[Advaita-l] Please clarify some terms for me.

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Namaste Somaji,

On Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 4:15 AM smallpress via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> The other problem is English terms are used that confuses the issue more.
> I prefer we stick with Sanskrit terms.
> This is is reference to Drg Drshya Viveka
> Sakshi. - is this the same as Consciousness.
>
sAkShi means witness. sAkShi is changeless, separate from jIva and also
called as jIvAtmA or kUTastha.


> Chitih. - is the same as Sakshi?
>
chiti is same as chit


> Chicchaya - reflection of chit?
>
Yes


> Chit Chaitanya - Is the same as Chichaya? Reflection Chit?
>
I don't know where this is in dRgdRshyaviveka (DDV); they are two separate
words to mean the same thing. In fact, there is no usage of chaitanya in
DDV as I see, there is chetana, which means sentient. chetanatA is
sentience.

> Atma I same as Sakshi?
>
Yes. And also same as chit.


> Atma in microcosm, Brhamam in Macrocosm?
>
They are the same, but AtmA is generally used for the innermost Self at the
individual level and brahma for the sacchidAnanda reality underlying the
microcosm and the macrocosm, bereft of any guNas. The saguNa brahma is
Ishvara, the Lord, macrocosm.


> Is Vishepa in reference to World?
>
vikShepa, as one of the two shaktis of avidyA/ ajnAna, is the projection of
the world, as also the body-mind-sense complex which is the part of the
created/ manifest world. It is easy to miss the latter.


> Avarna in relation to Mind?
>
AvaraNa is the other shakti of avidyA/ ajnAna that veils the real nature of
AtmA.


> My apologies for being so reductive.
>
Once you get these English meanings, it is better to stick to Sanskrit
terms, as they cannot have direct translations.