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

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hari Om V Subramanian ji.

//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. //

Will drishTi-srishTi prakriyA have sushupti? drishTi is
vritti-vishishTa-chaitanya. This vritti has to be of avidyA as there is no
point in accepting an antah-karaNa distinct from avidyA. in
drishTi-srishTi, the vritti-vishishTa-chaitanya alone is srishTi. Whether
it is waking or dream or sushupti, there is avidyA-vritti which leads to
illusion of creation.

The avasthA-traya appears to be valid in srishTi-drishTi-vAda only. In DSV,
we have only the present moment. That there was a past is a thought part
and parcel of the present moment thought.

That I had a sushupti is nothing but a thought at the present moment. In
drishTi-srishTi-vAda, we cannot accept sushupti as a different avasthA and
analyse it.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Venkataraghavan ji, Chandramouli ji. Please share your views.

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.

On Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 1:02 PM V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> 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
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