[Advaita-l] [advaitin] SSSS on the controversy between mulav7idya and abhavarupa - directly and simply explained as per SSSS

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Sudhanshu Ji,

Reg  // Don't tell me he differentiates avidyA and ajnAna! // //He does
differentiate differentiate avidyA and ajnAna !!!//

I don't think SSS ji or for that matter any student of advaita can do this.
If a quote can be given from his books - it will help //,

I am citing  below two qiotes from VPP which I believe address your
question.

VPP page 46 // यद्यपि ज्ञानाभावसंशयविपर्ययज्ञानानां त्रयाणामपि विद्यात
भिन्नत्वात् वस्तुतत्त्वावर कत्वाविशेषत्वेन विद्योदयसमसमयमेव विनाशाच्च
समानमविद्याशब्दार्हत्वम् व्यपदिश्यन्ते च तेऽपि क्वचिदज्ञानाविद्यादिशब्दैः,
तथापीह वेदान्तदर्शने यथोक्तं मिथ्याज्ञानमेव विशिष्य परिभाष्यते अविद्येति ।//

// yadyapi j~nAnAbhAvasaMshayaviparyayaj~nAnAnAM trayANAmapi vidyAta
bhinnatvAt vastutattvAvara katvAvisheShatvena vidyodayasamasamayameva
vinAshAchcha samAnamavidyAshabdArhatvam vyapadishyante cha te.api
kvachidaj~nAnAvidyAdishabdaiH, tathApIha vedAntadarshane yathoktaM
mithyAj~nAnameva vishiShya paribhAShyate avidyeti | //.

Translation (Alston), page 67 // Absence of knowledge, doubt and wrong
knowledge form a triad, all three of which are different from knowledge.
They share the common character of obscuring the true nature of the real.
They all disappear on the rise of knowledge. In this sense it is right that
they should all be called ignorance (avidyā). And they are indeed,
sometimes referred to collectively by such terms as 'ajñāna' and 'avidyā'.
Nevertheless, here in the Vedanta system, it is 'wrong knowledge'
(mithyā-jñāna) for which the technical term 'avidyā' is specially reserved
//.

VPP page 282 // अथवा भाष्यवार्तिकयोस्तु नैकेषां प्रस्थानान्तराणां
परामृष्टानां मध्ये क्वचिदपि विद्योपादानप्रक्रिया कटा क्षितेत्यतो
वार्तिकप्रणयनादवकाले कैश्चिदुप- स्थापिता प्रक्रियेयम् इति शक्योहनम् । //

//  athavA bhAShyavArtikayostu naikeShAM prasthAnAntarANAM parAmRRiShTAnAM
madhye kvachidapi vidyopAdAnaprakriyA kaTA kShitetyato
vArtikapraNayanAdavakAle kaishchidupa- sthApitA prakriyeyam iti shakyohanam
| //.

Translation (Alston) , page 392 // The Brahma Sūtra Commentary of Sri
Sankara and the Brhadaranyaka Vārtika of Sureśvara do not anywhere make the
slightest mention of any doctrine treating Ignorance as a material cause,
though they examine a considerable number of the earlier systems. So one
might, as an alternative, surmise that this system was evolved by someone
after the time of the composition of the Vārtika //.

What Sri SSS distinguishes from ajnAna is this avidyA which is considered
upAdAna kAraNa and a veiling. He insists that avidyA should be considered
as **absence of knowledge**. With such an understanding there is no
distinction between avidyA and ajnAna. I am not sure if you are referring
to such a view of Sri SSS which finds expression at some places in the
Bhashya.

Regards

On Tue, Aug 27, 2024 at 3:26 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaste Chandramouli ji, Venkat ji.
>
> I am just laughing out loud. What fun!!
>
> //Don't tell me he differentiates avidyA and ajnAna! // //He does
> differentiate differentiate avidyA and ajnAna !!!//
>
> I don't think SSS ji or for that matter any student of advaita can do
> this. If a quote can be given from his books - it will help.
>
> I was a member of their group for last two-three years. But none mentioned
> it ever.
>
> As per my understanding, SSS ji does not distinguish ajnAna and avidyA. He
> holds mithyA+jnAna and ajnAna (=avidyA) as identical by relying on adhyAsa
> bhAshya. However, when confronted with situations such as MK 1.11 or NS
> 3.7, he changes his stand. He seeks to explain this kAraNa-ajnAna as some
> sort of logical presupposition etc. A lame explanation.
>
> Regards.
>
>
>
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