Rajju and Sarpa

[Guest guest]

Shankara took your friend seriously in the preamble to the B.S.B. on a

similar issue and also in Upadesa Sahasri Chap.1 para 51. Your facility

with Sanskrit makes me suspect that you probably know this but to sketch

it in for those who are unfamiliar with Sankara's treatment of a stock

objection the core of it is this. We superimpose on those things which

are capable of being perceived by the senses and are familiar to us, how

can we superimpose on things which are not sensible and unfamiliar.

Shankara does not mention similarity as it is the sine qua non of

superimposition. His answer is to deny this restriction. In B.S.B. he

says that boys superimpose the shape of a pan (wok) on the sky (akash)

which has no form. In U.S. he says that " there cannot be a rule that it

is only well-known things that are superimposed on other well known

things, for we meet with the superimposition of certain things upon the

Self. Fairness and blackness, the properties of the body, are

superimposed on the Self, which is the object of the consciousness 'I'

and the same Self is superimposed on the body " .

 

Shankara in offering this rebuttal is in effect saying to his interlocutor:

- You have mistaken the original analogy for a parallel or an homology

or a paradigm case. All instances of superimposition are not exactly

alike, their parts do not have to line up like the snake/rope type.

 

He doesn't say this of course in so many words as his object as a

teacher is to disabuse his students of their errors however in another

remark in U.S. Chap.XVIII paras.85/86

 

 

#85: (Objection). Is it not a change on the part of the the Self to

pervade the intellect like fire pervading a mass of iron?

(Reply)......#86: That black iron appears to be red is only an example

(to illustrate that the non-conscious intellect appears to be

conscious). An illustration and its subject can nowhere be absolutely

similar in all respects. "

 

 

In B.S.B. there are other examples of people taking analogies as though

they were parallels etc and basing objections on that.

 

Best Wishes,

Michael.

[Guest guest]

Sri Michael Ji,

 

Namaste and thanks for the reply.

 

> Shankara took your friend seriously in the preamble to the B.S.B. on a

> similar issue and also in Upadesa Sahasri Chap.1 para 51. Your facility

> with Sanskrit makes me suspect that you probably know this but to sketch

> it in for those who are unfamiliar with Sankara's treatment of a stock

> objection the core of it is this.

 

I am a junior to my friend in college. Though I am very much

conversant with Sanskrit, I am new to Vedanta and so sometimes he

teases me with questions.

 

I got a copy of Upadesa Sahasri from a library to catch up with the

details. Let me come back to you and pose my questions if I am not

satisfied.

 

With regards,

Anupam.

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Sada Ji,

Namaste.

 

> In the advaitin list serve archives there is folder under Brahma suutras -

There are several files - I have discussed extensively based on Swami

Paramarthanadaji talks the adhyaasa bhaashya. This saadRisyam aspect has been

addressed.

 

 

Thanks a lot for the pointer. I have seen the document and fond the answer too.

 

It has been nicely addressed there and also lot of questions have been answered.

 

Thanks and regards,

Anupam.