[Advaita-l] Question on adhyaasa

[V Subrahmanian]

Here is a fine post on adhyasa, which appeared as a comment to my FB post:

https://www.facebook.com/subrahmanian.vaidyanathan/posts/2421964061150274

The poster of the comment is Sri Rahul. He uses Hindi too in the comments..


The Adhyasa of Atma on Anaatma is known as संसर्गाध्यास. In simple language
it is the Adhyasa of संसर्ग (संबंध) between Atma and Anatma.

This is explained elsewhere as catching the semblence (आभास) of चैतन्य by
the Anatma.The analogy of fire and a red-hot iron ball is given on this
context.

In Upanishad Bhashya, Acharya remarks that this semblence is not an actual
reflection since Atman is all-pervading (Niroopa) like space.

However, those who advocate Pratibimba Vada argue that even a Niroopa,
Niravayava entity may have a reflection ~ e.g. Vivarana Prameya Samgraha,
Siddhanta Bindu etc.

(
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=782425041833141&set=a.251918044883846&type=3
<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=782425041833141&set=a.251918044883846&type=3&hc_location=ufi>
)

Acharya does not elaborate much on this. In Upadesha Sahasri 1.58, refuting
the objection of Nihilism, He says,

" Atman, like space is not in actual contact with anything. Just as nothing
is bereft of space though space is not in actual contact with them, so
Anatma is not bereft of Atman though Atman has no actual contact with them.
"

In Samkshepa Shariraka, the topic is dealt in details -

When a silver is superimposed on shell, the " This " aspect (इदमंश) of the
shell is superimposed on the illusory silver, since the Adhyasa is : " This
is a silver. " Here, इदमंश of the shell is the सामान्यांश, which gets
superimposed on the illusory silver during अन्योन्याध्यास.

Similarly, during the संसर्गाध्यास of Atman on Anatma, only those aspects
of Atman EXCEPT the " Infinite Bliss " (पूर्णानन्दत्वरूप) aspect get
superimposed.

Objection :- Nirvisesha Atma being devoid of Amsa / Dharma, cannot have any
सामान्यांश and विशेषांश.

The answer to the objection is somewhat abstruse. I prefer to write in
Hindi :

// निर्विशेष आत्मा स्वरूपतः निर्धर्मक होनेपर भी सांशत्व औपचारिकरूप से
(व्यवहार के सामर्थ्य बलपर) सिद्ध ही हैं - अविद्यावशतः अखण्ड चैतन्य में भी
जीवत्व, ईश्वरत्व आदि सांशत्व विद्यमान हैं ।

जब " इदं " अंश का रजत में आरोप होता है तो " इदं " स्वरूपतः सत्य होनेपर भी
रजततादात्म्यापन्नरूप से अर्थात् रजतसम्बद्धरूप से मिथ्या है ; इसी तरह आत्मा
में अनात्मा का अध्यास होनेसे आत्मा यद्यपि स्वरूपतः सत्य है, किन्तु
अनात्मतादात्म्यापन्नरूप से अर्थात् अविद्याप्रयुक्त अनात्मसम्बद्धरूप से
मिथ्या है ; अतः इस मिथ्या आत्मा का अनात्मा में (पूर्णानन्दरूपत्व व्यतीत
अन्य रूपत्वेन) अध्यास संभव होता है //

One can go to Rahul Smartha's FB wall and see many more posts on Advaita,
Mimamsa, etc.

regards
subrahmanian.v

On Fri, Dec 7, 2018 at 1:32 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Since we are discussing the topic 'Adhyasa', it would be of interest to
> see here a collection of shlokas on Adhyasa in the Srimadbhagavatam:
>
>
> https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/adhyasa-demonstrated-in-the-bhagavatam/
>
> A part of the article:
>
> श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः
> Sri Shankaracharya has demonstrated in the adhyAsa bhAShya that / how
> ‘adhyAsa’ is the cause of samsara.  In the BhAgavatam, BhagavAn Veda VyAsa,
> through the medium of BhagavAn Krishna, demonstrates adhyAsa with a couple
> of examples:
>
> The uddhavagItA Chapter 17 concluding portions contain the relevant verses:
>
> प्रकृतेः एवम् आत्मानम् अविविच्य अबुधः पुमान्।
> तत्त्वेन स्पर्शसंमूढः संसारं प्रतिपद्यते॥५०॥
>
> The ignorant man, failing to rightly discriminate thus  the Atman from the
> prakRti, is deluded by the sense-objects and goes from birth to birth.
>
> The adhyAsabhAShya words:  इतरेतराविवेकेन …नैसर्गिकोऽयं लोकव्यवहारः is
> what is meant in the above verse.
>
> सत्त्वसङ्गात् ऋषीन् देवान् रजसा असुरमानुषान्।
> तमसा भूततिर्यक्त्वं भ्रामितः याति कर्मभिः॥५१॥
> Swayed by his past karma, a man through his attachment to sattva becomes a
> sage or a god, under the influence of rajas, an asura or a man, and under
> the influence of tamas a ghost or a beast.
>
> नृत्यतो गायतः पश्यन् यथैव अनुकरोति तान्।
> एवं बुद्धिगुणान् पश्यन् अनीहः अपि अनुकार्यते॥५२॥
>
> Just as a man watching a band of dancers or singers imitates them
> (spontaneously at least in the mind) so the Atman, even though without
> activity, is moved to imitate the attributes of the buddhi (intellect).
>
> Here the इतरेतर-अध्यासः is spoken of.  adhyAsa is अन्यत्र अन्यधर्मावभासः
> the manifesting / perceiving of the attributes of object ‘x’ in object ‘y’
> (and vice versa too).  In this verse the attributes of the dancers/singers
> that constitute the ‘other’ / different / object/ viShaya (for the one who
> watches the performance who is really the viShayI / the subject) are taken
> upon himself and he identifies himself with the dancers/singers and he too
> engages in dancing/singing, at least in the mind. Even so, the Atman takes
> upon itself, as though they are its own, attributes belonging to the
> non-Atman, the anAtman, buddhi.  Atman is niShkriya, asanga.  Yet, the
> kriyaa of the buddhi is superimposed on the Atman and one comes to think ‘I
> act/deliberate/think etc.
>
> Please read the rest in the link:
>
>
> https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/adhyasa-demonstrated-in-the-bhagavatam/
>
>
> regards
>
> subbu
>
>
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