail was likely ignored, I shall repeat that suShupti is an
example used by Shruti to explain the true nature of Atma since there is
noise of mixing up oneself as someone else as in dream or waking. That is
the only reason for suShupti to be used. Neither does it mean that avidyA
is not there in suShupti nor that svarUpa is not there in other two states!
suShupti is svarUpasya agrahaNa and other two are svarUpasya anyathAgrahaNa
also along with svarUpasya agrahaNa.

gurupAdukAbhyAm,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति, तं केन विजानीयात्। Through what should one know
That owing to which all this is known! [Br.Up. 4.5.15] */
​