[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Understanding Srimad Bhagavad Gita from the perspectives of Visishtadvaita and Advaita - an exposition

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hari Om Vikram ji.

//This is based on SBG-3.27. In your statement, am I correct in
understanding "ahamkara" to imply the inert material "I" aspect of
antahkarana and "sabhasa-ahamkara" as the Chaitanya conditioned by this
ahamkara?//

While the former part is correct i.e. ahamkAra is the inert material “I”
aspect of antah-karaNa, the latter is a little different. sAbhAsa-ahamkAra
is ahamkAra with the samsarga-adhyAsa of Atman (i.e. ahamkAra with the
reflection of Atman). So, instead of saying sAbhAsa-ahamkAra as “chaitanya
conditioned by ahamkAra”, I think it would be better to refer as “ahamkAra
with the samsarga-adhyAsa of Atman”.

*[*//[The resulting entity of the adhyasa of the Self and the individual
antahkarana is said to be the individual Jiva]

More precisely, adhyAsa between ahamkara and
ajnAna-adhyAsa-vishishTa-chaitanya.

Could you please clarify this point? Particularly
"ajnana-adhyasa-visishta-chaitanya"? What is a good reference text for this
term?//*]*

There is a sequence in adhyAsa. The first adhyAsa is kAraNa-adhyAsa i.e.
ajnAna-adhyAsa. The subsequent adhyAsa are kArya-adhyAsa and they happen
only when ajnAna-adhyAsa has taken place. The first kArya-adhyAsa is
ahamkAra-adhyAsa. The substratum of ahakAra-adhyAsa is thus
ajnAna-adhyAsa-vishishTa-Atman (i.e. Atman wherein ajnAna-adhyAsa has
already taken place). This is illustrated in SiddhAnta Bindu. Pl check page
80 at
https://archive.org/details/SiddhantaBinduShriMadhusudanaSarasvati/page/n103/mode/2up

AchArya writes clearly that ahamkAra-adhyAsa is in
ajnAna-adhyAsa-vishishTa-chaitanya.

[[The agentship, as an attribute of the Jiva, brings about the sense of
being the ‘knower’ or ‘experiencer’ (subject); the distinction of the
antahkarana with other objects brings about the distinction of ‘known’ or
‘experienced’ (object); and the individual BMI itself, through sense organs
and mind, acts as the ‘means of experience’ or ‘means of knowledge’
(means); the result in the individualized distinct experience or knowledge
of the object, and is also called objective experience or objective
knowledge

//vyAvahArika Kartirtva belongs to antah-karaNa. The kartritva of ahamkara
is prAtibhAsika.//

Could you please clarify this as well? Ahamkara is an aspect of antahkarana
(alongside manas, buddhi and chitta). Then, what specifically in
antahkarana possess kartirtva in vyavaharika?]]

As we know, antah-karaNa has several aspects. Like manas, buddhi, chitta,
ahamkAra etc. The kartritva belonging to buddhi is vyAvahArika kartritva.
There is tAdAtmya-adhyAsa of buddhi with Atman. This leads to creation of
prAtibhAsika-kartritva in Atman just as there is creation of
prAtibhAsika-redness in crystal. Since, there is samsarga-adhyAsa of Atman
with ahamkAra, the kartritva seen in ahamkAra is this
prAtibhAsika-kartritva of Atman.

Pl check the Laghuchandrika in kartritva-adhyAsa-vishArah of Advaita Siddhi
here:
https://archive.org/details/Advaita.Siddhi.by.Madhusudana.Sarasvati/page/n629/mode/2up

Page no. 608. ननु बुद्धिगतं कर्तृत्वं किमहमर्थे … Please check
LaghuchandrikA.

//Could you please provide more details on this difference here? Per VP
jiva is antahkarana-avacchina-chaitanya.//

There are several definitions of jIva. One of them is what you refer to as
antah-karaNa-avachchhinna-chaitanya. For definitions of jIva in different
prakriyA, please check here:

https://archive.org/details/SiddhantaBinduShriMadhusudanaSarasvati/page/n113/mode/2up

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.