[Advaita-l] ​Re: [advaitin] A talk on avidyA by Manjushree

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri ChandramouLi prabhuji
Hare Krishna

I have presented the link ID for others to see also. It is in kannada and hence many may not be able to follow. But many others can do.

 It is not material from which part of the whole essay I have picked up the quote. Sure the meaning has to be understood from the context. That is why I have also presented the translation wherein Sri SSS differs from the direct statement he himself has attributed to Sri Bhagavatpada. And he offers his reasons.

>  And while offering his reasons he is providing bhAshya references wherein bhAshyakAra implying these (avidyA and mAya) are not samAnArthaka words.  Accordingly Sri SSS presenting his views.  Elsewhere he discusses IshAwasya shruti vAkya as well, it is another place to think avidyA is avyAkruta / mAya.  So, Sri SSS not avoiding / skipping these references to prove his points.    

The issue is a limited one. Are you disputing my understanding from the said quote that Sri SSS indeed admits that here and there in the Bhashya, Sri Bhagavatpada has stated that the terms avidyA and mAyA are synonymous.

>  Yes, in this observation Sri SSS saying 'even though' shankara using avidyA and mAya as synonyms, readers should not be deluded that both are one and the same.  Why so??  Because bhAshyakAra himself compares avidyA to visha and mAya to anna in geeta bhAshya.  And bhagavatpAda himself while explaining the mAya ( note not avidyA) as though it is identical with the sarvajna, it is undefinable either as Ishwara himself or distinct from Him, and it is the cause of this manifold world and in shruti and smruti it is called mAya.  And shruti it is said mAyAntu prakrutiM vidyAm mAyinantu maheshwaraM, if as per bhAshyakAra avidyA=mAya, mAyin maheshwara would be avidyAvanta and again mAya if all interpreted as avidyA it is tattvAnyatvAbhyAm anirvachaneeya, as though they were (nAma rUpa mAya) identical with the omniscient lord ( pray where in the prasthAna traya bhAshya shankara says this with regard to avidyA!!?? To equate with mAya).  Anyway, it is not ONLY Sri SSS's observation, some other traditional scholars too says these two terms need to be understood differently though there is a word avidyAtmika.  Because elsewhere bhAshyakAra himself uses the terms like avidyA saMyukta mAya.  

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar