[Advaita-l] Whether darkness is bhava - Vivarana Prameya Samgraha of Shri Vidyaranya

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

We are so accustomed to the photon (particle) model that we assume there is
nothing but emptiness or absence of matter and energy in the darkness and
vacuum in space. These older scientific models are themselves challenged
and contradicted by the observation of 'quantum fluctuations' -
"A quantum fluctuation is the temporary appearance of energetic particles
out of empty space, as allowed by the uncertainty principle
<https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle>."
Even the vacuum of outer space is inherently an existent entity which can
spontaneously create particles literally out of 'thin vacuum.'

Even vacuum is thus not the mere 'absence' of matter and energy.

So far it's just science. Now taking care not to arbitrarily mix science
with Vedanta, we can still reasonably hold that an adhidevatA is revealed
by the upaniSad only for some existent entity, energy or law etc. While the
different indriyas etc have devatAs who govern them there is no devatA for
an atyanta-abhAva entity like a shasha-shRnga.

The above idea may have some relevance to the verse in brihadAraNyaka where
there is mention of the tama abhimAnI devatA.







On Tue 7 May, 2019, 10:07 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> But here tamas refers to Mrityu devata just as prithivi does not refer to
> astronomical body prithivi but to prithivi devata. Moreover, this is
> adhidaivata-prakarana, then how can by the word tamas is taken the
> darkness? If you take here literal meaning then you will have to take even
> direction as some bhava padarth like chair and table because even that is
> enlisted. By the word dik, Ashvini Kumaras are meant and so on.
>
> Regards,
> Sudhanshu.
>
> On Tue 7 May, 2019, 21:06 V Subrahmanian, <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > On Tue, May 7, 2019 at 9:03 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> >> In the above, especially the 'outside' tamas, we have the shruti pramana
> >> for 'tamas' being a bhaava padaartha like sun, moon, etc.
> >>
> >> Hari Om V Subrahmanian ji,
> >>
> >> Which one exactly is Shruti Pramana for 'tamas' being a bhava padarth
> like
> >> sun, moon?
> >>
> >
> > This passage of the Upanishad:
> >
> > …यस्तमसि तिष्ठंस्तमसोऽन्तरो यं तमो न वेद यस्य तमः शरीरं यस्तमोऽन्तरो
> > > यमयत्येष त आत्मान्तर्याम्यमृतः ॥ १३ ॥ ………
> > >
> > This passage occurs amidst so many other cosmic entities in that
> > braahmaNam.
> >
> > regards
> > subbu
> >
> >
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Sudhanshu.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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