[Advaita-l] Bheda Khandanam - Refutation of distinctness in khaṇḍana-khaṇda-khādya

[Jaishankar Narayanan]

Namaste,

ॐ गणेश शारदा गुरुभ्यो नमः
दयानंदरूपं मदाचार्यम् ईडे

I gave a talk on the topic of 'Bheda Khandanam - Refutation of distinctness
in khaṇḍana-khaṇda-khādya' in the online symposium conducted by Indica
Moksha on Sunday, 24th Aug 2025 at 10.00 AM IST.

You can listen to the recording of this talk in YouTube

https://youtu.be/pEBmqhqcstk?si=maFp2CN1M3ZtbgmS

In this talk bheda which is distinctness or difference is shown as negated
by the Shruti vakyas which reveal advaita. Sense Perception cannot negate
the shruti as their validity is only in vyavahAra (empirical transactions)
and their range of revealation is limited to finite objects while the
Shruti negates bheda in its entirety in all periods of time. It is shown
that Perception (pratyaksha), inference (anumāna) and presumption
(arthāpatti) cannot reveal bheda as ultimately real. Further it is shown
that Self-awareness and Object-awareness cannot reveal bheda implicitly.
Further the four definitions of bheda are taken up and shown how they lead
to defects like contradiction, mutual dependence, self dependence,
circularity and infinite regress. In this manner bheda-khaṇḍanam is done in
khaṇḍana-khaṇda-khādya.

With love and prayers,

Jaishankar