[Advaita-l] Paul Hacker on Avidya in Brahma Sutras

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste.

On Tue, May 17, 2022 at 5:27 PM Michael Chandra Cohen via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

<<  For instance,  Hacker states,

"If follows from what has been discussed up to this point that S. does not
materialize avidyA. As a result the adjective jada, which is constantly
added to avidyA from PadmapAda onward ... is missing in S. Moreover, the
epithet *bhavarupa, *which can be found in Advaita texts from JnAnottama
onward, is missing"  >>

Following quotes from prakarana granthas of Sri Bhagavatpada would be
relevant for Bhavarupa of avidya/ajnana..

*सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तसारसङ्ग्रहः  **sarvavedAntasiddhAntasArasa~NgrahaH*

<<  अवस्तुसंज्ञितं यत्तज्जगदध्यासकारणम् ॥ ३०१ ॥

सदसद्भ्यामनिर्वाच्यमज्ञानं त्रिगुणात्मकम् ।
वस्तुतत्त्वावबोधैकबाध्यं तद्भावलक्षणम् ॥ ३०२ ॥ >>

<< avastusaMj~nitaM yattajjagadadhyAsakAraNam || 301 ||

sadasadbhyAmanirvAchyamaj~nAnaM triguNAtmakam |

vastutattvAvabodhaikabAdhyaM tadbhAvalakShaNam || 302 || >>



*उपदेशसाहस्री**  (**पद्य**)    upadeshasAhasrI  (Metric)*  *Chapter 18*

<< अविद्यामात्र एवातः संसारोऽस्त्वविवेकतः I कूटस्थेनात्मना
नित्यमात्मवानात्मनीव  सः II >>  II 45 II

<<  avidyAmAtra evAtaH saMsAro.astvavivekataH I kUTasthenAtmanA
nityamAtmavAnAtmanIva  saH II  >>  II 45 II

<<  रज्जुसर्पो  यधा  रज्ज्वा  सात्मकः  प्राग्विवेकतः I  अवस्तुसन्नपि
ह्येष  कूटस्थेनात्मना  तथा  II   >>  II 46 II

<<  rajjusarpo  yadhA  rajjvA  sAtmakaH  prAgvivekataH I  avastusannapi
hyeSha  kUTasthenAtmanA  tathA  II  >>  II 46 II
Regards

On Tue, May 17, 2022 at 5:27 PM Michael Chandra Cohen via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste Sri Raghav,
>
> Thanks for sharing this study of Hacker. The paper does not criticize
> Hacker's enumeration of avidya usage. Hacker is simply providing evidence -
> eurocentrism, whether true or not, is of little consequence.  For instance,
> Hacker states,
>
> "If follows from what has been discussed up to this point that S. does not
> materialize avidyA. As a result the adjective jada, which is constantly
> added to avidyA from PadmapAda onward ... is missing in S. Moreover, the
> epithet *bhavarupa, *which can be found in Advaita texts from JnAnottama
> onward, is missing"
>
>
> There is nothing Eurocentric in that passage but yet it is key to
> understanding Sankara's teaching.
>
>
>