[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Re: avidyA is adhyasta (superimposed) in AtmA

[V Subrahmanian]

Deliberating on the topic, I recall Shankara's comment in the
Brihadaranyaka 1.4.10 bhashya that 'Brahman is to be admitted to be the
avidyAkartR (author of avidya - avidyAprayojaka) and the one deluded by it
(avidyAkarma - object)  since there is no sentient entity other than
Brahman.'.

भवत्वेवं नाविद्याकर्तृ भ्रान्तं च ब्रह्म । *किन्तु नैव अब्रह्म अविद्याकर्ता
चेतनो भ्रान्तोऽन्य इष्यते* — ‘नान्योऽतोऽस्ति विज्ञाता’ (बृ. उ. ३ । ७ । २३)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha/devanagari?page=3&id=BR_C03_S07_V23&hl=%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE>
 ‘नान्यदतोऽस्ति विज्ञातृ’ (बृ. उ. ३ । ८ । ११)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha/devanagari?page=3&id=BR_C03_S08_V11&hl=%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%83>
 ‘तत्त्वमसि’ (छा. उ. ६ । ८ । ७)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Chandogya/devanagari?page=6&id=Ch_C06_S08_V07&hl=%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF>
 ‘आत्मानमेवावेत्
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha/devanagari?page=1&id=BR_C01_S04_V10&hl=%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF>

>From this we can conclude that:

1. The subject matter of the above 1.4.10 mantra is Nirguna Brahman

2   Avidya, the cause of samsAritva, cannot be anything/anyone other than
that which brings about the jIva bhaava in Nirguna Brahman.

3. The jIva bhAva has to express itself through mind/antahkarana.  By
producing the mind, the Avidya also finds locus in the mind.

4. Whether one says NB is the locus or the jiva is the locus of avidya,
both views have to accept the medium of mind as the locus of avidya.

5. Years back Sri MDS had explained:  The view that holds mahavakya to be
the cause of aparoksha jnana and the view that holds antahkarana to be the
cause of aparoksha jnana - both cannot afford to deny the medium of each
other in this process: without the antahkarana, the mahavakya can't work
and without the mahavakya the antahkarana can't produce the Jnanam.
Similar is the case here: Avidya needs both the sentient entity Brahman and
the antahkarana to produce jiva bhaava > samsara and also locate itself in.

warm regards
subbu

On Wed, Jan 8, 2025 at 2:04 PM 'Raghav Kumar' via advaitin <
advaitin at googlegroups.com> wrote:

> Namaste Sudhanshu ji
> Thank you for the detailed reply. Among other things, the viShaya "doSha"
> is similarity, pramANa doSha like defective eyes, and pramAtR doSha like
> fear, attachment etc.
>
>
>  The experience of avidyA as antaHkaraNa doSha is explained as being
> because of tAdAtmya adhyAsa with AtmA - a secondary development.
>
>  And you also write that upon analysis, rajju-sarpa illusion too is not
> due to "antaHkaraNa doSha" but due to avidyA which is
> rajju-avachchhina-chaitanya-niShThaa.
>
>
> Om
> Raghav
>
> Yahoo Mail: Search, organise, conquer
> <https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=NativePlacement&c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_EmailSignatureGrowth_YahooMail:Search,Organize,Conquer&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=Global_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000945&af_sub5=OrganizeConquer__Static_>
>
> On Wed, 8 Jan 2025 at 11:47 am, Sudhanshu Shekhar
> <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com> wrote:
> *Namaste Raghav ji.*
>
> Lastly, if ajnAna is merely antaHkaraNa doSha, then karma would have been
> enough to rectify karaNa doShas. Cataract, diplopia etc are corrected by
> surgical interventions (types of karma) not by cognitive interventions (ie
> jnAna-prApti).
>
>
> This is a valid point.
>
>
>
>
> Regarding the tai.bh. reference that vivekAvivekau antaHkaraNasthau, no
> doubt NS and later texts explain that as referring to the only to the
> manifestation or expression of ajnAna and it's knowledge/anubhava being
> mediated by the mind.
>
>
> By the logic adduced in NS which is well-accepted in siddhAnta,
> ajnAna-prasUta anAtmA can neither be Ashraya nor the vishaya of ajnAna. So,
> naturally, only shuddha AtmA can be the Ashraya of ajnAna.
>
>
>
> That means, ajnAna-Ashrayatva is a dharma of AtmA, even though it is
> ajnAna-prayukta.
>
> This dharma of AtmA, namely ajnAna-Ashrayatva appears to belong to
> antah-karaNa because of tAdAtmya-adhyAsa of antah-karaNa and shuddha AtmA.
> And, we feel as if ajnAna is located in antah-karaNa.
>
> Advaita Siddhi explains - न च–अहमर्थस्याज्ञानानाश्रयत्वेन कथमयं प्रत्ययो
> भावरूपाज्ञानपक्षे उपपद्यत इति वाच्यम् । *अज्ञानाश्रयीभूतचैतन्ये
> अन्तःकरणतादात्म्याध्यासेन* एकाश्रयत्वसंबन्धेनोपपत्तेः ।
>
> *Namaste Subbu ji,*
>
> // It explicitly denies that the avidyA doSha is that present in / of the
> Atman and reasons asserting that it is of the antaHkaraNam:  The reasoning
> is:  It is observed/experienced (dRshya) and it is removed when vidyA
> arises.  Analogy of eye defect being cured by remedial treatment of the
> organ eye and not of the jiva who only uses the eye.//
>
> Yes. However, that ajnAna appears as located in antah-karaNa (ahamartha)
> is also owing to adhyAsa of antah-karaNa with AtmA. So, due to
> tAdAtmya-adhyAsa of antah-karaNa with AtmA, the ajnAna-Ashrayatva appears
> as a dharma of antah-karaNa.
>
> //तथा सर्वत्रैव अग्रहणविपरीतसंशयप्रत्ययास्तन्निमित्ताः करणस्यैव कस्यचित्
> भवितुमर्हन्ति, न ज्ञातुः क्षेत्रज्ञस्य ।//
>
> Since karaNa is ajnAna-prasUta, ajnAna cannot belong to karaNa as well.
> Nor it can really belong to Brahman, because from the frame of reference of
> Brahman, there is no perception of ajnAna.
>
> So, it really boils down to this -- ajnAna has Brahman as Ashraya.
> However, this is from ajnAna-drishTi. And hence, ajnAna-Ashrayatva of
> Brahman is ajnAna-kaklpita. And this ajnAna-kalpita-dharma namely
> ajnAna-Ashrayatva appears to belong to antah-karaNa owing to
> tAdAtmya-adhyAsa thereof with AtmA.
>
> BhAshya makes this statement following the natural adhAsa.
>
> Regards.
> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
>
>
>
>
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