[Advaita-l] Shankara accepts BhAvarUpa ajnana BSB 4.1.15

[V Subrahmanian]

This second verse of the Manisha panchakam of Shankaracharya gives a fine
articulation of the Ekajiva vada or DSV:

ब्रह्मैवाहमिदं जगच्च सकलं चिन्मात्रविस्तारितं
सर्वं चैतदविद्यया त्रिगुणयाऽशेषं मया कल्पितम् ।
इत्थं यस्य दृढा मतिः सुखतरे नित्ये परे निर्मले
चाण्डालोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम ॥ २॥



Here the realization of the Jnani is declared: I am Brahman, this world in
its entirety is a manifestation of Pure Consciousness.  It is me who has
projected this world out of my avidya
made of three gunas: sattva, etc.  Shankaracharya says: That Jnani with
such a firm conviction, whether a chandala or a brahmana, is worthy of
reverence.

So here we see the Eka jiva vada demonstrated so succinctly. The one with
such a realization is also mentioned to exist and is an object of
reverence.  Here we see the bhAvarUpa avidya, the post-avidya nAsha state
of the Jnani too is mentioned.

Shankara uses in a bunch the many analogies standard in his bhashyas:

स्वप्नमायामरीच्युदकगन्धर्वनगरादिप्रत्यया
स्वप्नमायामरीच्युदकसमम्
 रज्जुसर्पादिवत्स्वप्नमायादिवच्च
तत्र द्वैताभावस्तु वैतथ्यप्रकरणेन
स्वप्नमायागन्धर्वनगरादिदृष्टान्तैर्दृश्यत्वाद्यन्तवत्त्वादिहेतुभिस्तर्केण
च प्रतिपादितः ।
 स्वप्नमायादिवदाकाशादिक्रमेण
स्वप्नमायानिर्मितका अण्डजादयो जीवा यथा जायन्ते म्रियन्ते च, तथा
मनुष्यादिलक्षणा अविद्यमाना………

Another standard usage by Shankara: dvichandrajnanavat.  Also the स
रज्जुसर्पवदात्मनि प्राणादिलक्षणः कल्पित इत्युक्तम् in the na nirodho
bhashya.


All these fit the depiction of EJV/DSV.  What is noteworthy is the Jnani
who possesses such a realization is available for transactions as in the
Manisha Panchakam and other works including the prasthana traya.

warm regards
subbu

On Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 1:24 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> In this Bhashya which is about the sanchita punya/paapa karmas alone being
> dispelled by Atmajnana leaving out the prarabdha karma for being worked
> out, Shankara says:
>
> The Atmajnana destroys karma by sublating/negating mithyAjnAna.  And goes
> on to demonstrate that even though the mithyAjnAna has been sublated, it
> will continue for some time akin to the perception of two-moon phenomenon,
>   owing to samskara.  Also, it is beyond questioning whether the Jnani
> will continue to be in the body for some time or not.  How indeed can one
> question the experience of a Jnani who has the firm conviction that he is
> Brahman and at the same time is in the body? This (being an aparoksha jnani
> and still being alive) alone is spoken of as sthita prajna lakshana in the
> shruti and smritis. Hence the conclusion of the Shastra, Sutra, is that
> only the sanchita karma (both merit and otherwise) undergoes destruction
> due to Jnana:
>
>
> उच्यते — न तावदनाश्रित्य आरब्धकार्यं कर्माशयं ज्ञानोत्पत्तिरुपपद्यते ।
> आश्रिते च तस्मिन्कुलालचक्रवत्प्रवृत्तवेगस्य अन्तराले प्रतिबन्धासम्भवात्
> भवति वेगक्षयप्रतिपालनम् । अकर्त्रात्मबोधोऽपि हि *मिथ्याज्ञानबाधनेन* कर्माण्युच्छिनत्ति ।
> *बाधितमपि तु मिथ्याज्ञानं द्विचन्द्रज्ञानवत्संस्कारवशात्कंचित्कालमनुवर्तत
> एव । अपि च नैवात्र विवदितव्यम् —* ब्रह्मविदा कञ्चित्कालं शरीरं ध्रियते न
> वा ध्रियत इति । कथं हि एकस्य स्वहृदयप्रत्ययं ब्रह्मवेदनं देहधारणं च अपरेण
> प्रतिक्षेप्तुं शक्येत ? श्रुतिस्मृतिषु च स्थितप्रज्ञलक्षणनिर्देशेन एतदेव
> निरुच्यते । तस्मादनारब्धकार्ययोरेव सुकृतदुष्कृतयोर्विद्यासामर्थ्यात्क्षय
> इति निर्णयः ॥ १५ ॥
>
> From the expression 'mithyAjnAnabAdha' it is beyond dispute that Shankara
> is accepting an ajnAna that is subject to bAdha,
> negation/sublation/falsification by Jnana.  It is like the superimposed
> rope that undergoes bAdha due to the rope-knowledge.  Shankara has stated
> in many places that there is the bAdha of the adhyasta.
> It is JnAnanivartya ajnAna according to Shankara. This is further
> strengthened by his usage of the term 'samskaravashAt' to mean that the
> ajnAna, even though falsified, will continue for some time due to the
> samskAra, the pattern that has formed before (jnAna) that sustains the rest
> of the Jnani's embodied life. An abhAva cannot 'continue' for some time.
>
> It is worth noting that this term 'samskara' of Shankara alone has been
> commented as 'avidyAlesha' by the Ratnaprabha.  From this we conclude that
> the bAdhita or bAdhayogya mithyajnAna is not any abhAva but a bhAvarUpa
> (akin to an existent).
>
> It is on this basis that Advaita accepts the superimposed object to be of
> the nature of anirvachaniya, sat-asat-vilakshana.  The above mithyAjnAna is
> of this type since the usage of the term jnAna-bAdhita by Shankara.
>
> Om Tat Sat
>