[Advaita-l] Shankara says the objective waking world is a projection of Avidya

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Brihadaranya Upanishad bhashya 4.3.23 while explaining the state of
deep sleep where the jiva does not perceive duality, world, in deep sleep,
the mantra says:

यद्वै तन्न पश्यति पश्यन्वै तन्न पश्यति न हि द्रष्टुर्दृष्टेर्विपरिलोपो
विद्यतेऽविनाशित्वात् । *न तु तद्द्वितीयमस्ति ततोऽन्यद्विभक्तं यत्पश्येत् ॥*
२३ ॥

He does not see duality. If it were available there, it would have been
perceived.

Shankara while explaining says:  यद्धि तद्विशेषदर्शनकारणमन्तःकरणम् चक्षू
रूपं च, तत् अविद्यया अन्यत्वेन प्रत्युपस्थापितमासीत् ; तत् एतस्मिन्काले
एकीभूतम्

That which aids perception of specific objects is the manas, indriya (eye)
and the vishaya (rupam).  All this was projected by avidya as distinct from
the Atman in the waking. Now since all this has become one with the Atman
in deep sleep, they are not perceived.

Thus, we have a very explicit statement from Shankara that the waking world
is a projection by avidya: avidya pratyupasthaapitam.  This is another way
of saying jagat is mithya.  This is just one instance of the drishti
srishti prakriyaa endorsed by Shankara in many places.  Another example is
the Bh.Gita 2.16 bhashya:

न हि शीतोष्णादि सकारणं प्रमाणैर्निरूप्यमाणं वस्तुसद्भवति । विकारो हि सः,
विकारश्च व्यभिचरति । यथा घटादिसंस्थानं चक्षुषा निरूप्यमाणं
मृद्व्यतिरेकेणानुपलब्धेरसत्
, तथा सर्वो विकारः कारणव्यतिरेकेणानुपलब्धेरसन् ।

That which is perceived by the sense (organs, mind, etc.) is asat,
non-existent. The forms of pot, etc. that is perceived by the eye is non
existent apart from its cause, clay, and thus asat, non-existent.

Thus according to Shankara the objective world that is perceived by the
senses (and thus alone known to exist by the pramaatru/jiva) is nonexistent
for the very reason: prateeyamanatvaat.

We have to recall the adhyasa bhashya:

 उच्यते — देहेन्द्रियादिषु अहंममाभिमानरहितस्य प्रमातृत्वानुपपत्तौ
प्रमाणप्रवृत्त्यनुपपत्तेः । न हीन्द्रियाण्यनुपादाय प्रत्यक्षादिव्यवहारः
सम्भवति । न चाधिष्ठानमन्तरेण इन्द्रियाणां व्यवहारः सम्भवति । न चानध्यस्ता
त्मभावेन देहेन कश्चिद्व्याप्रियते । न चैतस्मिन् सर्वस्मिन्नसति असङ्गस्या
त्मनः प्रमातृत्वमुपपद्यते । न च प्रमातृत्वमन्तरेण प्रमाणप्रवृत्तिरस्ति ।
तस्मादविद्यावद्विषयाण्येव प्रत्यक्षादीनि प्रमाणानि शास्त्राणि चेति ।

Sense perception happens only because of Atma - manas, sense organs, body
adhyasa. That which takes place due to this fundamental adhyasa is unreal,
Shankara says above. So all pratyakshaadi vyavahara happens in the domain
of avidya/adhyasa only. Hence alone that is not real.

Shankara's bhashya is replete with the above theme.

OM