sribhashya-Mahapurvapaksha

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MahApurvapksha- The voluminous arguments of the opponent.

 

The main tenet of advaita , namely 'brahma sathyam jaganmiTHyA jeevO

brahmaiva nAparah is taken up next for examination and the argument

of the opponent, that is, advaitin , is given. ' AsEsha visEsha

prathyaneeka chinmathra brahmaiva paramArThah; thadhathireki

nAnAviDHa jnAthr-jnEya-thathkrthajnAnabhEdhAdhi sarvam thasminnEva

parikalpitham miThyAbhootham,' Brahman, which is devoid of

differences and which is pure consciousness alone is real and the

diversities like knower, known and the knowledge of the known are

all superimposed on Brahman and therefore unreal. They quote the

sruthi, 'sadhEva soumya idhamagra Aseeth EkamEva advitheeyam.(chan.6-

2-1)

 

Asesha visesha , all differences, refer to sajAtheeya vijAtheeya

svagatha bheEdhAh. Sajaatheeya bhEdha is the difference within a

class, jAthi, of objects, like the difference between one cow and

another. VijAtheeya ,on the other hand, is the difference between

classes, like that between a cow and a horse. Svagatha bhedha is the

diifference within the object like the different limbs of the cow. As

per the text 'sadhEva---addvitheeyam, ' brahman alone existed in the

beginning one only and without a second, there could not be any

difference of the three kinds since Brahman alone existed,(hence no

vijAtheeya bhedha), one only,( so no sajAtheeya bhEdha) and

advitheeyam, without a second ,meaning one whole. (so no svagatha

bhedha.)

 

There are several texts like 'yaththadhrEsyam agrAhyam agothram

avarNam achakshussrothram thadhapANipAdham nithyam vibhum sarvagatham

susookshmam thadhavyayam yathbhoothayonim paripasyanthi DHeerAh,'

(Mund.1-1-5), What is invisible ungraspable unoriginated and

attributeless, what has neither eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet,what

is eternal,all pervading, and most subtle , that imperishable Being

is what the wise perceive as a source of creation. 'Sathyam jnAnam

anantham brahma,' (Tait. Ana,1) Brahman is existence, knowledge and

infinity, 'neha nAnasthi kimchana',(Brhd.6-4-19) there is no

diversity, etc.

 

Advaitin may even quote from VishNupurana to support his

view. 'ParmArthasthvamEvaiko nAnyoasthi jagathah pathE, you are the

only reality there is none else, oh Lord of the world,(VP. 1-4-38),

yathEthaddhrsyathE moortham Ethath jnAnAthmanasthava bhrAnthijnAnEna

pasyanthi jagadroopam ayOginah,(VP. 1-4-39) those who are devoid of

yoga see the illusory world which is only the form of You, who is

jnAnasvaroopa.'

 

To prove that only the undifferentiated Brahman is real and

everything else is unreal they may even quote smrthi like

Bhagavatgita where we find statements like 'ahamAthmAgudakesa

sarvabhoohAsayasthithah,(BG19-20) I am the Self in all beings,

and 'na thadhasthivinA yath syAth mayAbhootham charAcharam,'(BG.10-

39) there is nothing that exists without me.'

 

What is miThyAthvam,illusion? It is that knowledge which is sublated

later by real perception like the perception of snake in a rope due

to some fault in vision which vanishes later when the defective

vision is removed by the real knowledge of the rope. Similarly this

world of beings from devas to plants is an illusory perception which

is removed by the knowledge of Brahman .

 

Now what is the defect that produces this illusory perception of the

world? It is the sadhasatanirvachaneeyA anAdhi avidhyA, according to

the advaitin. The term sadasat anirvachaniyam must be understood in

order to comprehend the advaItic point of view. Sat is that which

exists, like the rope and asat is that which does not exist, like the

horn of a hare. Now if a thing is asat it would not be seen llike the

horn of the hare. The illusory perception of the snake in a rope

appears to exist and is seen by one who is under the illusion. So it

cannot be defined ,anirvachaneeyam , as either sat or asat, because

the snake exists till the knowledge of the rope dawns which sublates

the previous knowledge. So also the illusory perception of the world

of diversities persists till it is sublated by the knowledge of

Brahman. Hence it is sadasadvilakshaNa, neither sat nor asat. This is

the basis of the concept of adhyaAsa, superimposition of advaita.The

world is superimposed on Brahman by anAdhi avidhya.

 

How can there be an illusion when the Brahman which is self-illumined

is always present like the Sun? Advaitin contends that avidhya has

two functions, through its AvaraNashakthi and vikshepashakthi.

Avarana is concealing what is real and vikshepa is showing it as

something else. The nonapprehension of the Absolute reality, ie.

Brahman, is due to the aAvaraNashakthi and the misapprehension, the

illusion of Brahman as the world, is due to vikshepashakthi. One

sees the rope as some object, the real characterestics being obscured

due to some defect like dim light etc. and the observer, not knowing

what it is, imagines it to be a snake. Similarly the awareness of

Brahman or Athman as a permanent entity is there for everyone but it

is not known as such due to ignorance, anaAdhi avidhyA, and hence it

is wrongly perceived as the world.

 

There are various sruti texts quoted by the advaitin to substantiate

this like 'mAyAm thu prakrthim vidhyAth mAyinam thu

mahesvaram,'(svet.4-10), the prkrthi, primordial nature is the mAya

which is weilded by Isvara,' indro mAyAbhihi pururoopa eeyathE,' the

Lord on account of His mAyA is perceived manifold,(Brhd.4-5-

19)'anrthEna hi prathyoodaah,'(Chan.8-3-2) these are covered with

falsehood. 'JnAna svarupO bhagavAn yahO asou aseshamurthih na thu

vasthubhoothah,' Isvara is jnAnsvarupa and all beings of all forms

are He alone and not different.(VP.2-12-39), thasmAth na vijnAnmrthE

asthi kimchith kvachith kadhAchith dhvija vasthujAtham,' (VP.2-12-

43) therefore there is no entity other than the consciousness ever

auywhere.This avidhyA will become extinct only through the knowledge

of Self as Brahman, the undifferentiated consciousness.

 

 

 

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