[Advaita-l] Fwd: The story of the 'Tenth Man'

[V Subrahmanian]

I have removed the images.


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 26, 2021 at 10:43 PM
Subject: The story of the 'Tenth Man'
To: <advaitin at googlegroups.com>


There are many examples in Vedanta to illustrate the fact: You are indeed
“that.” One among these is the famous story of the tenth man. It is
particularly interesting to see an ancient example play out in real life
and making the news.



In the original story ten people cross a turbulent river. They wanted to
make sure that all of them safely crossed over and decided to count the
number of people in the group. So the group leader makes them stand in a
straight line and starts counting,
“one…two...three…four…five…six…seven…eight…niiiiinne…” He missed counting
himself as the tenth and started wailing.



Others in the group took turns in counting and committed the same mistake
of counting everyone except themselves, the one who counts! After a few
rounds of (mis)counting, and with the firm collective conviction that the
tenth man was indeed missing, they all sat down and were wailing when the
group was seen by a passer-by. On inquiring, he realized they were missing
a person in the group, presumably drowned while crossing the river. He
quickly counted and realized all 10 were indeed alive and present. He
assured the group that he will show them the tenth man. He made the group
stand in a line and asked the leader to count. After the group leader
reached “…nine”, the passer-by pointed to him and said, “you are the tenth”
much to the joy and relief of the group. The missing tenth man was “found.”



If the sceptic in us ever wondered, ‘Come on! Who will make such a
mistake?’ Here is a newsclip of the above story playing out in real life!



Here is a link to the report in a Newspaper:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/missing-woman-finds-herself-after-intense-search/

In the Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashya, Shankara alludes to the story:
*प्रकृतसङ्ख्यापूरणस्यात्मनः *अव्यवहितस्यापि बाह्यसङ्ख्येयविषयासक्तचित्ततया
स्वरूपाभावदर्शनवत् परमार्थब्रह्मस्वरूपाभावदर्शनलक्षणया अविद्यया
अन्नमयादीन्बाह्याननात्मन आत्मत्वेन प्रतिपन्नत्वात् अन्नमयाद्यनात्मभ्यो
नान्योऽहमस्मीत्यभिमन्यते । एवमविद्यया आत्मभूतमपि ब्रह्म अनाप्तं स्यात् ।
तस्यैवमविद्यया अनाप्तब्रह्मस्वरूपस्य *प्रकृतसङ्ख्यापूरणस्यात्मनः*
अविद्ययानाप्तस्य
सतः केनचित्स्मारितस्य पुनस्तस्यैव विद्यया आप्तिर्यथा, तथा श्रुत्युपदिष्टस्य
सर्वात्मब्रह्मण………

Here is the English translation of the above by Sw.Gambhirananda, who adds
the story in the footnote:



The Vanamala on the above gives the whole story:



स्वरूपेऽप्यग्रहणादयो भवन्तीत्यत्र दृष्टान्तमाह –

प्रकृतेति ।

प्रकृताया दशसङ्ख्यायाः पूरणे समर्थस्यात्मनः स्वस्य देवदत्तस्य
संनिकृष्टस्यापि स्वापेक्षया बाह्या ये नव सङ्ख्येयाः तद्विषयासक्तचित्ततया
स्वात्मानं विहाय तेष्वेव पुनः पुनः परिगणनव्यासक्तचित्ततया स्वात्मभूतोऽपि
दशमो नास्तीत्यभावदर्शनम् , तद्धेतुभूतं दशमं न जानामीत्यनुभूयमानमावरणम् ,
नवैव वर्तामह इति विपर्ययश्च यथा दशमस्य स्वरूपेऽपि दृश्यन्ते तथेत्यर्थः ।

अदर्शननिमित्तां ब्रह्मणोऽनाप्तिमुपसंहरति –

एवमिति ।

इदानीं दर्शननिमित्तां तदाप्तिं दृष्टान्तेन विवृणोति –

तस्यैवमिति ।

केनचिदिति ।

'दशमस्त्वमसि’ इत्याप्तेन स्मारितस्वरूपस्येत्यर्थः ।

तस्यैवेति ।

यद्दशमस्वरूपमविद्ययानाप्तमासीत्तस्यैवेत्यर्थः ।

I have not checked the Vartika, though.

In the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya 1.4.7 too there is a reference:
अविद्याध्यारोपितदुःखित्वभ्रमापोहार्थत्वात्
— आत्मनि प्रकृतसङ्ख्यापूरणभ्रमापोहवत् ; कल्पितदुःख्यात्माभ्युपगमाच्च ॥

Yet another from the above Upanishad bhashya: 1.4.15:  …यद्यपि स्वो लोकः,
अविदितः अविद्यया व्यवहितः अस्व इवाज्ञातः, एनम् — सङ्ख्यापूरण इव लौकिकः
आत्मानम् — न भुनक्ति न पालयति शोकमोहभयादिदोषापनयेन………

I have not checked the commentaries for the story, though.  The Panchadashi
too details the story in several verses.

regards
subbu