[Advaita-l] A matter for Adjudication

V Subrahmanian v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
Wed Apr 14 06:11:18 CDT 2010


On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 5:04 PM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

> sAshtAnga praNAms Sri VidyA prabhuji
> Hare Krishna
> .For that matter, I can also bluntly say whatever
> justification he has given in support of avidyA lesha (hardly anything is
> there apart from that One sUtra 4-1-15) is completely irrelevant and out
> of context...


Bhaskar ji,

Your above observation shows that you have not read the post on  Avidya
lesha from me.
Here are a few more pramANa-s for avidya lesha (bAdhita-mithyAjnAna anuvRtti
as accepted by SSS and demonstrated by him with reiteration of the
double-moon example in his foot-note):


1.The Chandogya Upanishad: तस्य तावदेव चिरं यावन्न विमोक्ष्येऽथ
संपत्स्ये (6.14.2)
   [For him (the enlightened one) the delay is for that long only, as long as
   he does not become freed.  Then he becomes merged in Existence.]
   Clarifying a point, Shankaracharya says in the Bhashyam here:

// Those actions which have started yielding results, and those by which the
body of the man of Knowledge has been molded, get exhausted ONLY THRU
EXPERIENCING THEM, just as an arrow etc. that has gathered momentum after
being shot towards a target, stops only with the exhaustion of its momentum,
and not because it has no purpose to serve at the time it pierces the
target.  Similar is the case here.  ….Therefore, as in the case of an arrow
that has been shot, the experiencing of the results of actions that have
become active is INEVITABLE for the man of Knowledge, even though there is
no need of his living etc.  Hence, what has been said that, ‘His delay is
for that long…’ is reasonable.  Therefore the criticisms that were advanced
are illogical.//

2.In the Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashyam (II.8), the Acharya says, referring to
Himself:

//Objection: Because there are many opponents.  You are a monist, since you
follow the Vedic ideas, while the dualists are many who are outside the
Vedic pale and who are opposed to you.  Therefore I apprehend that you will
not be able to determine.

Reply: This itself is a blessing for Me that you brand Me as sworn to monism
and faced by many who are wedded to plurality.  Therefore I shall conquer
all! And so I begin the discussion.// His original words are even more
striking: *एतदेव मे स्वस्त्ययनम् । अतो जेष्यामि सर्वान्, आरभे च चिन्ताम्  //

3.The Bhagavad Gita  5.8,9 : Remaining absorbed in the Self, the
knower of Reality should think, 'I certainly
do not do anything', even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling,
eating, moving, sleeping, breathing, speaking, releasing, holding,
opening and closing the eyes-remembering that the organs function in
relation to the objects of the organs.

4. Bh.Gita 4.37 Bhashyam:  The Jnaanaagni will burn 'all' karma-s.
But we should understand this as
   all karma-s EXCEPT prArabdha karma that has given this body, which
will be exhausted -
उपभोगेनैव क्षीयते - ONLY BY EXPERIENCING THEM.  Shankara adds this
comment to prevent people from being
mnisled that there is no avidya lesha (also known as
bAdhita-mithyAjnAna anuvRtti as accepted by SSS and demonstrated by
him with reiteration of the double-moon example in his foot-note for
BSB 4.1.15).
.

5. Bh.Gita 13.23 Bhashyam contains a detailed discussion on prArabdha
karma confirming avidya lesha
(also known as bAdhita-mithyAjnAna anuvRtti as accepted by SSS and
demonstrated by
him with reiteration of the double-moon example in his foot-note for
BSB 4.1.15).

6.  Mundaka Upanishad 2.1.8 Bhashya (भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थि...) न तु
एतज्जन्मारम्भकाणि कर्माणि प्रवृत्तफलत्वात् [all karmas
will be destroyed but NOT THE ONES THAT HAVE BEGUN TO FRUCTIFY IN THIS
BIRTH, BECAUSE THEY
HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO GIVE THEIR FRUIT. [This is another
incontrovertible proof of the Upanishadic
and Bhashya pramANa for avidya lesha ((also known as
bAdhita-mithyAjnAna anuvRtti as accepted by SSS and demonstrated by
him with reiteration of the double-moon example in his foot-note for
BSB 4.1.15).

I have just given a sample of several such statements that none can
set aside as 'completely irrelevant and out

of context'.  All these pramANa-s have been kept in mind by the
PUrvAcharya-s who have
taught about 'avidya lesha' with the one single term: जीवन्मुक्तिशास्त्रम्.

This phenomenon of avidya lesha/ bAdhita mithyAjnAna anuvRtti is
impossible to be avoided or side-stepped
by anyone.  SSS has admitted this only by avoiding using this name
'avidya lesha' because it
has been used by the traditional Acharyas,just as he has admitted
mUlaavidyA only under
another name: jnAnAbhAva.

Om Tat Sat



More information about the Advaita-l mailing list