[Advaita-l] ajnAna and jnAna-abhAva in advaita vedAnta

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hari Om,

it is essential to understand that in advaita vedAnta, the concept of
ajnAna and jnAna-abhAva are quite distinct. The following are some of the
crucial points:

1. ajnAna is both bhAva-vilakshaNa and abhAva-vilakshaNa. jnAna-abhAva is
only bhAva-vilakshaNa but not abhAva-vilakshaNa. jnAna-abhAva is an abhAva.

2. ajnAna is sAkshi-bhAsya. But jnAna-abhAva is pramAtri-gamya.
jnAna-abhAva is known through vyatirekI-anumAna or arthApatti or
anupalabdhi.

3. ajnAna is known in sushupti by sAkshI. The jnAna-abhAva of sushupti is
not known through anupalabdhi. The jnAna-abhAva of sushupti is known by
waker through vyatirekI-anumAna or arthApatti. [*एवमुत्थितस्य
ज्ञानाभावपरामर्शोऽपि। ज्ञानविरोधिनोऽज्ञानस्यानुभूततया
स्मर्यमाणस्यानुपपत्त्यैव प्रमीयते नानुस्मर्यते।। - VivaraNa*]

4. The vyatirekI-anumAna is as under: यत्र यत्र अज्ञानं, तत्र तत्र
ज्ञानाभाव:, यन्नैवं तन्नैवम्, यथा घटज्ञानवति (घटज्ञानाभावाभाववति) मयि
घटाज्ञानं  नास्ति (घटाज्ञान-अभाव: अस्ति). Here, the hetu/vyApya is ajnAna
and sAdhya/vyApaka is jnAna-abhAva. The anumAna works by showing vyApti
between sAdhya-abhAva and hetu-abhAva. [*पूर्वकालेऽहं, गजज्ञानाभाववान्,
गजाज्ञानवत्त्वात् , यन्नैवं तन्नैवम् , यथा गजज्ञानवानहमिति, एवं
सर्वत्राज्ञानस्य ज्ञानाभावव्याप्यत्वेन तदनुमापकत्वम् । - Advaita Siddhi*]

5. While (aparoksha-jnAna)-abhAva can be known through aforesaid means,
(paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva is known through an anumAna wherein
paroksha-jnAna-sAmagrI-viraha is hetu. The aforesaid vyatirekI-anumAna does
not apply in case of (paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva.

6. jnAna-abhAva is an atyanta-abhAva. It is precisely depicted
as ज्ञानत्व-रूप-सामान्य-धर्म-अवच्छिन्न-प्रतियोगिताक-यावत्-विशेषज्ञान-अत्यन्त-अभावकूट.

7. ajnAna is capable of causing AvaraNa of Brahman on account of being
abhAva-vilakshaNa. jnAna-abhAva is not capable of causing AvaraNa of
Brahman being an abhAva.

8. aparoksha-jnAna removes ajnAna and consequently ensures removal of
(aparoksha-jnAna)-abhAva. aparoksha-jnAna, however, does not automatically
result in (paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva. (paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva is inferred from
anumAna whose hetu is paroksha-jnAna-sAmgrI-viraha. [*अथापरोक्षतो
ज्ञातेऽज्ञानाभावात् कथं परोक्षज्ञानाभावानुमानम् ? सामग्रीविरहादिनेति गृहाण
। - Advaita Siddhi*]

9. When ajnAna is stated by BhAshyakAra as jnAna-abhAva, viparIta-jnAna and
samshaya-jnAna, the aforesaid distinctions of ajnAna and jnAna-abhAva
should be kept in mind. Here, ajnAna refers to that which causes AvaraNa.
jnAna-abhAva, viparIta-jnAna and samshaya-jnAna cannot cause
AvaraNa.[तस्मात् सुषुप्तादौ स्वरूपानवभासव्यवहारः
अग्रहणमिथ्याज्ञानतत्संस्कारकर्मभ्यः अन्यदेव किंचित् प्रतिबन्धकं अज्ञानं
कल्पयतीत्यर्थः - VivaraNa]

10. ajnAna is an aparoksha-vishaya. jnAna-abhAva is a paroksha-vishaya.[*ननु
ज्ञानाभावविषयः अयमवभासः, न;अपरोक्षावभासत्वात् - VivaraNa*]

11. ajnAna-jnAna is an aparoksha-jnAna as the vishaya of this jnAna, namely
ajnAna, is aparoksha-vishaya. jnAna-abhAva-jnAna is a paroksha-jnAna as the
vishaya of this jnAna, namely jnAna-abhAva, is a paroksha-vishaya.

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.