A note on adhyAsa

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A note on adhyAsa (superimposition)

 

 

 

SrI Sankara says in his adhyAsabhAshya:-

 

*adhyAsa *(superimposition) is the illusory appearance, in another place,

of an object seen earlier elsewhere. It is similar in nature to

recollection. (On seeing a rope in dim light and not recognizing it as a

rope, a person mistakes it for a snake which he has seen elsewhere. The

snake is not absolutely unreal, because it is actually experienced, and

produces the same effect, such as fear and so on, as a real snake would. At

the same time, it is not real, because it is no longer seen when the rope

has been recognized. It is therefore described as* anirvachanIya**,* or what

cannot be classified as either real or unreal).

 

In the above definition, the words 'similar in nature to recollection' are

intended to exclude recognition. 'Recollection' is of an object previously

experienced, but which is not now present before the person recollecting.

'Recognition' is when the same object previously experienced is again

present before the person.

 

bhagavadgItA. 13.26. bhAshya-- In this verse it is said that everything in

this world is brought into existence by the association of the 'field' and

the 'knower of the field', or, the self and the non-self. SrI Sankara points

out in his commentary on this verse that the association of these two is

only by superimposition, since there cannot be any real association between

the self, which is absolutely real and the non-self which has only empirical

reality. The non-self, (namely, the body, mind and organs,) is superimposed

on the self and, consciousness, which is the nature of the self, is

attributed to the body, mind and organs.

 

SrI Sankara further points out in his *adhyAsa-bhAshya* on the

brahmasUtras that, when there is superimposition of one thing on another,

the latter (the substratum) is not affected in the least by the good or bad

qualities of the former. (e.g., nacre does not become more valuable because

it is mistaken for silver, nor does a rope get the qualities of the snake

which it is mistaken for). The implication of this statement is that the

self which is identical with brahman does not undergo any of the changes,

nor does it experience any of the joys and sorrows, of the body, mind and

organs which are superimposed on it. It is, however, only because of this

mutual superimposition of the self and the non-self that all action, both

secular and religious, including the study of vedAnta, becomes possible. The

self, by itself, is neither a doer of actions, nor an enjoyer of the

results. It becomes a doer and an enjoyer only because of this

superimposition, as a result of which, as SrI Sankara says, the real and the

unreal, namely, the self and the non-self, are blended into one, as it were..

All action, including the various rites laid down in the Vedas, thus come

within the sphere of *avidyA* or nescience, which is the cause of

superimposition.

 

Superimposition is of two kinds. When a rope is mistaken for a snake,

the snake alone is seen. The existence of the rope is not known at all. Here

the snake is said to be superimposed on the rope. This is known as *

svarUpa-adhyaAsa.* The second kind of superimposition is when a crystal

appears to be red in the proximity of a red flower. Here both the crystal

and the flower are seen as existing, and the redness of the flower is

attributed to the crystal also. This is known as *samsarga-adhyAsa*. Both

these kinds of superimposition are present in the mutual superimposition of

the self and the non-self.

 

* Because of the superimposition of the non-self on the self, the

existence of the self is not recognized at all, and the non-self, (that is,

the body, mind and organs), is alone recognized as existing. This is

svarUpa- adhyAsa. In the superimposition of the self on the non-self, only

the existence and consciousness aspects of the self are attributed to the

body, mind and organs. This is samsarga-adhyAsa. The result of this mutual

superimposition is that every one identifies himself with the body. This is

the root cause of all suffering. Giving up this wrong identification with

the body-mind complex and realizing that one is the self which is beyond all

suffering and all the pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, success and

failure and so on, is vidyA or knowledge. It is this knowledge that is

contained in the Upanishads. *

 

* svarUpa-adhyAsa* is also known as *'nirupAdhika adhyAsa**', *or

superimposition without a limiting adjunct or *upAdhi.* The superimposition

of an illusory snake on a rope is of this type.* upAdhi* has been defined by

Bhaskararaya in his commentary on the name *'nirupAdhiH'* (No.154) in the

lalitAsahasranAma as--*upa samIpe* *AdadhAti svIyam dharmam—*that which

imparts its own quality to an object near it. A red flower which makes a

transparent crystal near it look red is an *upAdhi.* The superimposition of

the red colour on the crystal is a superimposition with *upAdhi* and it is

known as *'sopAdhika adhyAsa'*,which is the same as *samsarga adhyAsa.*

 

In the superimposition of the snake on the rope, the substratum is

considered to be the rope. But the rope itself is not real, and is a

superimposition on brahman or pure Consciousness. Therefore it is said in

vedAnta that the substratum is *'rajju-upahita chaitanyam'*, or, pure

Consciousness apparently limited by the rope. Every object in this world

should therefore be looked upon as brahman limited by that object, or,

Brahman in the form of that object—*sarvam khalu idam brahma.*

 

The illusory snake is described as *'prAtibhAsika'* or illusory; the rope,

like everything in this world, is *'vyAvahArika'*,or empirical reality. brahman

alone is* 'pAramArthika'*, or absolute reality.

 

Other examples of superimposition given here by SrI Sankara are---when one's

wife or son is happy or unhappy, one considers oneself also as happy or

unhappy; one attributes the qualities of the physical body, such as fatness,

leanness and so on, to oneself, when one says-"I am fat, I am lean, etc";

one says-"I am blind, deaf, etc", attributing the qualities of the

sense-organs to oneself. This superimposition is beginningless, it is of the

nature of illusory cognition and is the cause of the notion of agency and

enjoyership. The truth is that one is the *AtmA* which is free from all

these qualities. The wrong identification with the body, mind, organs, etc.,

can be removed only by the realization of one's real nature. The aim of

vedAnta is to enable one to attain this realization.

 

S.N.Sastri

[Guest guest]

Namaste Shastrji,

 

Thank you very much for a very clear exposition of adhyasa. A question just

to clarify my understanding of Samasarga Adhyasa:

 

You Said:

 

"Because of the superimposition of the non-self on the self, the

existence of the self is not recognized at all, and the non-self, (that is,

the body, mind and organs), is alone recognized as existing. This is

svarUpa- adhyAsa. In the superimposition of the self on the non-self, only

the existence and consciousness aspects of the self are attributed to the

body, mind and organs. This is samsarga-adhyAsa."

 

My Question:

If in samsarga adhyasa, both the substartum and the superimposed object are

simultaneously available for perception eg. flower and crystal, how can the

superimposition of self on the non-self be called that when the self itself

is not available for perception?

 

My question probably is very trivial, but I think it will clarify for me the

concept of samsarga adhyasa.

 

Many thanks and praNAms,

 

Venkat

[Guest guest]

H.N.Sreenivasa Murthy

Pranams to all.

 

 

advaitin, "S.N. Sastri" <sn.sastri wrote:

 

A note on adhyAsa (superimposition)

The wrong identification with the body, mind, organs, etc.,

can be removed only by the realization of one's real nature. The aim

of vedAnta is to enable one to attain this realization.

 

Dear Members,

Sri S.N.Sastri has graciously pointed out in a very clear manner

the work to be done by a mumukshu to attain the goal. All the members

are requested to share their understanding of the vedantic

methodolgy they have adopted in their spiritual journey towards the

goal. It will be most useful and fruitful if the methodology is

detailed out from the day to day experiences common to all human

beings. Vaiyuktika experiences of individuals should not be of any

importance. I learn that Sri Sankara and Sri Sureshwaracarya , in

their works Upadeshasahasri and Naishkarmyasiddhi, have given out all

the details.

I am sure that this topic will be beneficial to all the sincere

mumukshus.

With warm and respectful regards,

Sreenivasa Murthy

 

 

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