Sridakshinamurtistotram (Part IX - c)

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Srigurubhyo namaH

Sridakshinamurtistotram

(Part IX –c)

 

namaH shrI-shankarAnanda-guru-pAdAmbujanmane |

savilAsa-mahA-moha-grAha-grAsaika-karmaNe ||

(Salutatios at the Lotus Feet of the Guru shri shankarAnanda whose

sole activity is to `swallow up' the crocodile that is the variegated

great delusion. – prayer by sri VidyAraNya Swamin at the commencement

of his work: Panchadashi.)

 

We saw in the earlier part, discussing the line: `svapne jAgrati vaa

eSha puruSho mAya-paribhrAmitaH' of the verse, that the states of

waking and dream involve vyavahara, parlance. It is in these two

states that we interact with the outside world of people and

objects through the senses and the mind. This interaction involves

relationships and differences between people, objects, etc. Now,

the question arises: What is the cause of this parlance into which we

seem to have been dragged forcibly without any `permission' from our

side? The hymn, in this verse, says that it is the Maya that is the

one that causes all this. Maya is shakti. It is the deluding power

of Maya that is responsible for the various actions that we perform.

In the dream, the power that makes the dream-vyavahara happen is the

nidraa-shakti. Unless a person is overtaken by sleep, dream does not

arise. It is the power of sleep that causes the dream-vyavahara to

happen. Likewise it is the power of Maya that has to be admitted to

be the cause of all this parlance in the waking. How does Vedanta

say that it is Maya shakti that is responsible for parlance? The

answer is: the dream vyavahara gives us the analogy for this. Says

the Panchadashi XIII:

 

86. Just as in the sleeping state a power inherent in the Jiva gives

rise to impossible dreams, so the power of Maya inherent in Brahman,

projects, maintains and destroys the universe.

89. When such is the glory of the power of sleep and dream, what is

there to wonder at the unimaginable glory of the power of Maya ?

90. In a sleeping man various dreams are created; similarly the power

of Maya creates diverse appearances in the immutable Brahman.

 

Although the power behind vyavahara is terrible, the enquiry into it

shows that this maayic vyavahara is said to be Maya alone in diverse

forms. The dream analogy that we saw much earlier showed that the

entire vyavahara that includes the doer, experiencer, the objects,

the `others', space, time, are all actually a projection of the One

Chit-shakti. When the projecting shakti is separated by negating, in

the manner of the Mandukya Upanishad seventh mantra, what we have is

a Pure Turiya Brahman that is `avyavahaaryam' = not subjectable to

vyavahara, as the Upanishad itself puts it. It is this declaration

of the Upanishad along with the other expression it uses:

prapanchopashamam = bereft of phenomenal expressions that gives proof

to the above contention of Vedanta.

 

Maya has mere empirical existence:

 

The Manasollasa makes clear, this Maya is to be regarded as having

only an empirical existence. This is because of the `fate' it

suffers when Self-knowledge dawns: sva-prabodhena bAdhyate. The

Vedantic position on the status of Maya is clarified by the Acharya

in the sutra bhashya: 1.4.1.3:

 

If we admitted some antecedent state of the world as the independent

cause of the actual world, we should indeed implicitly, admit the

pradhâna doctrine. What we admit is, however, only a previous state

dependent on the highest Lord, not an independent state. A previous

stage of the world such as the one assumed by us must necessarily be

admitted, since it is according to sense and reason. For without it

the highest Lord could not be conceived as creator, as he could not

become active if he were destitute of the potentiality of action. The

existence of such a causal potentiality renders it moreover possible

that the released souls should not enter on new courses of existence,

as it is destroyed by perfect knowledge. For that causal potentiality

is of the nature of Nescience; it is rightly denoted by the

term 'undeveloped;' it has the highest Lord for its substratum; it is

of the nature of an illusion; it is a universal sleep in which are

lying the transmigrating souls destitute for the time of the

consciousness of their individual character. 1 This undeveloped

principle is sometimes denoted by the term âkâsa, ether; so, for

instance, in the passage, 'In that Imperishable then, O Gârgî, the

ether is woven like warp and woof' (Bri. Up. III, 8, 11). Sometimes,

again, it is denoted by the term akshara, the Imperishable; so, for

instance (Mu. Up. II, 1, 2), 'Higher, than the high Imperishable.'

Sometimes it is spoken of as Mâyâ, illusion; so, for instance (Sve.

Up. IV, 10), 'Know then Prakriti is Mâyâ, and the great Lord he who

is affected with Mâyâ.' For Mâyâ is properly called undeveloped or

non-manifested since it cannot be defined either as that which is

Brahman or otherwise. (unquote)

 

That such is the case is also brought out by the Sutra bhashya

(2.1.6.14) meaning that name and form which constitute the seed of

the entire expanse of phenomenal existence, and which are conjured up

by nescience, are, as it were, non-different from the Omniscient

Lord; and they cannot be characterized either as Brahman or otherwise

and are referred to, in Sruti and smriti as the power called Maya

of the Omniscient Lord or as Prakriti.

Thus, Maya has neither an independent existence nor shine apart from

the substratum, Brahman. The Panchadashi VI says:

 

132. Maya is dependent, for in the absence of the cognising faculty

the effects of Maya cannot be experienced. Again in one sense it is

independent too, for it can make the non-attached Atman appear to be

attached.

 

133. Maya transforms the immutable Kutastha, the ever association-

less Atman, phenomenally into the form of the universe. Casting the

reflection of Atman on itself, Maya Creates Jiva and Ishvara.

 

134. Without in any way affecting the real nature of Atman, Maya

creates the world. It makes the impossible look possible. How

astonishingly powerful Maya is !

 

The Manasollasa (VIII 13,14,15) says further:

 

It is not non-existent because it appears; neither is it existent

because it is nullified. It is not distinct from the Light unlike

the dark shadow which is distinct from the Sun, neither is it

identical with the Light because it is insentient, nor can it be both

distinct from, and identical with the Light, because it is a

contradiction in terms. It can not be said to be made up of parts,

because such parts are not in evidence in its cause. Neither is it

devoid of parts, since, in its effects, it is made up of parts.

 

The spectacular display of Maya, the material cause, is spoken of by

the BrihadvArtika:

 

asya dvaitendra-jAlasya yad-upAdAna-kAraNam

ajnAnam tad-upAshritya brahma kAraNam uchyate (I.4.371)

(Having recourse to that ignorance which is the material cause of

this magic that is duality, Brahman is said to be the cause (of the

universe).

 

What is this power, shakti, that brings forth this variegated

universe? It is the ignorance pertaining to Atman that is regarded

as the power in the production of all the effects. In no other

manner would it be possible to accommodate appropriately the doctrine

of Shakti. This shakti itself is Maya as per the Bhashya. Thus says

the BrihadvArtika:

 

AtmA-avidyaiva naH shaktiH sarvakAryasya sarjane

Na atao anyathA shaktivAdaH pramANena-avasIyate (IV.3.1784)

 

The SvaarAjyasiddhi (I.48) says that this Avidya or Maya is thus to

be regarded as the sustainer of itself as also its products:

Just as Consciousness shines by itself and also illuminates other

objects, and difference is able to differentiate itself and others,

so is Maya able to establish itself and produce the superimposition

by itself. It is expert in achieving even impossible tasks; it

creates infatuation for the jivas by deluding them.

 

Maya is thus not established by reasoning: The Manasollasa (VII

13,16) characterizes Maya thus:

 

Maya is the name given to an appearance which cannot be accounted

for. The harlot of a Maya appearing only so long as not scrutinized,

deceives the Purusha by her false affectations of coquetry.

The Panchadashi (VI.134) also says: What is there to wonder about

Maya whose nature itself is the bringing about of what is

incompatible?

 

We have the sweet words of our Acharyapaada in the Mayapanchaka (1):

 

Even in Me who is Pure Consciousness, has no equal, is eternal and

partless, is full, and does not admit of any doubt, misconception

etc., she brings about the differences as the world, Ishwara and

Jiva. Such is Maya who is very clever in bringing about what cannot

be brought about: aghaTita-ghaTanA-paTIyasI mAyA.

 

Avidya is sAkshivedya, bhAvarUpa:

 

Avidya cannot be established by any pramaana, as every pramana,

instrument of knowledge, reveals only an existent vastu. For

example, the eye sees a pot in front. Avidya is not an existent. On

the contrary, Avidya pertaining to an existent is removed by

pramana. This is the special feature of Avidya that it cannot stand

the onslaught of pramana. For example, when I know that the colour

of a flower is red, my ignorance as to its colour is dispelled by the

operation of my eye instrument. Yet, Avidya should be deemed to have

empirical existence, being experienced by the Saakshi, Witness Self.

Experiences like `aham ajnaH' (I am ignorant), `na kinchid-avediSham'

(I knew nothing), etc. which are to be traced to the Saakshi when

analyzed carefully, point to the empirical existence of ajnana.

Avidya is saakshi-vedya (revealed by the Witness Self) though not

established by means of valid knowledge. When reference is made to

ajnana by the Shruti, for example, it is only anuvAda (recalling of

an experience, alluding). However, pramanas are cited to remove the

erroneous notion that ajnana would mean jnAna-abhAva, i.e., absence

of knowledge.

 

Further, the declared illusory nature of the world would not be

intelligible without ajnana which constitutes the substance of

illusion as pointed out by Srutis like: anRtApidhAnAH….anRtena hi

pratyUDhAH (Chandogya Up. 8.3.2) (veiled by ajnana…and, indeed

carried away by it), nIHAreNa prAvRtAH (Taittiriya Samhita 4.6.2.2)

(veiled by the mist of ajnana) as also the nAsadIya-sUkta and

expressions `ajAmeKAm' and `mAyAntu' of the Shvetaashvataropanishad.

The Gita V.15, VII.25, VII.15 also teach that ignorance is to be

deemed to be an empirically existent entity. (knowledge is veiled by

ignorance, thereby mortals are deluded. I am not manifest to all,

veiled as I am, by YogamAyaa. Deprived of wisdom by Maya…)

Thus ajnana is to be accepted as bhAvarUpa. The illusion of the

world is to be traced to mUlAjnaana, primal ignorance, whose

cessation ensues on the dawn of the akhanDaakAra-jnAna (plenary

experience) vouchsafed to be the ShrutipramAna. This knowledge must

be secured by vichaara. Hence it is that ajnana as also its product,

the world-illusion, must be regarded as avichArita-siddha – taken for

granted without enquiry. The Brihad-vArtika (I.4.1329, III.4.131,

I.4.1341) of Sri SureshwarachArya emphasizes this again and again:

It is due to this ajnana of one's Self that Brahman is seen to be

otherwise, i.e., as the entire world, by the deluded. Therefore on

the cessation of this ajnana, the world is seen to be Brahman

Itself. This Avidya in the Self, taken for granted without enquiry,

is (also inferred as) the singular cause of all misery and is

revealed by the Witness-Self alone.)

 

The bAdhaka, destroyer, for this ajnana is the plenary experience as

said earlier. The saakshi, the Witness-Self, however, is the

sAdhaka, revealer, and therefore cannot be the baadhaka, destroyer.

 

Says the Advaita-makaranda:

 

In spite of it, there appears in the sky that is All-Shine, a misty

veil, which subsists as long as enquiry is not undertaken, and

disappears on the rising of the Sun, that is the realization, as a

result of enquiry.

 

We shall see some more aspects of Maya in the forthcoming part.

 

(end of part IX – c)

(to be continued)

Om Tat Sat