[Advaita-l] 'Bhokta' broken up
Sudhanshu Shekhar
sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com
Sat Mar 14 14:45:48 EDT 2020
Hari Om V Subramanian ji,
The literal meaning of kshetra and kshetrajna are explained in Gita 13th
chapter. The constituents of kshetra are enumerated in 13.5 and 13.6.
Kshetrajna is stated as synonym of jiva, purusha in 13.20 bhashya.
Kshetrajna i.e. jiva is actually Ishwara is a subject matter of
Brahma-vidya. It is not an obvious knowledge. It is gained from Upanishad
and realized through sAdhana.
Question arises as to who is kartA/ bhoktA i.e. who has kartritva/
bhoktritva.
In the Kartri adhikaraNa of BSB, Acharya says the following:-
-
कर्ता च अयं जीवः स्यात् (2.3.33)
-
‘विज्ञानं यज्ञं तनुते । कर्माणि तनुतेऽपि च’ (तै. उ. २ । ५ । १)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Taitiriya?page=2&id=T_C02_S05_V01&hl=%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%87%C2%A0%E0%A5%A4%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%9A>
इति । ननु विज्ञानशब्दो बुद्धौ समधिगतः, कथमनेन जीवस्य कर्तृत्वं सूच्यत इति,
नेत्युच्यते — जीवस्यैवैष निर्देशः, न बुद्धेः [The meaning of the word
VijnAna is jiva and not buddhi]
कर्तृसामानाधिकरण्यनिर्देशाद्बुद्धिव्यतिरिक्तस्यैवात्मनः कर्तृत्वं सूच्यत (
2.3.36)
-
इतश्च विज्ञानव्यतिरिक्तो जीवः कर्ता भवितुमर्हति । यदि
पुनर्विज्ञानशब्दवाच्या बुद्धिरेव कर्त्री स्यात् , ततः शक्तिविपर्ययः स्यात्
— करणशक्तिर्बुद्धेर्हीयेत, कर्तृशक्तिश्चापद्येत ; सत्यां च बुद्धेः
कर्तृशक्तौ, तस्या एव अहंप्रत्ययविषयत्वमभ्युपगन्तव्य (2.3.38)
The crux of these quotes is as follows:-
It is the jiva which is the kartA. Taittiriya Mantra 2.5.1 refers to jiva
through the word vijnAna and not buddhi. *Buddhi is always a karaNa and
never a kartA*. If buddhi were to be kartA then it will become
aham-pratyaya-vishayam (*of Gita Bhashya 2.19*) which is not desirable.
Thus, it is held that it is the jiva which is the kartA.
Now, the question arises as to whether the kartritva of jiva is swAbhAvika
or aupAdhika. SwAbhAvika kartritva of jiva is not possible because then the
concept of Moksha itself is not possible. एवं
तावच्छास्त्रार्थवत्त्वादिभिर्हेतुभिः कर्तृत्वं शारीरस्य प्रदर्शितम् ;
तत्पुनः स्वाभाविकं वा स्यात् , उपाधिनिमित्तं वेति चिन्त्यते….न स्वाभाविकं
कर्तृत्वमात्मनः सम्भवति, अनिर्मोक्षप्रसङ्गात्. (2.3.40)
Therefore, it is held that the kartritva of jiva is aupAdhika. तस्मात्
*उपाधिधर्माध्यासेनैवात्मनः
कर्तृत्वम्* , न स्वाभाविकम्. (2.3.40)
The point to be noted here is that still the jiva which is being held as
kartA. Now, what exactly is the meaning of aupAdhika. Jiva i.e. kshetrajna
is like ghatAkAsha and buddhi is like ghata. There is no contact possible
between them (*कः पुनः अयं क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोः संयोगः **अभिप्रेतः*). There
is adhyAsa of property of buddhi in jiva. Kindly note that swarUpa of jiva
as Brahman is not talked about here. Rather it is the kshetrajna, jiva (*of
13.20*) which is like ghatAkAsha which is being referred.
It is also important to note that buddhi is still held as karaNa and not
kartA. तक्षा हि विशिष्टेषु तक्षणादिव्यापारेष्वपेक्ष्यैव प्रतिनियतानि करणानि
वास्यादीनि कर्ता भवति, स्वशरीरेण तु अकर्तैव ; एवमयमात्मा
सर्वव्यापारेष्वपेक्ष्यैव मनआदीनि करणानि कर्ता भवति, स्वात्मना तु अकर्तैवेति
। न तु आत्मनस्तक्ष्ण इवावयवाः सन्ति, यैः हस्तादिभिरिव वास्यादीनि तक्षा,
मनआदीनि करणान्यात्मोपाददीत न्यस्येद्वा ॥ It is to be noted that the word
Atma used here is in reference to jiva.
Hereafter, Acharya makes a drastic shift - whereby VaishnavAs hold him
guilty of self-contradiction, which in my opinion is not correct. *He
imputes kartitva to buddhi*. यस्त्वयं व्यपदेशो दर्शितः, ‘ विज्ञानं यज्ञं
तनुते’ इति, *स बुद्धेरेव कर्तृत्वं प्रापयति* — विज्ञानशब्दस्य तत्र
प्रसिद्धत्वात्. This is just the opposite of what he held in 2.3.36.
Further He says, न च बुद्धेः शक्तिविपर्ययः करणानां कर्तृत्वाभ्युपगमे भवति,
सर्वकारकाणामेव स्वस्वव्यापारेषु कर्तृत्वस्यावश्यंभावित्वात् ;
उपलब्ध्यपेक्षं त्वेषां करणानां करणत्वम् ; सा चात्मनः. (2.3.38 opposition)
However, on careful consideration, it is seen that Acharya is saying the
following:-
1.
Buddhi is karaNa.
2.
All kArakAs have kartritva in their respective field of action.
सर्वकारकाणामेव स्वस्वव्यापारेषु कर्तृत्वस्यावश्यंभावित्वात्. Therefore,
buddhi, despite being karaNa, has kartritva in its own field of action.
3.
The word vijnAna used in Taittirya 2.5.1 refers to jiva alone in which
the dharma of buddhi is adhyasta. If this is not held then there will be
an inevitable contradiction with 2.3.28.
Now, there is no contact possible between jiva and buddhi except through
adhyAsa whereby the dharma of buddhi is imposed in jiva. Buddhi is karaNa
only but just as we say knife cuts the fruit *or* rice is cooking or fuel
is burning or vessel contains - we hold kartritva in buddhi. And this
buddhi-dharma (which is merely karaNa-kriya devoid of kartritva) is imposed
in jiva through adhyAsa to attribute aupAdhika kartritva in jiva.
Thus, we see, buddhi/manas *do not have* kartritva due to being karaNa.
Their kartritva is just like - *the knife is cutting*.
It is the jiva which has kartritva through the adhyAsa of karana-kriyA
which is upAdhi-dharma.
There is karaNa-kriyA (whether of manas/buddhi/indriya). There is adhyAsa
of karaNa-kriyA in jiva. And thereby jiva has kartritva.
*We can never hold the karaNa to be kartA. It is only for language sake we
say so - the knife cuts the fruit.*
Thus, in my humble understanding - it is the jiva i.e. kshetrajna which is
the kartA/bhoktA. And this kartritva-bhoktritva is aupAdhika and not
swAbhAvika. And this does *not *imply the karaNa to be kartA/bhoktA. That
usage is for language sake. *If we hold buddhi/kshetra as genuinely kartA,
then there will be shakti-viparyaya*.
Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.
On Sat, Mar 14, 2020 at 12:53 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 14, 2020 at 10:46 AM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> Hari Om V Subramanian ji,
>>
>> //From this scheme it is very clear that bhokta, samsari, is nothing but
>> the
>> group of body, organs and manas, all of which are anatma, kshetram, pancha
>> kosha.//
>>
>> पुरुषः जीवः क्षेत्रज्ञः भोक्ता इति पर्याय: (गीता भाष्य 13.20)
>>
>> Bhokta and kshetrajna are synonyms. Bhokta is NEVER kshetra.
>>
>
> Here those terms indicate an entity that is not Brahman. For, Shankara has
> said there itself क्षेत्रज्ञेश्वरैकत्वविषयं ज्ञानं मोक्षसाधनम् (BGB
> 13.26) where the word kshetrajna means jiva but that jiva is non-different
> from Ishwara, Brahman. Why? This is because in that chapter itself, what
> all belongs to kshetram is taught and the bhoktrutva and kartrutva too are
> implied. These two are the properties of anandamaya kosha and vijnanamaya
> kosha respectively. All these koshas and their properties belong to
> kshetram as per 13.5,6. Since bhoktrutva, etc. cannot happen without the
> Consciousness part, the bhokta is stated to be jiva, purusha, kshetrajna,
> etc. as synonyms.
>
> Tai.Up,Bhashya 3.10:
>
> तेनैतत्सिद्धं भवति - कार्यविषय एव भोज्यभोक्तृत्वकृतः संसारः, न
> त्वात्मनीति । आत्मनि तु भ्रान्त्या उपचर्यते । नन्वात्मापि परमात्मनः कार्यम्
> , ततो युक्तः तस्य संसार इति ; न, असंसारिण एव प्रवेशश्रुतेः । ‘तत्सृष्ट्वा
> तदेवानुप्राविशत्’ (तै. उ. २ । ६ । १)
> <https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Taitiriya?page=2&id=T_C02_S06_V01&hl=%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D> इत्याकाशादिकारणस्य
> हि असंसारिण एव परमात्मनः कार्येष्वनुप्रवेशः श्रूयते ।
>
> Shankara says, bhoktrutva is what samsara is and it does not inhere in the
> Atman. Out of bhranti one thinks one is the bhokta. The upacharyate is
> significant. It is by courtesy that the Atman/jiva is called bhokta.
>
> Tai.Up.bhashya 2.5 विज्ञानं यज्ञं तनुते, विज्ञानवान्हि यज्ञं तनोति
> श्रद्धापूर्वकम् ; अतो विज्ञानस्य कर्तृत्वं तनुत इति । This is in the
> vijnanamaya kosha.
>
> The realization of aham brahma asmi has been articulated by Shankara in
> the Brahma sutra bhashya thus:
>
> पूर्वसिद्धकर्तृत्वभोक्तृत्वविपरीतं हि *त्रिष्वपि
> कालेष्वकर्तृत्वाभोक्तृत्वस्वरू*पं *ब्रह्माहमस्मि,*नेतः पूर्वमपि कर्ता
> भोक्ता वा *अहमासम्, *नेदानीम्, नापि भविष्यत्काले — इति ब्रह्मविदवगच्छति ;
> एवमेव च मोक्ष उपपद्यते ; ४.१.२३. इति ।
>
> Contrary to the previous thinking that I am doer-enjoyer, in all the three
> periods of time I am Brahman that is neither doer nor enjoyer. Before I was
> not doer-enjoyer, nor now, nor even in the future will I be doer-enjoyer -
> such is the realization of a Knower. BSB 4.1.23.
>
> If jiva is Brahman in truth, he can't be bhokta. And kshetrajna also is
> given two levels of meaning in the BGB 13th ch.itself: 1. the jiva who is
> the knower of the kshetra pancha koshas and the outside world. 2.Brahman,
> the illuminer of the entire kshetram including the pancha koshas.
>
> यथा प्रकाशयत्येकः कृत्स्नं लोकमिमं रविः।
>
> क्षेत्रं क्षेत्री तथा कृत्स्नं प्रकाशयति भारत।।13.34।।
>
> 13.34 Yatha, as; ekam, the one; ravih, sun; prakasayati, illumines; imam,
> this; krtsnam, whole; lokam, world tatha, similarly;-who?-*ksetri**, the
> Knower of the field, i.e. the supreme Self,* though one; prakasayati,
> illumines; krtsnam, the whole; ksetram,
>
> Thus, the term 'kshetrajna' / bhokta used in the bhashyam as synonym, is
> in the sense of jiva. When the 'bhokta' is divested of bhoga, bhogya and
> bhoga saadhanam, bhoktrtvam which is all kshetram and kshetra dharmas, he
> is Brahman, Kshetrajna.
>
> regards
> subbu
>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
>>
>> On Sat 14 Mar, 2020, 06:36 V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l, <
>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>
>> > In these two mantras/bhashya, we get an insight that is worth
>> > contemplating. In the first mantra, the word 'Aatmaanam' means the
>> bhokta,
>> > as per the bhashya. In the next mantra, the bhokta is further fine
>> tuned
>> > to give the meaning: Pure Consciousness + gross body (here the word
>> atma in
>> > the mantra means body as per the bhashya) + sense/motor organs +
>> > antahkaranam (manas).
>> >
>> > From this scheme it is very clear that bhokta, samsari, is nothing but
>> the
>> > group of body, organs and manas, all of which are anatma, kshetram,
>> pancha
>> > kosha. To make them sentient, the contribution of Atma, consciousness,
>> is
>> > required, going by the bhashya of the first mantra. Thus, when Atma,
>> > Consciousness, Kshetrajna, is separated from the bhokta, we arrive at
>> the
>> > samsari being anatma, mithya. In advaita, the jiva, jivatvam, is mithya.
>> >
>> > Also, the bhashya for the second mantra here says about the Atma
>> bereft of
>> > bhoktrutva as तथा च श्रुत्यन्तरं केवलस्याभोक्तृत्वमेव दर्शयति —
>> ‘ध्यायतीव
>> > लेलायतीव’ (बृ. उ. ४ । ३ । ७)
>> > <
>> >
>> https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=4&id=BR_C04_S03_V07&hl=%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%20%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5
>> > >
>> > इत्यादि ।
>> > In Br.Up.4.4.3, Shankara gives the crisp meaning of the 'Pure' Atma:
>> > ‘ध्यायतीव
>> > लेलायतीव’ (बृ. उ. ४ । ३ । ७)
>> > <
>> >
>> https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=4&id=BR_C04_S03_V07&hl=%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%20%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5
>> > >
>> > इति
>> > स्वतः अविद्याकर्तृत्वस्य प्रतिषिद्धत्वात् ; This mantra portion of
>> > Br.up.4.3.7 says that the Upanishad itself is refuting the 'kartrutva'
>> that
>> > expresses itself as 'dhyana' and 'distraction/movement' as only phases
>> of
>> > the manas and not the Atman. Thus, the Atman is nirguna vastu that has
>> > neither kartrutva nor bhoktrutva.
>> >
>> > Om Tat Sat
>> >
>> > आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः
>> > प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ ३ ॥
>> > तत्र यः उपाधिकृतः संसारी विद्याविद्ययोरधिकृतो मोक्षगमनाय संसारगमनाय च,
>> तस्य
>> > तदुभयगमने साधनो रथः कल्प्यते — तत्रात्मानम् ऋतपं संसारिणं रथिनं
>> रथस्वामिनं
>> > विद्धि विजानीहि ; शरीरं रथम् एव तु
>> > रथबद्धहयस्थानीयैरिन्द्रियैराकृष्यमाणत्वाच्छरीरस्य । बुद्धिं तु
>> > अध्यवसायलक्षणां सारथिं विद्धि ; बुद्धिनेतृप्रधानत्वाच्छरीरस्य,
>> > सारथिनेतृप्रधान इव रथः । सर्वं हि देहगतं कार्यं बुद्धिकर्तव्यमेव
>> प्रायेण ।
>> > मनः सङ्कल्पविकल्पादिलक्षणं प्रग्रहमेव च रशनामेव विद्धि । मनसा हि
>> > प्रगृहीतानि श्रोत्रादीनि करणानि प्रवर्तन्ते रशनयेवाश्वाः ॥
>> > इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांस्तेषु गोचरान् । आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं
>> > भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ ४ ॥
>> > इन्द्रियाणि चक्षुरादीनि हयानाहुः रथकल्पनाकुशलाः, शरीररथाकर्षणसामान्यात्
>> ।
>> > तेषु इन्द्रियेषु हयत्वेन परिकल्पितेषु गोचरान् मार्गान् रूपादीन्विषयान्
>> > विद्धि । आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं शरीरेन्द्रियमनोभिः सहितं संयुतमात्मानं
>> > भोक्तेति संसारीति आहुः मनीषिणः विवेकिनः । न हि केवलस्यात्मनो
>> भोक्तृत्वमस्ति
>> > ; बुद्ध्याद्युपाधिकृतमेव तस्य भोक्तृत्वम् । तथा च श्रुत्यन्तरं
>> > केवलस्याभोक्तृत्वमेव दर्शयति — ‘ध्यायतीव लेलायतीव’ (बृ. उ. ४ । ३ । ७)
>> > <
>> >
>> https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=4&id=BR_C04_S03_V07&hl=%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%20%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5
>> > >
>> > इत्यादि ।
>> > एवं च सति वक्ष्यमाणरथकल्पनया *वैष्णवस्य पदस्यात्मतया
>> प्रतिपत्तिरुपपद्यते*,
>> > नान्यथा, स्वभावानतिक्रमात् ॥
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