[Advaita-l] Pramanas - Sruti vs. Anubhava

[Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian]

Dear Siva Senani,

Since I was a little too rude in one of my previous replies, I am
breaking my own rules regarding not discussing the topics out of
sectional order.

Can you point any place where I have claimed that SSS says anubhava is
a superior pramaaNa to the veda? In spite of taking great pains to
reiterate the fundamental points in the section, it seems I have not
been successful. I already pointed out that a knowledge of basic
puurva-miimaamsaa is essential to discussing the section.

The point is that anubhavaadayaH are an *exegetical* tool, apart from
shrutyaadayaH to interpret the veda. This has been ***well recognized
by SSS*** as I myself point out ***with quotes***. Please note the two
ways the word pramaaNa can be used. I have explained this in great
detail in the paper. So anubhavaadayaH are an "extra" pramaaNa for
exegesis of shruti. The limitations of anubhavaadayaH have been well
pointed out by Sureshvara, who I quote in great detail! How much more
clear can I make this, I do not know.

Calling anubhava superior or inferior to any pramaaNa such as the
veda, pratyaxa or anumaana is nonsense. The last 3 are
self-establishing pramaaNas, and the first one is a tool to use a
particular pramaaNa - namely the veda. What I did point out was that
SSS after knowing fully well that anubhavaadayaH is merely a tool for
exegesis, compares it with pratyaxa and anumaana (like comparing an
apple with a car), and worse still, confuses where the tarka for this
analysis of anubhava comes from.

And we have people suggesting Rambachans study, which I have fully
read. It is like me saying the sky is blue, and someone replying
Barney the dinosaur [1] is purple :-). What is the connection? Zip,
nada, zilch. Ramabachan is mostly seeking to controvert people who
claim shruti is inferior to direct experience of brahman such as
nirvikalpa samadhi, which is no concern of mine. The point I was
showing (or trying to) was that anubhavaadayaH are an exegetical tool,
and the means of knowing, i.e., pramaaNa, is shruti itself!

But I do wish you would stick to discussing things in order,
especially after I made an explicit request to do that.

In any case, if you have not, please download the latest version.
Perhaps that's more clearly written.

[1] a chidrens TV show character in the US.