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

[V Subrahmanian]

Dear Sudhamshu ji,

Thanks for the classification.  That helps in understanding more about
Ontology.  However, Shankara's focus is in making the aspirant a sthita
prajna.  With this in view Shankara has articulated in more places than
one, the experience of the Jnani:  BSB 4.1.15:

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 ।

Here Shankara says: A Jnani will have the aparoksha anubhava of (1) being
Brahman and (2) at the same time be in a body too. No one can deny this,
continues Shankara, 'This alone is spoken of as Sthitaprajna lakshana in
the shruti and smritis.'

For, without that direct knowledge/experience there is no way one can be
sure that he is not in bondage.  Hence, apart from the ontology, there is
great emphasis laid on achieving sthita prajnatva in the canonical Advaitic
texts.

warm regards
subbu




On Mon, Aug 12, 2024 at 9:25 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaste Michael ji and Subbu ji,
>
> We should make the division in the model upfront:
>
> 1. The whole discussion is valid in SDV. Here, jnAnI is an individual who
> is controlled solely by prArabdha as his sanchit and AgAmI karma have been
> destroyed by jnAna. Such a person has attained sarvAtma-bhAva and is called
> jIvanmukta.
>
> 2. In DSV, all such portions related to jnAnI and jIvanmukta are
> considered arthavAda. PrArabdha and jIvanmukti are thus admitted only as a
> means to eulogise Brahma-vidyA and are not accepted factually. In DSV, it
> is admitted that there has never been a jnAnI as world is being perceived.
>
> 3. In ajAtivAda (apavAda-drishTi), this discussion itself would not arise.
>
> Regards
> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
>
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