[Advaita-l] [advaitin] A causal avidya as distinct from adhyasa is accepted by Sureshwaracharya

[Bhaskar YR]

In other words, there is an avidya that results in adhyasa. The other effect of avidya is samshaya, doubt.

praNAms
Hare Krishna

Who is questioning this!!??  It is well accepted that not knowing the rope ( jnAnAbhAva) is the reason for taking it as snake ( adhyAsa).  The mistaken knowledge can never arise without the absence of correct knowledge.  Hence for all practical purposes the absence of correct knowledge is the cause of misconception.  However, the advocators of mUlAvidyAvAdins introduce fourth type of avidyA which is the material cause of these three types of avidyA.  As per them for the adhyAsa (misconception) absence of knowledge (jnAnAbhAva) is not the cause but something else which is Dravya rUpa, bhAva rUpa brahmAshrita avidyA shakti.  But  as per lOkAnubhava, in day to day experience adhyAsa is the predominant one as we don’t say due to lack of rope knowledge we are seeing snake but OTOH we start our business by seeing the snake….hence bhAshyakAra says anAdyananta naisargikOdhyAsaH, very common to human mind / tendency.  Though in common, avidyA is either agrahaNa or saMshaya or adhyAsa type, the word avidyA in adhyAsa bhAshya is adhyAsa alone which has been elaborated with all types of loukika examples.  Hence the agrahaNa (jnAnAbhAva) regarding the real nature of the self is the kAraNAvidyA and anyathAgrahaNa and saMshaya are kAryAvidyA.  kArikA too say this.  Anyway it should not be forgotten that kArya-kAraNa sambandha between avidyA and adhyAsa any talks with relating to this too is due to adhyAsa coz. without considering oneself as pramAtru (which is again adhyAsa) one cannot go forward with pramANa-prameya vyavahAra clarifies Sri SSS.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar