[Advaita-l] Brihad Aranyaka 1.5.23

[Venkatraghavan S]

Namaste Sudhanshu ji,

In this context, Sureshvaracharya has an interesting interpretation to
offer in the vArttika (verse 380) -

आत्मैव प्राणशब्द: स्यात्प्राणबन्धनवाक्यत: |
असदेवेदमित्युक्तेरात्मनो भानुसंभव: ||

>From the ChAndogya mantra (6.8.2) प्राणबन्धनं हि सोम्य मन, it follows that
the word prANa in this context refers to the Atma, and from the ChAndogya
mantra (3.19.1) (असदेवेदमग्र आसीत् तत्सदासीत्तत्समभवत्तदाण्डं निरवर्तत), it
follows that the rise of the sun is from (and by implication, the setting
of the sun is into) the self.

Anandagiri AchArya clarifies that it is the unrealised Atma (ajnAta Atma)
that is being referred to here by prANa. In his shAstra prakAshikA TikA to
the vArttika, he comments thus: अज्ञातस्यऽऽत्मनोऽत्र प्राणशब्दत्वे
नियामकमाह - प्राणेति |

So the rising and setting of the sun can be understood to mean the creation
and dissolution of the sun from the Atma - as opposed to the daily rising
and setting of the sun, which could lead to a doubt like the one that you
have raised.

Regards,
Venkatraghavan

On Wed, May 15, 2019 at 2:21 PM Raghav Kumar Dwivedula via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste
> One fact comes to mind which may have a bearing on this.
>
> In most planets and moons, when the sun sets, the surface temperatures
> plunge to minus 180 degrees Celsius and the surface becomes incapable of
> supporting life. The moon is an example. This is because the surface soil
> cannot maintain temperature as it quickly cools off during the lunar night
> after sunset. The maintenance of terrestrial surface temperatures by the
> atmosphere, in  relative thermostasis, is critical to supporting life forms
> on the surface of the earth.
>
> Om
> Raghav
>
>
>
> On Wed 15 May, 2019, 3:26 PM H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l, <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > Namaste.
> >
> > I can only try to some extent.
> >
> > Reg  << If we were to say that it is an adhidaivata sun which is talked
> > about, then
> > is it true that Surya merges with Vayu devata in *evening *and during
> > *sunset?
> > *This should not be so for He is available for other people of same
> earth.
> >
> > If it is neither physical sun which merges in VAyu nor Surya devatA, then
> > how exactly should we understand the reference of merger of sun in vAyu
> in
> > evening during sunset >>,
> >
> > The sun may be available for other people of same earth. But for a whole
> > lot of people, as well as the animal and plant kingdom, EFFECTIVELY sun
> is
> > absent. All of our activities are in a general sense basically determined
> > by  day and night caused by the presence or absence of sun as far as we
> are
> > concerned. That is what is meant by the Upanishad. However vAyu (in the
> > adhidaivata realm) is NEVER absent. This is akin to indriyAs being active
> > or inactive on a daily basis but prANa is never so (in the adhyAtma
> realm).
> > The upAsaka is advised to undertake upAsana identifying himself with
> prANa
> > dEvata at adyAtma level and vAyu dEvata at the adhidaivika level.
> > Regards
> >
> > On Wed, May 15, 2019 at 12:22 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar <
> > sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hari Om,
> > >
> > > I had gone through the Vartika and Tika before posting the question. I
> > did
> > > not find answer to my question. Hence the post.
> > >
> > > Regards.
> > > Sudhanshu.
> > >
> > > On Wed, May 15, 2019 at 12:01 PM H S Chandramouli <
> > > hschandramouli at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Namaste Sudhanshu Ji,
> > >>
> > >> Reg  << In this regard, please share your views on 1.5.23 >>,
> > >>
> > >> The vArtika of Sri Swami Sureswaracharya covers the BU mantra 1-5-23.
> > You
> > >> may like to refer to BUBV verses 1-5-376 to 390. The tIka of Sri
> > Anandagiri
> > >> Acharya also, both on the Bhashya as well as on the relevant vArtika
> > >> portion, may be referred. In fact I think it directly addresses the
> > >> question raised by you.
> > >> Regards
> > >>
> > >> On Mon, May 13, 2019 at 2:41 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
> > >> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Hari Om,
> > >>>
> > >>> It is a well-known rule that if there is a prima facie contradiction
> > >>> between Shruti and pratyaksha, then it is to be inferred that Shruti
> > >>> intends to say something else.
> > >>>
> > >>> In this connection, I was struggling with the intended meaning of
> > Brihad
> > >>> Aranyak Shruti 1.5.23. It states that sun goes to VAyu in evening
> > during
> > >>> sunset. In Adhyatma, the chakShu (counterpart of sun) goes to PrAna
> > >>> (counterpart of VAyu).
> > >>>
> > >>> The topic is for upAsanA of PrAna.
> > >>>
> > >>> However, the merger of chakShu in PrAna is an empirical fact whereas
> > >>> merger
> > >>> of sun in VAyu is not an objective fact. Nothing happens to sun in
> > >>> evening.
> > >>> It remains where it is and where it was. Sunrise and sunset are said
> > with
> > >>> respect to earth and are to be understood in a secondary sense.
> > >>>
> > >>> How to resolve this contradiction?
> > >>>
> > >>> If we were to say that it is an adhidaivata sun which is talked
> about,
> > >>> then
> > >>> is it true that Surya merges with Vayu devata in *evening *and during
> > >>> *sunset?
> > >>> *This should not be so for He is available for other people of same
> > >>> earth.
> > >>>
> > >>> If it is neither physical sun which merges in VAyu nor Surya devatA,
> > then
> > >>> how exactly should we understand the reference of merger of sun in
> vAyu
> > >>> in
> > >>> evening during sunset.
> > >>>
> > >>> If we were to hold that the statement can make sense for the purposes
> > of
> > >>> upAsana, then my question is whether we can do the upAsana with a
> > >>> factually
> > >>> wrong statement. Will we get requisite shraddhA. The upAsanA should
> > also
> > >>> be
> > >>> logical. For e.g. in Brahma Sutra BhAShya, BhagvAn BhAShyakAra says
> > that
> > >>> there is nothing illogical in worshipping omnipresent at a particular
> > >>> localized place but the vice versa cannot be proper.  अत्रोच्यते —
> > >>> नायंदोषः
> > >>> न तावत्परिच्छिन्नदेशस्य सर्वगतत्वव्यपदेशःकथमप्युपपद्यते सर्वगतस्य तु
> > >>> सर्वदेशेषुविद्यमानत्वात्परिच्छिन्नदेशव्यपदेशोऽपि कयाचिदपेक्षया
> सम्भवति.
> > >>> (1.2.7)
> > >>>
> > >>> Thus, it appears that upAsanA cannot be recommended by way of
> factually
> > >>> wrong statement. It can be, however, recommended through statements
> > >>> having
> > >>> figurative usage.
> > >>>
> > >>> In this regard, please share your views on 1.5.23.
> > >>>
> > >>> Regards,
> > >>> Sudhanshu.
> > >>>
> > >>> --
> > >>> Joint Commissioner of Income-tax,
> > >>> Pune
> > >>>
> > >>> sudhanshushekhar.wordpress.com
> > >>> _______________________________________________
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> > >>
> > >
> > > --
> > > Joint Commissioner of Income-tax,
> > > Pune
> > >
> > > sudhanshushekhar.wordpress.com
> > >
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