[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Shankara accepts Avidya lesha in at least two places: BSB and BGB

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

Namaste Sudhanshu ji

Regarding -
"avidyA-lesha is beautifully described in advaita-siddhi in 4th parichchheda
in "jIvan-mukti-upapatti":
यद्वा–अविद्यालेशानुवृत्त्या देहाद्यनुवृत्तिः .....
अनेकशक्तिमदविद्यायाः *प्रपञ्चे
पारमार्थिकत्वादिभ्रमहेतुशक्तेः,* *प्रपञ्चे
अर्थक्रियासमर्थत्वसम्पादकशक्तेश्च* प्रारब्धकर्मसमकालीनतत्त्वसाक्षात्कारेण
निवृत्तावपि *अपरोक्षप्रतिभासयोग्यार्थाभासजनिकायाः शक्तेरनुवृत्तेः* तद्वती
विद्यापि तिष्ठत्येवेति नोक्तदोषावकाशः ।"


Kindly check if the following is ok.

A pivotal verse from Advaita Siddhi....
This verse explores the persistence of avidyalesha (अविद्यालेश), or
remnants of ignorance, despite the dawn of knowledge.

Translation:

"Or, due to the residual influence of avidya, the continuity of the body
etc. is maintained...

The multifaceted power of avidya has two aspects:
1. Causing confusion about the ultimate reality
(pAramArthikatvAdi-bhrama-hetu-shaktiH) in the phenomenal world (prapañce).
2. Enabling the functioning of the phenomenal world
(arthakriyA-samarthata-sampAdaka-shaktiH).

Even after the direct realization (aparoksha-pratibhAsa) of the ultimate
truth, concurrent with the exhaustion of past karma,
the power generating appearances (abhasa-janikA-shaktiH) still persists.

Similarly, knowledge (vidyA) also remains, unaffected by the aforementioned
objections."

Breakdown:

यद्वा–अविद्यालेशानुवृत्त्या - or, due to residual influence of avidya
देहाद्यनुवृत्तिः - continuity of body etc.

अविद्यायाः - of avidya
प्रपञ्चे - in the phenomenal world
पारमार्थिकत्वादिभ्रमहेतुशक्तेः - causing confusion about ultimate reality
प्रपञ्चे अर्थक्रियासमर्थत्वसम्पादकशक्तेश्च - enabling functioning of
phenomenal world

प्रारब्धकर्मसमकालीनतत्त्वसाक्षात्कारेण - concurrent with direct realization
and exhaustion of past karma
निवृत्तावपि - even after cessation
अपरोक्षप्रतिभासयोग्यार्थाभासजनिकायाः शक्तेरनुवृत्तेः - power generating
appearances still persists

तद्वती विद्यापि तिष्ठत्येव - similarly, knowledge remains unaffected
एति नोक्तदोषावकाशः - unaffected by aforementioned objections

Insights:

1. Avidyalesha persists despite knowledge due to its multifaceted power.
2. Direct realization doesn't instantly eliminate avidya's influence.
3. Knowledge remains unaffected by avidya's remnants.

This verse clarifies the Advaita Siddhi's stance on the complex
relationship between knowledge and ignorance.


It seemed acceptable to me.

Om
Raghav


P S. Courtesy Llama 3.2 generative AI





On Fri, 1 Nov, 2024, 1:53 pm Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste Subbu ji.
>
> Very nice analysis.
>
> > सर्वज्ञात्मगुरवस्तु − विरोधिसाक्षात्कारोदये
> लेशतोऽप्यविद्यानुवृत्त्यसम्भवात् जीवन्मुक्तिशास्त्रं
> श्रवणादिविध्यर्थवादमात्रम् , शास्त्रस्य जीवन्मुक्तिप्रतिपादने
> प्रयोजनाभावात् । अतः कृतनिदिध्यासनस्य ब्रह्मसाक्षात्कारोदयमात्रेण
> सविलासवासनाविद्यानिवृत्तिः – इत्यपि कञ्चित् पक्षमाहुः ।
>
> This is the view of Samkshepa ShArIraka in Eka-jIva-vAda i.e.
> drishTi-srishTi-vAda wherein jIvanmukti is considered to be arthavAda.
>
> avidyA-lesha is admitted in srishTi-drishTi-vAda where jIvanmukti is
> admitted.
>
> avidyA-lesha is beautifully described in advaita-siddhi in 4th parichchheda
> in "jIvan-mukti-upapatti":
>
> यद्वा–अविद्यालेशानुवृत्त्या देहाद्यनुवृत्तिः .....
> अनेकशक्तिमदविद्यायाः *प्रपञ्चे
> पारमार्थिकत्वादिभ्रमहेतुशक्तेः,* *प्रपञ्चे
> अर्थक्रियासमर्थत्वसम्पादकशक्तेश्च* प्रारब्धकर्मसमकालीनतत्त्वसाक्षात्कारेण
> निवृत्तावपि *अपरोक्षप्रतिभासयोग्यार्थाभासजनिकायाः शक्तेरनुवृत्तेः* तद्वती
> विद्यापि तिष्ठत्येवेति नोक्तदोषावकाशः ।
>
> Basically, the idea is the following:
>
> In siddhAnta, chaitanya-reflected-in-akhanDAkArA-vritti is the destroyer of
> avidyA. However, this akhanDAkArA-vritti can be either coupled with
> prArabdha-rUpa-pratibandhaka or without prArabdha-rUpa-pratibandhaka.
>
> prArabdha-rUpa-pratibandhaka-vishishTa-akhanDAkArA-vritti (AV1) is the
> general connotation of akhanDAkArA-vritti. Chaitanya-reflected-in-AV1
> removes two out of three shakti of avidyA, namely
> shakti-which-causes-the-illusion-of-reality-in-world (*प्रपञ्चे
> पारमार्थिकत्वादिभ्रमहेतुशक्तेः) *and
> shakti-which-enables-artha-kriyA-kAritva-in-world (*प्रपञ्चे
> अर्थक्रियासमर्थत्वसम्पादकशक्तेश्च)*. However, chaitanya-reflected-in-AV1 is
> incapable of removing the third shakti of avidyA, *which is also known as
> avidyA-lesha* and is the
>
> shakti-which-gives-birth-to-appearance-of-objects-which-are-capable-of-appearing-as-pratyaksha.
>
> prArabdha-rUpa-pratibandhaka-rahita-akhanDAkArA-vritti (AV2) is called
> charama-vritti. It is also an akhanDAkArA-vritti. However, since there is
> no pratibandhaka in the form of prArabdha, the chaitanya-reflected-in-AV2
> removes even the third shakti i.e. avidyA-lesha.
>
> Thus, avidyA-lesha is
> basically अपरोक्षप्रतिभासयोग्यार्थाभासजनिकायाः अविद्यायाः शक्ति:.
>
> Regards.
> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
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