A little Mathematics -- prompted by the Adhyaropa-apavAda discussion

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "subrahmanian_v"

<subrahmanian_v> wrote: (#31615)

>

> Then, while commencing the making of the pre-fried murukku, a tiny

> lump is first made in the shape of a cone and vermillion applied. 

> This is the Pillaiyar to take care of the successful completion of

> the Murukku affair.  At the end, even this Pillaiyar is either

fried

> or immersed in water.  So, adhyaropa of Pillaiyar in the dough and

> its apavada are very much a practice in households.

>

> In regular homams also, a Manjal Pillaiyar is made and all the

puja

> is offered to it.  AT the end, the Pillaiyar is dissolved in water

> and preserved for the Sumangalis of the house to use the yellow

water

> for bathing the next day.

> 

> I have heard it said that in Physics and Mathematics this method

is

> employed in order to teach a subtle concept.  Since i am not

versed

> in those subjects, i am not quoting instances.

 

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

 

 

Dear All,

 

I cannot resist the temptation  of pursuing the suggestion of

Subbuji regarding the Mathematics tradition of `apavada'-type of

explaining subtle concepts.  Incidentally I am back in the U.S. now

and so I have started updating myself on the advaitin postings.  I

am enjoying Subbuji's style of clarifications of subtle concepts.

 

Readers, please bear with a little mathematics before you see the

depth of Subbuji's remarks as perceived by a mathematician-cum-

advaitin!

 

There is a  practice of passing to a quotient structure from a

parent structure which has been formalised as a standard method in

Mathematics during the 20th century.  A simple example.  Let all

integers be reduced to their remainder when divided by 7. This would

mean there are only seven numbers  now, namely: 0,1,2,3,4,5,and 6. 

Every other number would be reduced to one of these, uniquely.

Thus `zero' would represent all multiples of 7, `1' would represent

all numbers which leave a remainder 1 when divided by 7  and so on. 

Now these seven `representative numbers'  can be added and

multiplied. The result would be one of these numbers (since any

number is reduced to one of these). These can also be subjected to

the process of subtraction and division (- this would take a little

bit of mathematical routine, but we shall skip it here). Thus, at

the end, we have an algebraic structure on this new set derived from

the structure on the parent set. In fact the algebraic structure on

the  parent set of an infinity of numbers  has now induced  an

analogous (strictly the same, in a certain mathematical sense)

structure on the smaller set containing only seven entities, which

may now be called the quotient set.  Another way of saying this is

that all the numbers are `partitioned' into exactly seven entities

or classes. These entities or classes have now a structure of

addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Mathematicians

call this a quotient structure. The standard way of describing this

is to say that the quotient structure is obtained by `killing'

or `nullifying' all multiples of seven.  This `nullification' is

actually an AA (`adhyaropa-apavada') technique.  Put all multiples

of seven into one class – this is adhyaropa; and then treat that

whole class as nothing but `zero' in the quotient structure – this

is apavada.

 

This `simple' (!) procedure is used to explain similar `nullifying'

operations, for example, among geometrical shapes, to introduce the

concepts of topology – a 20th century invention. There are several

other quotient structures, introduced in more complicated ways, in

various parts of mathematics and its applications.  What will

interest us here, in view of Subbuji's remark about mathematical

usage of this AA technique, is the following that sparked in my mind

after reading Subbuji's post.

 

The entire visible universe is Maayaa – that is the advaita

contention. By nullifying it, that is, by putting all that is Maayaa

into one class and treating it as zero of the new quotient

structure, there now remains only one class, because there is

nothing in the universe that is not under the influence of Maayaa. 

In other words the quotient structure obtained after nullifying

maayaa, contains only one single class  (the class containing that

mAyA: Note that the class containing mAyA is not mAyA; it is

different from mAyA; in mathematics also, the class containing some

contents is different from the contents!) and that is The Absolute

reality, says advaita! The adhyaropa or superimposition is the

worldly habit of treating all that is mAyA as real.  The apavada or

eradication of it is the nullification or `killing' of that mAyA.

 

Thanks, Subbuji, for (indirectly) prompting me to arrive at this!

 

PraNAms to all advaitins.

profvk

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk.>

wrote:

>

> The entire visible universe is Maayaa – that is the advaita

> contention. By nullifying it, that is, by putting all that is

Maayaa

> into one class and treating it as zero of the new quotient

> structure, there now remains only one class, because there is

> nothing in the universe that is not under the influence of Maayaa. 

> In other words the quotient structure obtained after nullifying

> maayaa, contains only one single class  (the class containing that

> mAyA: Note that the class containing mAyA is not mAyA; it is

> different from mAyA; in mathematics also, the class containing some

> contents is different from the contents!) and that is The Absolute

> reality, says advaita! The adhyaropa or superimposition is the

> worldly habit of treating all that is mAyA as real.  The apavada or

> eradication of it is the nullification or `killing' of that mAyA.

>

> Thanks, Subbuji, for (indirectly) prompting me to arrive at this!

>

> PraNAms to all advaitins.

> profvk

>

 

Namaste Prof. ji,

 

Many thanks for taking the discussion forward by substantiating the

main point made. 

 

Regards,

subbu

[Guest guest]

First, join me in issueing a 'warm welcome home' to professor-ji who

has delighted us all with so many bhakti-filled posts in this group.

Now that professor-ji is here , Mahatripurasundari will also shine in

this group in both her Saguna and nirguna aspects!

 

Now, subbuji , may i direct you to a web site which gives advaitic

interpretation of Devi's various names and forms .

 

http://www.escribe.com/religion/advaita/m4121.html

 

Contributed by Anand Hudli

 

(sunder-ji, pl issue the correct link if this does not work - i am

having problems with my computer- thanks)

 

Subbuji, here is n excerpt

 

"The devI, as the Power of Consciousness, illuminates externally

the world of names and forms, and internally the various vR^ittis

or activities of the mind. In reality, everything both external and

internal is Consciousness, the Self only. So the commentator says:

 

   bahiH nAmarUpavikArajAtaM antaH kAmAdivR^ittisahasraM cha

  svAtiriktaM nAstIti prakAshayantI ||

 

The three bodies, gross, subtle, and causal, correspond to the

     three states of waking, dream, and deep sleep respectively. At

     the individual level, the Consciousness, which becomes associated

     with the vyaShTi (individual) ajnAna, is called PrAjna, taijasa,

     and vishva, in the three states respectively. At the cosmic

level,

    the same   Consciousness is associated with samaShTi (collective)

   ajnAna. Corresponding to PrAjna, taijasa, and vishva, are, at the

   cosmic level, Ishvara,  HiraNyagarbha, and virAT respectively. Thus

   it is that all the objects in time and space can be described in

the

   context of these three bodies or three states of waking, dream, and

   sleep.

 

     The inner Consciousness is the One that illuminates all the

    three states or bodies. So it is the Inner Consciousness that

   is said to pervade all these three states of bodies (tripuraM).

   By the process of proper knowledge of the Self, the three bodies

are

   reomoved or taken apart as superimpositions (adhyAropa's) are

   removed from the Self.

 

  The devI, in the form of the Atma-vidyA, is called the mahA-tripura-

  sundarI, because She takes apart (dArayati) excellently (sutarAM)

  the three bodies, which are super-imposed on the Self (Atman) as

  effects of avidyA, (tripurasundarI) and thus She is great (mahatI).

  That tripurasundarI Herself is the Inner Consciousness.

 

 

  desha-kAla-vastvantarAsaN^gAt.h samyagjnAnAtmanA tripuraM

  sharIratrayaM tadupalaxitAvidyApadatatkAryajAtaM sutarAM

  dArayatyapahnavaM karotIti mahatI cha sA tripurasundarI cha

  mahAtripurasundarI vai tripurasundaryeva  pratyakchitiH ||"

 

  (Anand Hudli)

 

subbuji, please enjoy !

 

On this auspicious Friday dedicated to Sri Lalita

Mahatripurasundari , it gives me great plesure to recall the glory of

Devi as oulined in shakta upanishads .

 

AUM MAHATRIPURASUNDARAYAII NAMAHA

[Guest guest]

Mahatripurasundari SHINING in nirguna aspect???????

 

Isnt that shining is a guna???  How one can expecct that from Nigurna?????

 

regards

Jalasayanan

 

-

"dhyanasaraswati" <dhyanasaraswati >

<advaitin>

Friday, June 02, 2006 7:03 PM

Re: A little Mathematics -- prompted by the

Adhyaropa-apavAda discussion

 

 

> First, join me in issueing a 'warm welcome home' to professor-ji who

> has delighted us all with so many bhakti-filled posts in this group.

> Now that professor-ji is here , Mahatripurasundari will also shine in

> this group in both her Saguna and nirguna aspects!

>

> Now, subbuji , may i direct you to a web site which gives advaitic

> interpretation of Devi's various names and forms .

>

> http://www.escribe.com/religion/advaita/m4121.html

>

> Contributed by Anand Hudli

>

> (sunder-ji, pl issue the correct link if this does not work - i am

> having problems with my computer- thanks)

>

> Subbuji, here is n excerpt

>

> "The devI, as the Power of Consciousness, illuminates externally

> the world of names and forms, and internally the various vR^ittis

> or activities of the mind. In reality, everything both external and

> internal is Consciousness, the Self only. So the commentator says:

>

>   bahiH nAmarUpavikArajAtaM antaH kAmAdivR^ittisahasraM cha

>  svAtiriktaM nAstIti prakAshayantI ||

>

>

> The three bodies, gross, subtle, and causal, correspond to the

>     three states of waking, dream, and deep sleep respectively. At

>     the individual level, the Consciousness, which becomes associated

>     with the vyaShTi (individual) ajnAna, is called PrAjna, taijasa,

>     and vishva, in the three states respectively. At the cosmic

> level,

>    the same   Consciousness is associated with samaShTi (collective)

>   ajnAna. Corresponding to PrAjna, taijasa, and vishva, are, at the

>   cosmic level, Ishvara,  HiraNyagarbha, and virAT respectively. Thus

>   it is that all the objects in time and space can be described in

> the

>   context of these three bodies or three states of waking, dream, and

>   sleep.

>

>     The inner Consciousness is the One that illuminates all the

>    three states or bodies. So it is the Inner Consciousness that

>   is said to pervade all these three states of bodies (tripuraM).

>   By the process of proper knowledge of the Self, the three bodies

> are

>   reomoved or taken apart as superimpositions (adhyAropa's) are

>   removed from the Self.

>

>  The devI, in the form of the Atma-vidyA, is called the mahA-tripura-

>  sundarI, because She takes apart (dArayati) excellently (sutarAM)

>  the three bodies, which are super-imposed on the Self (Atman) as

>  effects of avidyA, (tripurasundarI) and thus She is great (mahatI).

>  That tripurasundarI Herself is the Inner Consciousness.

>

>

>  desha-kAla-vastvantarAsaN^gAt.h samyagjnAnAtmanA tripuraM

>  sharIratrayaM tadupalaxitAvidyApadatatkAryajAtaM sutarAM

>  dArayatyapahnavaM karotIti mahatI cha sA tripurasundarI cha

>  mahAtripurasundarI vai tripurasundaryeva  pratyakchitiH ||"

>

>  (Anand Hudli)

>

> subbuji, please enjoy !

>

> On this auspicious Friday dedicated to Sri Lalita

> Mahatripurasundari , it gives me great plesure to recall the glory of

> Devi as oulined in shakta upanishads .

>

> AUM MAHATRIPURASUNDARAYAII NAMAHA

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "dhyanasaraswati"

<dhyanasaraswati> wrote:

>

>  So the commentator says:

>

>    bahiH nAmarUpavikArajAtaM antaH kAmAdivR^ittisahasraM cha

>   svAtiriktaM nAstIti prakAshayantI ||

>

> 

> >

> subbuji, please enjoy !

 

Namaste Madam,

 

Thank you for the above post.  I am truly enjoying.  Who is that

commentator? The link does not work.

 

The 'shining' of this Atmasvarupam, Mahatripurasundari, is not the

effect of any guna; it is the undeniable 'sphuraNam' that one always

experiences, again not as an object, but as oneself.  Do we ever

question: 'Am I or not?'? This is a reply addressed to Sri Jalasayanan

ji. Again, jalam is the ocean of Consciousness, chidambudhi.  The one

that reposes in it is I that can never be separated from that ocean. 

Thus, we get the meaning that jalasayanan is not some body that stays

afloat in the ocean, but the one identified with the limitless ocean

itself.  How nice to contemplate this way!! 

 

Regards,

subbu

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "subrahmanian_v"

<subrahmanian_v> wrote:

>

> advaitin, "dhyanasaraswati"

> <dhyanasaraswati@> wrote:

> >

> >  So the commentator says:

> >

> >    bahiH nAmarUpavikArajAtaM antaH kAmAdivR^ittisahasraM cha

> >   svAtiriktaM nAstIti prakAshayantI ||

> >

> > 

> > >

> > subbuji, please enjoy !

>

> Namaste Madam,

>

> Thank you for the above post.  I am truly enjoying.  Who is that

> commentator? The link does not work.

>

>

 

 

Namaste,

 

         The link is at:

 

http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/1998-

May/009118.html

 

OR

 

http://tinyurl.com/p9agz

 

[N.B. : e-scribe links are no longer active]

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

Thank you Sunder-ji for providing the 'alternative' link.

 

Subbuji, the commentator is brahma yogin and the member who posted it

is one Anand Hudli. He is a member of group and is is well

versed in shakta literature . i , too, enjoy reading his posts.

 

now , subbuji one of the names of Sri Lalthambika is

 

Sri Dyuti-Dhara (nama 766)

 

— *The Light.*

 

Sri Lalita Sahasranama

(Sri Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and

Printers, 1989.)

 

 

"What is that illumines Atman? If another kind of consciousness is

assumed for that purpose, then the question may be asked as to what

illumines the second consciousness. Thus one faces the difficulty of

an infinite regress. On the other hand, if it is said that Atman is

illumined by the light that belongs to Atman alone, then an objection

may be raised that the answer hardly gives any satisfaction. It may

be contented that the ignorant man does not know the nature of Atman

at all; therefore his ignorance can hardly be dispelled by the

statement that the light of Atman manifests Atman."

 

Swami Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge

(S. Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge [Atmabodha], 1989, p. 144.)

 

Sri Lalita is also described as

 

Sri Param-jyotih (nama 806)

 

— The Ultimate Light.

 

— "There (in the Great Lotus Forest) the sun, moon and stars do not  

shine because She illumines the mind that illumine all of them."

    Kathopanisad 5.15

 

Sri Lalita Sahasranama

(Sri Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc)

 

The Light of lights: jyotisham jyotih the source of all other

luminaries."

 

(Cf. KathU V, 15 (§ V 5); SU VI, 14 (practically the same text); and

also BG XV, 6.)

 

Professor Raimundo Panikkar

 

ANOTHER NAME OF SRI lALITA IS

 

414) Sri Sva-prakasa

 

— Self-Illuminated; nothing illuminates Her as She is `Svayam-jyoti'.

 

Sri Lalita Sahasranama

(Sri Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Ass. Advertisers and Printers,

1989.)

 

AND FINALLY

 

329) Sri Kanta

 

— Ultimate Form of Reality.

 

Sri Lalita Sahasranama

(Sri Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and

Printers, 1989.)

 

 

The self-existent constrains the senses which turn to external

objects.

Therefore man sees the external objects, not the internal self;

But the wise, with eyes averted and desirous of immortality, behold

the inner self.

 

Katha-Upanisad (I. 23)

 

 

(source: R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and

Research Centre, Madras, 1988.)

 

SOURCE :

 

http://www.adishakti.org/book_of_enlightenment/book_of_enlightenment.h

tm

 

 

**********************************************************************

well, there is enough 'light' (knowledge) in these sacred names of

Sri Laltambika , the mere chanting of which may remove the darkness (

ignorance) in our minds, one would think. Let us 'shine' by taking

shelter of her Divine nama!

 

praataH stuve parashivaaM lalitaaM bhavaaniiM

trayyantavedyavibhavaaM karuNaanavadyaam.h .

vishvasya sR^iShTavilayasthitihetubhuutaaM

vishveshvariiM nigamavaaN^gamanasaatiduuraam.h

 

i chant every morning the names of that Shri LalitA whose greatness

can be known through the upanishads; whose heart is very tender,

filled with kindness; the one who is the cause for the creation,

sustenance, and destruction of this jagat; who is the lord of all the

universe; and the one who is beyond the vedAs, and beyond the words,

mind and intellect. I chant that Shri LalitA's names every morning.

 

Aum Sri Lalithambikaye namaha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh.> e:

>> > Namaste Madam,

> >

> > Thank you for the above post.  I am truly enjoying.  Who is that

> > commentator? The link does not work.

> >

> >

>

>

> Namaste,

>

>          The link is at:

>

> http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/1998-

> May/009118.html

>

> OR

>

> http://tinyurl.com/p9agz

>

> [N.B. : e-scribe links are no longer active]

>

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder

>