[Advaita-l] Sleep, tamas and brahman

[V Subrahmanian]

>
>
> ​ And all the following examples show ​that just as when one desires
> something, there is lack of desire of everything else, one knows nothing
> else (=avidyA of everything else and even the nature of that object of
> desire too), similarly in deep-sleep desiring only AtmA one sleeps, there
> is objectification of this Ananda alone and one has avidyA of everything
> else, including the real nature of Atma also which cannot be objectified.
> This is my understanding which you will point as wrong. So I shall take
> support of Bhagavan Anandagiri, who if pointed out as wrong would just show
> more of the person's ignorance and ashraddhA towards sampradAya. Here goes
> TIkA under it:
>
> यद्यपि सुषुप्ते अविद्या विद्यते तथापि न सा अभिव्यक्ता अस्ति इति
> अनर्थपरिहारोपपत्तिः इत्यर्थः। There is avidyA of everything really,
> including Atma, but it is not manifest since it is is bIjAvasthA.
>

The above commentary of Anandagiri is in accordance with the mandukya
karika verses cited already in this thread on bijanidra.   Shankara has
said in M Karika 1.13 that the praajna, the jiva in deep sleep, is endowed
with the seed of the duality that will project itself once sleep is over,
in the waking/dream. Shankara uses the term: 'vishesha pratibodha
prasavasya beejam' (the seed of the perception of specific objects that
will come up in the waking).  This is exactly what Shankara says in the BU
B too while qualifying the avidya (that is absent) in deep sleep.
Anandagiri brings out the idea in terms of logic: a cause is that which has
to be irrefutably existing prior to the effect: kaarya nityata purva
vrittitvam.  The  nidra itself is called beejanidra since it has within it
the yet-to-manifest duality in seed form.  It this is not present, it
cannot be called nidra at all. The Mandukya 5 and 6 mantras too have this
element, both in the individual and cosmic aspects. In fact in order for us
to get the correct meaning of BU 4.3.32, we have this clinching evidence
from Shankara, in his commentary to MU mantra 5 on the jiva's deep sleep:

यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत्सुषुप्तम् ।
सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक्चेतोमुखः
प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः ॥ ५ ॥  The mantra has the word 'anandamaya'. Shankara
explains this thus:

 मनसो विषयविषय्याकारस्पन्दनायासदुःखाभावात् आनन्दमयः आनन्दप्रायः ; नानन्द
एव, अनात्यन्तिकत्वात् । यथा लोके निरायासः स्थितः सुख्यानन्दभुगुच्यते ।
अत्यन्तानायासरूपा हीयं स्थितिरनेनात्मनानुभूयत इत्यानन्दभुक् , ‘एषोऽस्य परम
आनन्दः’ (बृ. उ. ४ । ३ । ३२)
<http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=4&id=BR_C04_S03_V32&hl=%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%20%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%83>
 इति श्रुतेः ।

Since the mind, in deep sleep, is free of the stress arising out of
subject-object duality perception of the waking/dream, he is called
anandamaya, which only means approximately ananda and not ananda itself;
since it is not of everlasting nature. Just as in the world a person who is
free of stress is called blissful, happy. Since this state in sleep is
extremely free of stress, the sleeper is called 'enjoyer of ananda.' And
here to substantiate this cites the very BUB 4.3.32 passage: Esho asya
parama Ananda verbaitm!!  So, Shankara's impression of the BUB 4.3.32 is
now absolutely clear and that it is a teaching of Ananda that obtains in
the deep sleep state.

Again and again we see a close connection between the two Upanishads,
Mandukya and BU, not in conflict, but in complete agreement.



regards
subbu

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