[Advaita-l] mUlAvidyA in sUta samhita

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

Namaste Subbu ji
An incidental observation which to me was significant is that the Patanjali
yoga sutra 2.3 regarding 'avidyA asmitA rAga dveSha abhiniveSha kleshAH' is
similar to the avidyA kAma karma causal chain in bhAShya as per the 14th
century tAtparya-dIpikA of unknown authorship.

I used to notice the similarity even before between bhAShya and pAtanjala
yoga sUtra 2.3 , but none of the bhAShyas and vRttis on this sUtra (2.3)
indicated any causal chain of connexion between avidyA and asmitA etc.
(They seemed to treat them all at the same kevel).)

Nevertheless yukti says that the bhAShya idea of avidyA being the cause for
kAma which in turn leads to karma is compatible with the interpretation of
the pAtanjala idea of avidyA causing asmitA (limited individuality or
'egoity'), which in turn leads to desires to find fullness i.e., rAga and
dveSha whose nonfulfillment leads to abhiniveSha. (which prima facie is
'fear of death' but can very well represent all manner of complex emotions,
anxieties and worries.)

So this traditional reference given by you is helpful to assert the
similarity between the two texts viz., bhAShya and yoga-sUtras.

Om
Raghav

On Mon, 29 Jun, 2020, 6:50 AM V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Thanks for the reference.  The shloka along with the commentary 'Tatparya
> dipika' of 14th Century CE (sometimes admitted to be of Swami Vidyaranya,
> but really not so) is available here for viewing:
>
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YYkvDFPw-ObkjYYkHAOeknznPIvtOWo2pQ8ItyjkOd8/edit?usp=sharing
>
> The commentary gives the meaning 'mulajnana' for the term mulamaya, along
> with an upanishadic reference implicitly: .avidya > kama > karma
> (Brihadaranyaka) and Patanjali Yoga sutra: avidya asmita....
>
> I gave the above since the image can't be pasted here.
>
> The Brahmagita of the Skandapurana where the verse in question is present
> is:  https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_giitaa/brahmagiitaaskanda.html
>
> It is a delight to read the gist of various Upanishads in simple verse
> form.
>
> regards
> subbu
>
> On Sun, Jun 28, 2020 at 6:55 PM H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > Namaste.
> >
> > The concept and terminology of mUlAvidyA, as to whether it is coined by
> > post-Shankara commentators or whether it is advanced by Sri Bhagavatpada
> > himself in his bhAshyAs as well as referred to in the commentaries of his
> > direct disciples, has been a point of contention between the protagonists
> > and opponents of mUlAvidyA. So far I had not come across any references
> to
> > the possibility of the term mUlAvidyA being found in any pre-Shankara
> > texts. However during the Upanyasa on Sutasamhita of Skandapurana by His
> > Holiness Sri Sri Shankara Bhararti Mahaswamiji of Yadathore Math, KR
> Nagar
> > near Mysore in the early part of this month, it was brought out that a
> > reference is indeed available in sUta samhita, which forms part pf skAnda
> > purANa, written by Bhagavan Sri Veda Vyasa himself. I am copying below
> the
> > relevant part from the same. I believe this could be of some significance
> > in the debate on the concept and terminology of mUlAvidyA.
> >
> > sUta samhita, Brahma GIta, Chapter 11 (covering Shvetasvatara Up), Verse
> > 62  (Emphasis mine)
> >
> > <<  ज्ञात्वा देवं सर्वपाशापहानिः क्शीणैः क्लेशैर्जन्ममृर्त्यु्र्प्रहाणिः।
> >
> > तस्य ध्याना*न्मूलमाया*विभेदे विश्वैश्वर्यं याति कैवल्यरूपम् ॥  >>
> >
> > <<  j~nAtvA devaM sarvapAshApahAniH kshINaiH
> > kleshairjanmamRRirtyurprahANiH|
> >
> > tasya dhyAnAn*mUlamAyA*vibhede vishvaishvaryaM yAti kaivalyarUpam ||  >>
> > Regards
> >
> > <
> >
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