[Advaita-l] 'Advaita siddhi' - explained succinctly by Shankaracharya

[V Subrahmanian]

We have popularly heard the  name 'Advaita Siddhi', the famous work of Shri
Madhusudana Saraswati. Shankaracharya employes this term in his Mandukya
Upanishad Bhashya and goes on to explain its meaning in the best manner:

 एवं च सति *सर्वप्रपञ्चोपशमे* *अ**द्वैतसिद्धिः* । सर्वभूतस्थश्च आत्मा एको
दृष्टः स्यात् ; सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि । ‘यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतानि’ (ई. उ. ६)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Isha?page=NaN&id=IS_V06&hl=%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF>
इत्यादिश्रुत्यर्थश्चैवमुपसंहृतः
स्यात् ; अन्यथा हि स्वदेहपरिच्छिन्न एव प्रत्यगात्मा साङ्‍ख्यादिभिरिव दृष्टः
स्यात् ; तथा च सति अद्वैतमिति श्रुतिकृतो विशेषो न स्यात् ,
साङ्‍ख्यादिदर्शनेनाविशेषात् ।

Shankara specifies two conditions that amount to the justification of the
term Advaita siddhi, the firm establishment of the Upanishadic doctrine of
Advaita:

1. The world does not have an Absolute reality

2. The understanding of the unified nature of the apparent multiplicity of
jivatma-s.

Shankara says that the Mandukya Upanishad terminology of 'adwaitham' in the
seventh mantra is appropriately placed keeping in mind the two cardinal
tenets of the Upanishad: prapanchopashamam = the world having no absolute
place in Brahman and implicitly, the term Ekatma pratyaya saaram = it is
one Atman alone that subsists in and through the triad of states. During
the explanation of the mantras and the Karikas Shankaracharya has clearly
stated that the individual jivatman is not different from the samashti,
total, cosmic, Jiva in each of the three states. Thus we arrive at the one
and only Samashti Jiva in all the three states, and he is non-different
from the Turiya.

Thus Shankara achieves the Advaita Siddhi in the Upanishadic context so
brilliantly, taking the words from the Upanishad itself.

Om Tat Sat