bAdhA

[Guest guest]

Dear Shri Nair,

 

In the first place the word is 'bAdhA' with the third letter of pa-varga and

not with the fourth letter. Being a Malayali (like me) I am sure you know

this and it is only a slip. bAdhA means negation or sublation. The

expression'trikAla-abAdhita' means in vedAnta 'what is not negated in all

the three periods of time'. The only entity that can be so described is

brahman .

 

The word bAdhA is also used in the definition of prama or right knowledge in

advaita. The definition is- anadhigata-abAdhita-arthavishayaka-jnAnam. Here

abAdhita means what is not negated. By this definition the cognition of

rope-snake is not right knowledge because it is negated subsequently. So the

meanings 'negation' and 'sublation' are correct for bAdhA.

 

S.N.Sastri

 

 

 

Namaste.

 

The definition provided seems to be overstretched.

 

bhAdhA suggests meanings like affliction, vexation, being affected,

troubled, harassed etc. When we say trikAla-AbhAdita in vedanta, it

only means " not afflicted by past, present and future " or " beyond

the sway of time " or rather " timelessness " .

 

If what is meant is " sublation " , as explained here, then we have to

necessarily give an example where the word " bhAdhA " is used in that

particular sense in vedanta.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste Respected Shri Sastri-ji.

 

Yes. That " bh " instead of " b " is a slip on my part. I apologize.

As a Malayali interested in Malayalam literature, such slip on my

part is unpardonable.

 

I can also accept the meaning of 'negation' for bAdhA. But, can

bAdhA alone stand for both " negation " as well as " sublation " remains

a question to be pondered, IMHO.

 

To illustrate what I said before, let us consider two statements:

 

1. Brahman afflicted by mAyA (mAyA-bAdhita brahma) appears as this

phenomenal universe (vyavahAra-prapanca).

 

2. Truth limited by upAdhis (upadhi-bAdhita satya) manifests as asat.

 

In both cases, the Real will be revealed by the removal or negation

of mAyA and upadhis. That removal or negation is necessarily an

apavAda (rescission). So, if sublation is meant, the correct term

should be bAdhA-apavAdah. Apte's seems to suggest this.

 

In this sense, the meaning of abAdhita as that which cannot be

negated is an extension of the primary meaning of bAdhita (afflicted,

constrained, limited etc.). There is nothing to negate in Brahman

because It is abAdhita (not limited and so on..) seems to me to be

the correct understanding.

 

Hope you won't consider this as unnecessary argument. Some loud

thinking. That is all. No claims to scholarship.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

______________

 

 

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

> In the first place the word is 'bAdhA' with the third letter of pa-

varga and

> not with the fourth letter. Being a Malayali (like me) I am sure

you know

> this and it is only a slip. bAdhA means negation or sublation. The

> expression'trikAla-abAdhita' means in vedAnta 'what is not negated

in all

> the three periods of time'. The only entity that can be so

described is

> brahman .

>

> The word bAdhA is also used in the definition of prama or right

knowledge in

> advaita. The definition is- anadhigata-abAdhita-arthavishayaka-

jnAnam. Here

> abAdhita means what is not negated. By this definition the

cognition of

> rope-snake is not right knowledge because it is negated

subsequently. So the

> meanings 'negation' and 'sublation' are correct for bAdhA.

>

> S.N.Sastri

[Guest guest]

Namaste Respected Shri Sastri-ji.

 

There is another point for your consideration, further to my earlier

mail a little while ago.

 

Don't you think if the direct meaning of the expression 'trikAla-

abAdhita' is 'what is not negated in all the three periods of time',

then it should read 'trikAlE-abAdhita'? The expression 'trikAla-

abAdhita' suggests agency ('by the three periods of time'). So, the

meaning of affliction or limitation goes well in the context, from

which the secondary meaning of 'negation' can be derived in the case

of Brahman only.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

______________

 

advaitin , " Madathil Rajendran Nair "

<madathilnair wrote:

>

> Namaste Respected Shri Sastri-ji.

>

> Yes. That " bh " instead of " b " is a slip on my part. I

apologize.

> As a Malayali interested in Malayalam literature, such slip on my

> part is unpardonable.

>

> I can also accept the meaning of 'negation' for bAdhA. But, can

> bAdhA alone stand for both " negation " as well as " sublation "

remains

> a question to be pondered, IMHO.

>

> To illustrate what I said before, let us consider two statements:

>

> 1. Brahman afflicted by mAyA (mAyA-bAdhita brahma) appears as this

> phenomenal universe (vyavahAra-prapanca).

>

> 2. Truth limited by upAdhis (upadhi-bAdhita satya) manifests as

asat.

>

> In both cases, the Real will be revealed by the removal or negation

> of mAyA and upadhis. That removal or negation is necessarily an

> apavAda (rescission). So, if sublation is meant, the correct term

> should be bAdhA-apavAdah. Apte's seems to suggest this.

>

> In this sense, the meaning of abAdhita as that which cannot be

> negated is an extension of the primary meaning of bAdhita

(afflicted,

> constrained, limited etc.). There is nothing to negate in Brahman

> because It is abAdhita (not limited and so on..) seems to me to be

> the correct understanding.

>

> Hope you won't consider this as unnecessary argument. Some loud

> thinking. That is all. No claims to scholarship.

>

> PraNAms.

>

> Madathil Nair

> ______________

>

>

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

> > In the first place the word is 'bAdhA' with the third letter of

pa-

> varga and

> > not with the fourth letter. Being a Malayali (like me) I am sure

> you know

> > this and it is only a slip. bAdhA means negation or sublation. The

> > expression'trikAla-abAdhita' means in vedAnta 'what is not

negated

> in all

> > the three periods of time'. The only entity that can be so

> described is

> > brahman .

> >

> > The word bAdhA is also used in the definition of prama or right

> knowledge in

> > advaita. The definition is- anadhigata-abAdhita-arthavishayaka-

> jnAnam. Here

> > abAdhita means what is not negated. By this definition the

> cognition of

> > rope-snake is not right knowledge because it is negated

> subsequently. So the

> > meanings 'negation' and 'sublation' are correct for bAdhA.

> >

> > S.N.Sastri

>