The concept of 'Avidya' in Advaita

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ShrIgurubhyo namaH

 

Namaste Sadhakas,

 

Here is a brief note on the concept of 'avidya' in Advaita. Advaita

regards Brahman as the sole absolute Reality, PAramArthika. The

question arises as to the status of the world and the jiva, the

individual soul that are encountered by all of us. These are

accorded a less real or relatively real status known as

vyAvahArika. According to Advaita the vyavaharika is due to

ignorance. To the question 'whose ignorance?' the Shastra answers

that as the very appearance of the vyavaharika is due to ignorance,

the ignorance, avidya, has to be connected to Brahman which is the

Sole existing princile before the arrival of the vyavaharika. Thus

goes a verse:

 

Ashrayatva-viShayatva-bhAginI nirvibhAga-chitireva kevalA |

pUrva-siddha-tamaso hi pashchimo nAshrayo bhavati nApi gocharaH ||

 

[ The locus and object of avidya is the undifferentiated Pure

Consciousness alone. The reason: the prior-existing ignorance

cannot have for its locus and object the later-arrived jiva,

individual soul.]

 

A question arises as to how can Brahman, the Absolute, beyond

relative plane, could be the locus of avidya. This question is

normally raised by the theistic vedantins for whom there is no

concept of nirguna Brahman. Their highest principle is saguna

alone. Advaitins are one with the objectors in a partial way. In

advaita the concept of Ishwara is within the relative plane and

Ishwara is held as the principle that is not tainted by ignorance

the way the jiva is. Ishwara is sarvajna, the All-knower, the

benefactor, the Guru who espouses the knowledge leading to

liberation in the jivas. So, advaita does not ascribe ignorance to

Ishwara and keeps Ishwara free of the taint of ignorance. Avidya is

ascribed to the nirguna Brahman alone. This ascribing is faultless

as it is only a temporary arrangement to explain the creation of the

vyavaharika. In advaita, avidya is a deliberate superimposition, an

adhyaaropa. Such being the case, there is no defect of Brahman

being really affected by this superimposed avidya. And Brahman can't

be; It is secondless. Once the need for such an arrangement is

transcended by the aspirant, this arrangement is dropped, apavAda.

 

In the now well-known clay-pot example, we can see the above

clearly. The pot is 'personified' and made to think: i am a finite

pot, fragile, etc. This is due to its ignorance of its true clay-

nature. But is the ignorance really of the pot? No. The pot

itself could not have come unless from clay. So how can the

ignorance be located in the pot which has come only 'due' to

ignorance? The proper way to explain this would be: The clay

itself, due to ignorance, appears as the finite pot. There is a

famous saying in the Vedanta Shastra:

 

Brahmaiva sva-avidyayA badhyata iva, Brahmaiva sva-vidyayA muchyata

iva. [ Brahman Itself, owing to ignorance of Its own self appears to

be bound (in samsara). Brahman Itself, as a result of knowledge of

Its own self, appears to be released from samsara.]

 

In advaita both bondage and release are in the plane of ignorance

alone. So it is perfectly possible and correct to say: Brahman is

as though enveloped by avidya as long as vyavahara is experienced to

be true. The 'as though' is crucial in this expression. It should

be properly undrstood and used. Advaitins take care to do this.

 

There is no defect in saying this because Advaita holds the

individual soul, jiva as identical with Brahman. The two are not

different; there are no two; only the One Brahman appears as the

other, jiva. In the Gita, the Lord says: mamiva amsho jIva loke

jeevabhUtaH sanAtanaH (15 th chapter) [ It is My own part, as it

were, that has become the eternal jIva] The Acharya comments: Just

as the reflection, of the Sun, appearing in a water medium, is as

though a part of the Sun, upon the disappearance of the reflecting

water medium becomes inseparably one with the Sun. Again, just as

the space-in-a-pot being a 'segment' of the all-pervading space

becomes inseparably one with the whole-space upon the destruction of

the pot (upaadhi), so too the jIva appears as finite only due to

avidya-created upaadhis. There is no defect in this explanation as

the truly indivisible Brahman is not really getting divided to

become the jiva. We have extensively dealt with this concept in the

13th chapter.//

 

Thus we have the approval of Acharya Shankara to the explanation

of the vyavaharika as an appearance due to Brahman being 'subject'

to avidya. There is no problem with this explanation for, after

all, as the Acharya points out, upon the eradication of avidya, the

jiva is known to be none other than Brahman.

 

While the above mentioning of avidya 'located' in Brahman is for the

theoretical explanation of the appearance of the vyavaharika, the

practical utility of the concept is appreciated only when we

recognize that it is the jiva who is undergoing samsara that has to

work to remove the ignorance. In this context alone it would be

proper to say that the jiva is the locus of avidya, for it is for

him alone that avidya and its effects are experiencable and the onus

of the eradication of avidya along with its effects lies upon him

alone.

 

Thus to say that Brahman is 'enveloped' by avidya is perfectly

alright in Advaita Vedanta which has the approval of Acharya

Shankara and all the Advaita Acharyas of the tradition. The 13th

chapter of the GitaBhashya contains enough explanations to

appreciate this principle.

 

To sum up, Avidya in Advaita is not a real entity, it is an

adhyaaropa by the shaastra to explain vyavahara. Brahman alone is

the sole Reality. As a matter of necessity the shastra links up, as

it were, Brahman and avidya.

 

Pranams to all,

subbu

Om Tat Sat