[Advaita-l] [advaitin] A smart inference by Shankara

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Aug 12, 2024 at 5:15 PM Michael Chandra Cohen <
michaelchandra108 at gmail.com> wrote:

> aum and pranam Subrahmanianji, *What struck me in your selection was "* who
> has realized himself as the Atman that does not have body, mind and
> instruments.*" It seems then there is no individual to see the world as
> Atman. Is this obvious or am I missing something?*
>

Pranam

The verse itself says that there is this individual (who is still in the
body) who has realized his true nature, for whom the Lord denies action
absolutely.  In another verse in the fourth chapter the Lord says:  Even if
he is seen to be very deeply involved in action, he is truly a non-doer,
not doing anything at all.  Again in the fifth chapter we have the Lord
saying:  He, the realized one, inhabiting the nine-gated city, the body,
remains there without doing anything himself nor causing anything to be
done.

These are some very unambiguous statements for the continued existence of
the individual, who has indeed transcended the erstwhile individuality.

warm regards
subbu

>
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 12, 2024 at 7:27 AM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> In the commentary to the BGB for this verse:
>>
>> वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् ।
>> कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥ २१ ॥
>>
>> (He who knows that the Atman is indestructible and eternal can never be a
>> doer nor can cause any action.)
>>
>> Shankara makes a statement:
>>
>> विदुषः कर्मासम्भववचनात् यानि कर्माणि शास्त्रेण विधीयन्ते तानि अविदुषो
>> विहितानि इति भगवतो निश्चयोऽवगम्यते ॥
>>
>> From the Lord's words that action is impossible for  the Jnani who has
>> realized himself as the Atman that does not have body, mind and instruments
>> (which alone are the factors involved in action) , it follows that the
>> Lord's accepted position is that action enjoined by the scripture is
>> directed at the ignorant one, ajnani (who identifies with the body mind
>> complex).
>>
>> This is very significant and reminds one of the similar statement in the
>> Adhyasa bhashya where he says that the scripture enjoining action and
>> prohibition and that scripture concerning liberation - operates in the
>> domain of avidya:
>>
>> तमेतमविद्याख्यमात्मानात्मनोरितरेतराध्यासं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वे
>> प्रमाणप्रमेयव्यवहारा लौकिका वैदिकाश्च प्रवृत्ताः, सर्वाणि च शास्त्राणि
>> विधिप्रतिषेधमोक्षपराणि ।
>>
>> Om tat sat
>>
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