[Advaita-l] what is abhava?

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

On Sun, 15 Sept, 2024, 7:18 pm Michael Chandra Cohen, <
michaelchandra108 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Namaste Raghav, Thanks for the reference but I'd like to know more about
> the context of the excerpt. On the surface, jnAna-abhAva as prak-abhava
> makes no sense.
>

Yes. Even upon careful evaluation, the category called prAk-abhAva is
problematic. And so SSS ji idea of jnAna-abhAva being a prior-non-existence
is not supported by bhAShya.

Here is the full reference.

https://adhyatmaprakasha.org/php/bookreader/templates/book.php?type=sanskrit&book_id=008&pagenum=0001#page/45/mode/1up


It would subject jnana and its absence to time whereas time depends on
> adhyasa which is co-terminus with jnana abhava. These should not be taken
> as events in time but rather as incorrect perceptions including time..
>

svarUpa jnAna is nitya. It is not subject to time.

But vRtti-jnAna which takes us out of the stream of time, so to speak,
does arise in time at a certain time when vedAnta pramANa works . Such
vRtti jnAnam is mithyA, but it can be time-stamped.

The siddhAnta is very clear that time is itself mithyA.

But the Siddhanta position is that prAk-abhAva is not a valid category.

Only atyanta-abhAva (absolute non-existence) is accepted. That applies to
"horns of a hare" and snake seen in rope (upon negation by right
understanding, it is understood as never having existed at all.)

Om
Raghav




> //As you know the prior non-existence of any entity is not accepted in
> siddhAnta, since satkAryavAda is adopted atleast provisionally.//
> Sorry, I don't get this. Perhaps a typo (not). But, what is the entity
> that we are referring to when we say prak-abhava. Is there an assumption of
> avidya as a positive something that exists in time?
>
> Regards, michael
>
> On Sun, Sep 15, 2024 at 8:51 AM Raghav Kumar D wivedula via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> Namaste Michael
>>
>> SSSS ji says in SugamA as mentioned by Sudhanshu ji
>>
>>  तर्हि कतमोऽयं ज्ञानाभाव इति चेत् । प्रागभाव एवास्तु ।
>> (Translation - In that case, *which type* is this jnAna-abhAva ?  (Answer)
>> It is prAk-abhAva, prior non-existence. )
>>
>> As you know the prior non-existence of any entity is not accepted in
>> siddhAnta, since satkAryavAda is adopted atleast provisionally.
>>
>> Om
>> Raghav
>>
>>
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>>
>> The web-link is
>>
>> https://adhyatmaprakasha.org/php/bookreader/templates/book.php?type=sanskrit&book_id=008&pagenum=0001#page/45/mode/1up
>>
>> On Sun, 15 Sept, 2024, 3:32 pm Michael Chandra Cohen via Advaita-l, <
>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>
>> > Mimamsa speaks of 4 kinds of abhava - prior, subsequent, mutual and
>> > absolute. Aren't these all material abhava-s?  When SSSSji refers to
>> > abhavarupa avidya, which abhava is he referring to?
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