[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Quotes from samkshepa shaareeraka

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Sudhanshu JI,

Sri MS lists the different vAdAs like Pratibimba vAda, AbhAsa vAda,
Avachheda vAda etc (all SDV) and then adds DSV as well (his version)  while
terming it the Principal Vedanta SiddhAnta  **मुख्योवेदान्तसिद्धान्त
एकजीववादाख्यः I इममेव च दृष्टिसृष्टिवादमाचक्षते I **
(mukhyovedAntasiddhAnta ekajIvavAdAkhyaH I imameva cha
dRRiShTisRRiShTivAdamAchakShate I ) (The Principal Vedanta Siddhanta is
termed Eka jIva vAda. This is also called DSV).  Surprisingly one of them,
falling under the SDV category, is attributed to Samkshepa ShArIraka itself
citing verse 1-36 and states that the MahAvAkya relevant for this vAda is
**aham brahmAsmi**. The relevant lakshaNa applicable in understanding this
is jahallakshaNa. You may like to check.

Even in such a context, Sri MS concludes by quoting BUBV 1-4-402

//  यया यया भवेत्पुंसां व्युत्पत्तिः प्रत्यगात्मनि।।
सा सैव प्रक्रियेह स्यात्साध्वी सा चानवस्थिता ।। ४०२ ।। //

//  yayA yayA bhavetpuMsAM vyutpattiH pratyagAtmani||

sA saiva prakriyeha syAtsAdhvI sA chAnavasthitA || 402 || //.

Meaning (not literal translation) // All methods which lead to the
Knowledge of the Self are good and  can be followed //.

Sri MS does not suggest that SDV must be followed by DSV etc for
Realization, and that any of the  methods   can be followed as befits the
sAdhaka. There are no **progressive drishTis which mumukshu comes to
attain** as concluded by you.

Anyway, we have seen of late that there are too many issues dealt with in
 texts like Advaita Siddhi, VivaraNa etc on which our respective
understandings have widely differed. The above is perhaps an addition to
the list. I have not studied Samkshepa ShArIraka or its commentary by Sri
MS in any detail. Nor do I propose to do so now. However I am fairly
certain that our respective understandings of those texts concerning the
topic under discussion would equally be divergent.

Having said that, I have no qualms on what I have stated in my earlier post
on SDV vis a vis DSV and do wish that others are wary of the claims.
Regards

On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaste Subbu ji.
>
> //Please share more, whenever you notice such verses.//
>
> Sure. Noted.
>
> Namaste Chandramouli ji,
>
> But surely there is no basis for claiming that SDV must be followed by DSV
>> to attain the Goal of Advaita Siddhanta as advanced by Sri Bhagavatpada.
>>
>
> Please refer to the commentary by MS on verses 2.90 and 2.91 of Samkshepa
> ShArIraka.
>
> Basically three drishTi have been propounded. pariNAma-drishTi,
> vivarta-drishTi and paripUrNa-drishTi. Here, pariNAma-drishTi is adhyArOpa
> and vivarta-drishTi is its apavAda. Further, vivarta-drishTi when
> considered vis-a-vis paripUrNa-drishTi is adhyArOpa and paripUrNa-drishTi
> is apavAda. Thus, we see that vivarta-drishTi has two attributes, it is
> apavAda vis-a-vis pariNAma-drishTi and it is adhyArOpa vis-a-vis
> paripUrNa-drishTi. That is why vivarta-drishTi is also called
> vyAmishra-drishTi. (Refer SS 2.87 and 2.88)
>
> Further, vivarta-drishTi is also of two types. One, wherein several
> mumukshu are admitted and second where only one mumukshu is admitted. These
> refer to SDV and DSV respectively. [Refer SS 2.83, 2.84, 2.85, 2.86 and
> 2.91]
>
> At one point of time, the aspirant can have only one drishTi. These
> drishTi are therefore sequential. MS writes in the commentary to SS 2.88 -
> एवं परिणाम-आदि-दृष्टीनाम्-एक-अधिकारिणि क्रमवर्त्तिनीनां मोक्ष-उपयोग उक्तः।
> Subsequently, MS says 2.91 - अथ-शब्द-सूचित एकविध एव अधिकारी तस्य
> क्रम-भाविन्यः एता दृष्टयः इति अस्मन्मतम्.
>
> So, it is clear that these are the progressive drishTis which mumukshu
> comes to attain. Thus, DSV follows SDV and ajAti, which is the
> paripUrNa-drishTi is the ultimate apavAda of vivarta which is mOksha.
>
> Regards.
> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
>