[Advaita-l] Shankara and DrishTi-SrishTi vAda - eka jeeva vaada

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Namaste Chandramouli ji,

On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 5:13 PM, H S Chandramouli <hschandramouli at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Three versions have been furnished for the Creator and Jiva in respect
> of ekajIvavAda.
>
>
>
> For the first one cited from sidhhAntaleshasaMgraha of appayya dIkshita
> author is not
>
>
>
> given. Second one is by Sri MadhusUdana Sarasvati in siddhAnta bindu.
> Third one is by
>
>
>
>  Sri PrakAshAnanda in his vedAntasiddhAntamuktAvalI.
>

Kindly forgive me since I have not studied any of the above quoted three
works. However, I don't find a difference in principle among all three by
what Anandji presented, just as I don't find core differences in many
variations of SDV. My understanding is from the Upanishad teachings
themselves, especially Mandukya, including karika and through the books of
Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi and one that Bhagavan recommended, that being
Tripura Rahasya (perhaps, also Yoga Vasishtha).


> In all three Creator himself
>
>
>
>  appears as the Jiva also and gets “liberated”.
>

For DSV, I'd particularly change this statement to "In all three, *what
appears as if to be* a Creator himself appears as the Jiva also and *as if*
gets liberated”, since Bhashyakara uses *iva* at many places to drive this
point home. Ishvara and jIva are both upAdhi-bhedas and the creation is by
the upahita brahman, but both are nothing but brahman. That being the case,
the same non-dual brahman is the creator and baddha both and free too, even
while creating or being baddha! IMHO, our thinking is biased by the
multiplicity we perceive and the creation story of SDV. Hence, Mandukya
uses the dream example to question the *reality* of the waking state. I'll
have to stress here that that idea will appeal to only those who think that
the dream world is their own creation. OTOH, if people think that that
dream creation is also not of the jIva, but Ishvara's, then I am not sure
what value it adds, because it may not even prove as an example for
abhinnanimmitopAdAnakAraNa!


> This particular concept I have not been
>
>
>
> able to identify in any of  the 10 upanishads we normally refer to.
>
Since it is accepted
>
>
>
> that “liberation” is possible ONLY through shravana of the Upanishads and
> upadEsha of
>
>
>
> mahAvAkya by the guru, can you please clarify which of the Upanishads are
> takenup for
>
>
>
> shravana in respect of each of these concepts and the corresponding
> mahAvAkya.
>

I think entire Mandukya itself, except for the phalashruti, is full of this
very idea. Thanks to Subbuji for the Brihad reference too. I would like to
visit it as well.


>
>
> Also is DSV always identified with ekajIvavAda or is it also explained as
> applicable to
>
>
>
> nAnAjIva vAda?
>
>
>

AFAIK, DSV implies ekajIvavAda, else it could be misconstrued as some kind
of "visheSha-kalpita-sRShTi" of each jIva, as some already seem to have.

In the end, I would like to clarify that my references are not limited to
only 10 Upanishads, bhAshyas thereof, but to other Shruti, prakaraNa
granthas and teachers that are followed in the tradition. In other words, I
am open to any traditional Advaita work that helps my own selfish journey
towards the Shruti-declared goal. Thats the whole idea of paramparA, isn't
it! Also so that I am not misunderstood, I am *not* saying that you're not.

gurupAdukAbhyAm,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!
[Br.Up. 4.5.15] */