[Advaita-l] An Adhyasa bhashya concept well endorsed by the Upanishad

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Adhyasa Bhashya Shankara has said:

तमेतमविद्याख्यमात्मानात्मनोरितरेतराध्यासं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वे
प्रमाणप्रमेयव्यवहारा लौकिका वैदिकाश्च प्रवृत्ताः, सर्वाणि च शास्त्राणि
विधिप्रतिषेधमोक्षपराणि । कथं पुनरविद्यावद्विषयाणि प्रत्यक्षादीनि प्रमाणानि
शास्त्राणि चेति ? उच्यते — देहेन्द्रियादिषु अहंममाभिमानरहितस्य
प्रमातृत्वानुपपत्तौ प्रमाणप्रवृत्त्यनुपपत्तेः । न हीन्द्रियाण्यनुपादाय
प्रत्यक्षादिव्यवहारः सम्भवति । न चाधिष्ठानमन्तरेण इन्द्रियाणां व्यवहारः
सम्भवति । न चानध्यस्तात्मभावेन देहेन कश्चिद्व्याप्रियते । न चैतस्मिन्
सर्वस्मिन्नसति असङ्गस्यात्मनः प्रमातृत्वमुपपद्यते । न च प्रमातृत्वमन्तरेण
प्रमाणप्रवृत्तिरस्ति । तस्मादविद्यावद्विषयाण्येव प्रत्यक्षादीनि प्रमाणानि
शास्त्राणि चेति ।

Flow of Śaṅkara’s Reasoning

   1.

   *Foundation: Adhyāsa (mutual superimposition of ātman and anātman) →
   called avidyā*
   ↓
   -

      This alone makes possible:
      -

         all *worldly dealings (laukika vyavahāra)*
         -

         all *Vedic dealings (vaidika vyavahāra)*
         -

         all *śāstra-s* (injunction, prohibition, mokṣa-shāstra)
         -

         all *pramāṇa–prameya relations*

------------------------------

   2.

   *Objection:*
   -

      How can pramāṇa-s and śāstra-s themselves be possible, if they are
      *avidyā-based*?

------------------------------

   3.

   *Reasoning given by Śaṅkara:*
   -

      Without *ahaṁ–mama superimposition* on body and senses →
      no *pramātṛtva (status of being a knower)*.
      -

      Without pramātṛtva → no *operation of pramāṇa-s* (perception,
      inference, etc.).
      -

      Without *appropriating self (adhyasta ātma-bhāva)* → body & senses
      cannot function.
      -

      The true ātman, being *asaṅga (unattached)*, cannot itself act or
      know.
      ↓
      ⇒ Only through *adhyāsa* does body–mind–sense function as if endowed
      with selfhood.

------------------------------

   4.

   *Conclusion:*
   -

      All *pramāṇa-s* (perception, inference, etc.)
      -

      All *śāstra-s*
      operate *only so long as avidyā persists* (*avidyāvad-viṣayāṇi eva*).

------------------------------

Let's see what the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.3.22 says:

अत्र पितापिता भवति मातामाता लोका अलोका देवा अदेवा वेदा अवेदाः । अत्र
स्तेनोऽस्तेनो भवति भ्रूणहाभ्रूणहा चाण्डालोऽचाण्डालः पौल्कसोऽपौल्कसः
श्रमणोऽश्रमणस्तापसोऽतापसोऽनन्वागतं पुण्येनानन्वागतं पापेन तीर्णो हि तदा
सर्वाञ्छोकान्हृदयस्य भवति ॥ २२ ॥


22. In this (deep sleep) state a father is no father, a mother no mother,
the worlds no worlds, the gods no gods,* the Vedas no Vedas.* In this state
a thief is no thief, the killer of a noble Brahmana no killer, a Chandâla
no Chandâla, a Pulkasa no Pulkasa, a monk no monk, a hermit no hermit.
(This form of his) is untouched by good work and untouched by evil work,
for he is then beyond all the woes of his heart (intellect).

This is a part of Yajnavalkya instructing Janaka on the nature of Moksha,
liberation. For this, as a prelude, the state of deep sleep is explained as
an analogy to Moksha. In deep sleep all avidya-based identities of the
waking state are not there for the jiva. Hence, importantly, the gods,
lokas and the Vedas, which are inseparably connected with such identities
of the jivas, too are not there. This is because only with such body-mind
identities a person performs action, whether or not using the Veda to
perform this or that karma, invoking this or that devata, to attain any
desired goal. The mantra says further: the jiva is free of any merit or
demerit, punya or pāpa, in that state. This is what the state of liberation
too as the jiva is divested of avidya and all avidya-based identities and
punya, pāpa etc.

Now, we can relate this to what Shankara has said in the Adhyasa Bhashya.
Since all knowing, acting, achieving goals, reaping consequences - worldly
or moksha - is based on the body-mind identification of the Atman due to
avidya-adhyasa, all pramanas, means of knowledge that include pratyaksha,
anumana, etc. and the shāstra, Veda, operate only in the realm of
avidya-adhyasa. We can see that the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is virtually
endorsing, explaining, justifying, what Shankara has said. We can
appreciate the correspondence on the grounds of erroneous identities,
action, attainment, punya, papa, etc.

In a nutshell, the Atman is presented as free from all cause and effect of
bondage. While Shankara says that in a vyatireka mode, the Upanishad makes
that clear in the anvaya mode.

Also read here the Bhagavatam too endorsing the same:
https://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2023-June/060349.html

Om Tat Sat