[Advaita-l] Binary nature of Jnana

[V Subrahmanian]

Namaste

That the last thought, irrespective of the content of that thought, which
is involuntary no doubt, that occurs or arises to the aparoksha Jnani at
the moment of death has no say whatsoever on his liberated state which is
guaranteed beyond any doubt whatsoever, is thus discussed and settled by
Swami Vidyaranya with reason at the the end of the second chapter of the
Panchadashi:

http://shankaracharya.org/panchadasi_trans_2.php#1

102. When the intellect disregards the notions of duality, it becomes
firmly established in the conception of non-duality. The man who is firmly
rooted in the conviction of non-duality is called a Jivanmukta (liberated
in life).

103. Sri Krishna says in the Gita: 'This is called having one's being in
Brahman, O Partha. None, attaining to this, becomes deluded. Being
established therein, even at the last moment, a man attains to oneness with
Brahman'.

104. 'At the last moment' means the moment at which the mutual
identification of the illusory duality and the one secondless reality is
annihilated by differentiating them from each other; nothing else.

105. In common parlance the expression 'at the last moment' may mean 'at
the last moment of life'. Even at that time, the illusion that is gone does
not return.

106. *A realised soul is not affected by delusion and it is the same
whether he dies healthy or in illness, sitting in meditation or rolling on
the ground, conscious or unconscious.*

107. The knowledge of the Veda acquired (during the waking condition) is
daily forgotten during dream and deep sleep states, but it returns on the
morrow. Similar is the case with the knowledge (of Brahman) - it is never
lost.

108. The knowledge of Brahman, based on the evidence of the Vedas, is not
destroyed unless proved invalid by some stronger evidence; but in fact
there is no stronger evidence than the Vedas.

109. Therefore the knowledge of the non-dual Reality (thus) established by
the Vedanta is not falsified even at the last moment (whatever
interpretation be taken). So the discrimination of the elements (from the
non-dual Reality) surely ensures peace abiding or bliss ineffable.


The original verses are:

द्वैतावज्ञा सुस्थिता चेदद्वैता धीः स्थिरा भवेत् ।
स्थैर्ये तस्याः पुमानेष जीवन्मुक्त इतीर्यते ॥ ९६॥

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति ।
स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ॥ ९७॥

सदद्वैतेऽनृतद्वैते यदन्योऽन्यैक्यवीक्षणम् ।
तस्यान्तकालस्तद्भेदबुद्धिरेव न चेतरः ॥ ९८॥

यद्वान्तकालः प्राणस्य वियोगोस्तु प्रसिद्धितः ।
तस्मिन्कालेऽपि न भ्रान्तेर्गतायाः पुनरागमः ॥ ९९॥

नीरोग उपविष्टो वा रुग्णो वा विलुठन्भुवि ।
मूर्च्छितो वा त्यजेदेष प्राणान्भ्रान्तिर्न सर्वथा ॥ १००॥

दिने दिने स्वप्नसुप्त्योरधीते विस्मृतेऽप्ययम् ।
परेद्युर्नानधीतः स्यात्तत्त्वविद्या न नश्यति ॥ १०१॥

प्रमाणोत्पादिता विद्या प्रमाणं प्रबलं विना ।
न नश्यति न वेदान्तात्प्रबलं मानमीक्षते ॥ १०२॥

तस्माद्वेदान्तसंसिद्धं सदद्वैतं न बाध्यते ।
अन्तकालेऽप्यतो भूतविवेकान्निर्वृतिः स्थिता ॥ १०३॥

इति भूतविवेकनाम द्वितीयः परिच्छेदः ॥ २॥


The relevance of the 'last thought' is there only for the ajnani jiva. Here
again, for the sagunopasaka, as per the 8th chapter of the Gita, the
voluntary, efforted, exiting of the jiva through the particular naaDi,
ensures his travel to Brahmaloka, where he eventually gets the Advaita
Nirguna aparoksha Jnanam as taught by Brahmaa, and finally when the
Brahmaloka perishes in maha pralaya, along with all the residents of that
loka, this jnani too attains videha mukti, never to return to samsara.

The relevance of the last thought is also there for the ajnani who is not
an upasaka as well. He attains to that loka as per his karma, which is what
is indicated to him in that last flash of thought as per the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad.

The Advaita texts/bhashya do not insist on the 'last thought at the time of
death of this jnani-body' for the aparoksha jnani.

(Continued in the next post, part 2)

Regards
subbu


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