[Advaita-l] Binary nature of Jnana

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste.

On Fri, Jul 1, 2022 at 8:33 PM Praveen R. Bhat via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:


<<  On Fri, Jul 1, 2022 at 2:56 PM Anand N via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> is jnana binary in the sense that, one knows that one is brahman or one is
> in avidya?
>
I would say so; however, paripakva jnAna or jnAna-niShThA is growing
clarity, as Pujya Swami Dayanandaji used to say) as conviction grows and
counters viparIta-jnAna. As Sw. Paramarthanandaji would say, jnAna is
comparatively easy, it is this niShThA that takes a long time. This is
verily why Jivanmuktiviveka establishes that Yajnavalkya took sannyAsa,
even after aparokSha-jnAna >>,

My understanding also is that JnAna is binary. Either one is Brahmavit or
ajnAni. But having said that, in this context my understanding of
jnAna-niShThA appears to be different. If it means conviction is still
lacking or viparIta-jnAna is still persisting, then he is not a brahmavit
or a JnAni. He is ajnAni only. A sAdhaka only though very advanced in his
sAdhana.

The term jnAna-niShThA is also used for a sAdhaka very advanced in his
sAdhana. BSB 3-4-20 may be referred. Several citations are furnished in the
Bhashya. Following is an extract from the same.

<<  परिव्राजकस्य तु सर्वकर्मसंन्यासात् प्रत्यवायो न सम्भवति
अननुष्ठाननिमित्तः ; शमदमादिस्तु तदीयो धर्मो ब्रह्मसंस्थाया उपोद्बलकः, न
विरोधी ; ब्रह्मनिष्ठत्वमेव हि तस्य शमदमाद्युपबृंहितं स्वाश्रमविहितं कर्म ;
यज्ञादीनि च इतरेषाम् ; तद्व्यतिक्रमे च तस्य प्रत्यवायः । >>

<<  parivrAjakasya tu sarvakarmasaMnyAsAt pratyavAyo na sambhavati
ananuShThAnanimittaH ; shamadamAdistu tadIyo dharmo brahmasaMsthAyA
upodbalakaH, na virodhI ; brahmaniShThatvameva hi tasya
shamadamAdyupabRRiMhitaM svAshramavihitaM karma ; yaj~nAdIni cha itareShAm
; tadvyatikrame cha tasya pratyavAyaH |  >>.

Translation (Swami Gambhirananda)  << But the monk can incur no sin of
nonperformance of duties owing to his renunciation of all duties. But
virtues like control of senses and organs,which characterize him, merely
strengthen his steadfastness in Brahman, but do not oppose it. The duty of
his order of life consists of steadfastness itself in Brahman, supported by
selfcontrol etc., whereas sacrifices etc., are the duties for  others; the
monk incurs sin by transgressing his own duties, (as much as others do by
transgressing theirs) >>.

( Sri SSS in a footnote on this observes that this applies to a sAdhaka who
is a parivrAjaka and not to a jnAni).

I am not sure if Swami Dayananda Saraswati or Swami Paramarthananda
intended the same. Praveen Ji only can clarify.

Yajnavalkya was a Brahmavit even before he took to sanyAsa. This is clear
from the Bhashya itself as well as stated by Swami Sureswaracharya in his
vArtika, and by HH Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Swamiji in his vyakhyana on
Viveka Chudamani.

This is my understanding.

Regards


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