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

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Bhaskar Ji,

I had asked

<< 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
>>,

You are responding

<<   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>> .

This is indeed amazing. What you are saying  ** Sri SSS saying 'even
though' shankara using avidyA and mAya as synonyms ** is contradictory to
your saying **Yes** as the first word.  That is enough admission  for me
that you agree with my  understanding as  correct. Thank you .

As to your further statement ** readers should not be deluded that both are
one and the same **, this is  what I have myself  broughtout in my post as
the view of Sri SSS. So it is again reinforcing  my  understanding only.
However I had made the following observation in my first post on this
issue, copied below for ready reference.

<< Sri SSS has preferred to present an interpretational view of the BhAshya
(his own interpretation) rather than the direct and explicit view (avidyA
and mAyA are synonymous terms) stated in the BhAshya. This is in
contravention of the generally accepted rule which calls for accepting the
direct statements and interpreting others in line with this. Also such an
interpretation leads to the conclusion that the Bhashya is selfcontradictory
>>.

Whatever else you have mentioned in your post have been answered in the
traditional view without any contradiction to the direct and explicit
statement attributed to Sri Bhagavatpada by Sri SSS himself as broughtout
above. The debate thereon has been endless and I do not propose to go over
them again.

Clearly the view taken by Sri SSS on this issue contradicts the Bhashya
itself.
Regards

On Thu, Dec 1, 2022 at 10:45 AM Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at hitachienergy.com>
wrote:

> 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
>
>