[Advaita-l] The Three states/types of Reality (sattaa-traividhyam) - Taittiriya Shankara Bhashya

[V Subrahmanian]

This post has the Bhashya, Sureshwarachar's Taittiriya Bh.Vartika, Vanamala
and Sayana Bhashya:

https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/paramarthika-vyavaharika-satyam/

In the Bhashya, Shankara specifies three types of 'reality' based on the
Taittiriya mantra: *सत्यं च अनृतं च सत्यमभवत् . *For Vedantins, the
Taittiriya Upanishad is the Pramana for the Three types of reality.

The Bhashya for the above passage is:

 सत्यं च व्यवहारविषयम् , अधिकारात् ; न परमार्थसत्यम् ; एकमेव हि
परमार्थसत्यं ब्रह्म । इह पुनः व्यवहारविषयमापेक्षिकं सत्यम् ,
मृगतृष्णिकाद्यनृतापेक्षया उदकादि सत्यमुच्यते । अनृतं च तद्विपरीतम् । किं
पुनः ? एतत्सर्वमभवत् , सत्यं परमार्थसत्यम् ; किं पुनस्तत् ? ब्रह्म, ‘सत्यं
ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म’ इति प्रकृतत्वात् ।

SSS translates the Bhashya thus:


(ಭಾಷ್ಯಾರ್ಥ)
 ಸತ್ಯವು ಎಂದರೆ ವ್ಯವಹಾರವಿಷಯವಾದ ಸತ್ಯವು ; ಏಕೆಂದರೆ (ವ್ಯವಹಾರದ ವಿಷಯದ್ದೇ) ಈ
ಪ್ರಕರಣವು. (ಇದು) ಪರಮಾರ್ಥಸತ್ಯವಲ್ಲ ; ಏಕೆಂದರ ಪರಮಾರ್ಥಸತ್ಯವಾದ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮವು ಒಂದೇ,
ಇಲ್ಲಿಯೋ ಎಂದರೆ ವ್ಯವಹಾರ ವಿಷಯವಾದ ಬಿಸಿಲುಕುದುರೆಯ (ನೀರ) ಮುಂತಾದ ಅನೃತಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿದರೆ
(ಸತ್ಯ) ವಾಗುವ  ಆಪೇಕ್ಷಿಕವಾಗಿರುವ ನೀರು ಮುಂತಾದದ್ದನ್ನೇ ಸತ್ಯ ಎಂದು ಕರೆದಿರುತ್ತದೆ.
ಮತ್ತು ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿರುವದು ಅನೃತವು.

(ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ :-) ಇದೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಆದದ್ದು ಯಾವದು ?
(ಉತ್ತರ :-) ಸತ್ಕವು ; ಪರಮಾರ್ಥಸತ್ಯವು.
(ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ :-) ಆ (ಪರಮಾರ್ಥಸತ್ಯ )ವೆಂಬುದಾದರೂ ಯಾವದು ?

2. ಹೋಲಿಕೆಯ ಸತ್ಯ, ನೀರು ಬಾಯಾರಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಹಿಂಗಿಸುತ್ತದೆ ; ಬಿಸಿಲು ಕುದುರೆಯ ನೀರು
ಹಿಂಗಿಸುವದಿಲ್ಲ ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನೀರು ಆಪೇಕ್ಷಿಕಸತ್ಯ ; ಬಿಸಿಲು ಕುದುರೆಯ ನೀರು ಅನ್ನತ.

Translation of SSS's translation:

*(Translation of the Bhāṣyārtha)*

By *satya* (truth) is meant *vyavahāra-satya*—empirical or transactional
truth; because the present context pertains to empirical dealings. This is
not *pāramārthika-satya* (absolute truth); for the absolute truth, Brahman,
is one alone. Here, in contrast to the unreal entities of empirical
experience such as the mirage-“water,” those things like actual water—which
are relatively true (*āpekṣika*)—are spoken of as *satya*. That which is
opposed to this is *anṛta* (untruth).

*(Question):* Then what is that which truly is?
*(Answer):* *Sat*—the absolute truth.

*(Question):* And what indeed is that (absolute truth)?

   1.

   Although inert objects such as stones are also effects of the conscious
   Brahman, consciousness does not manifest distinctly in them. *(Sūtra
   Bhāṣya 2.1.6)*
   2.

   Comparative truth: water quenches thirst, whereas the water of a mirage
   does not. Therefore, water is *relative truth*, while mirage-water is
   *unreal*.

The point to be noted is:

*SSS is not refuting Shankara and the Taittiriya Upanishad stating three
types of reality:* The pāraarthika reality is Brahman, the vyavaharika
reality is given the analogy of water and a third category, the 'unreal'
which is also a part of the creation, is given the analogy of mirage water
by Shankara.

Thus, the Upanishad itself gives three types of reality.* If SSS was
opposed to the three types of reality, he should have disagreed with the
Upanishad and Shankara, *and by extension, with Sureshwara, who in the
Taittirya Vartika has explicitly named two satyas: vyavaharika and
paramarthika.

More details can be seen in the linked article.

warm regards
subbu