[Advaita-l] mUlAvidyA in sUta samhita

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Sudhanshu Ji,

The principal issue I wanted to highlight was regarding association of the
term mUla with terms like avidyA/mAyA etc in pre-Shankara texts. It has
been the contention of the opponents of the concept of mUlAvidyA that this
term was coined by post-Shankara commentators only. No doubt it is in turn
related to the topic of whether avidyA is bhAva or abhAva category. Any
association with a term like mUla is perhaps  considered to render it bhAva
only. Hence the reference to the sUta samhita verse I had cited earlier
would go against their contention that it is a post-Shankara concept only.
Till now, I had not come across such a reference in pre-Shankara texts.

I am not sure if the Shiva Gita you have mentioned uses the term mUla is
association with avidyA. Or if you have come across such a usage anywhere
else in the purANAs or other smriti texts. Please clarify.

I have no doubts in my mind that the Bhashyas of Sri Bhagavatpada as well
as commentaries of Swami Suresvaracharya, Swami Padmapadacharya and others
treat avidyA as bhAva rUpa only.
Regards

On Mon, Jun 29, 2020 at 5:20 AM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Hari Om Chandramouli ji,
>
> Generally wherever mUlAvidyA is questioned, it is stated as abhAva. I was
> going through Shiva Gita (which comes within Padma PurANa). In chapter 9,
> verse 4, Bhagvan says avidyA to be triguNatmika and pariNAmiNI.
>
> I too had/have inclination to treat avidyA as abhAva, but there are clear
> statements in purANAs to the contrary. I must confess that avidyA is
> clearly treated as bhAva in smritis.
>
> Regards,
> Sudhanshu.
>
>
> >
>
>
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