[Advaita-l] Kingpin status of anubhava - mistaken or out of context (was re: Pramanas - Sruti vs. Anubhava)

[savithri devaraj]

Namaste,

I checked and don't have this book with me. 

I am guessing that "this anubhava" below in your
paragraph refers to the sushupti anubhava (sAkshi of
the avastha-traya-viveka) that is a universal
experience where all waker jnAtrus can swear in unison
that there was no jnAtrutva in that state.

Briefly, in sushupti, there is no seeking, learning,
ego, etc., hence our essential nature is pure
knowledge, and jnAtrutva which belongs only to the
waking and dream states, is mitya and exists only
because of adhyasa. Since this anubhava cannot be
refuted by any being at anytime, it can easily be
called the ultimate loukika pramANa. Please note that
this is still an indirect knowledge, only shAstra
vAkya from guru can give direct knowledge/experience
of paramArtha.

Anyway, there are hundreds of places where he quotes
unequivocally that Sruti is the only pramANa for
atman-brahman aikya, and how shaAstra vAkya removes
ignorance. 

Regards,
Savithri

--- Siva Senani Nori <sivasenani at yahoo.com> wrote:

> "While by means of empirical pramANas, certain
> objects or phenomena which are prameya alone (i.e.
> perceptible to either our senses or conceivable by
> our mind) may be cognized, but by means of this
> anubhava which is the kingpin of all pramAnas, the
> whole consummate reality behind this universe can be
> determined." (Reference No. 19 in Sri Ramakrishnan's
> paper, which for your ready reference is: svAmi 
> satchidAnendra sarasvati, The Basic Tenets of
> SA~Nkara vedAnta, adhyAtma prakASa kAryAlaya,
> holenarsIpUr, Dist. Hassan, Karnataka, p 50.)
> 
> Than again in p53 of the same book: “In the same
> way, for this kingpin among pramANas, viz. Anubhava,
> a kind of tarka is needed”
> 
> Since you say it is not so, pray, how does the
> context of the quoted statements reconcile the
> supremacy or antya-pramANatva of Sruti with the
> 'kingpin' status attributed to anubhava, as a
> pramANa?
> 
> Best regards
> Senani
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: savithri devaraj savithri_devaraj at yahoo.com
> 
> 
> --- Siva Senani Nori <sivasenani at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > That being so, I would like to know: "How did His
> > Holiness SSS reconcile the limitations imposed by
> > Sruti on the validity of an anubhava (sArvartika,
> > intuition or whatever) as a pramANa with the
> > statement that anubhava is the kingpin amongst
> > pramANas which presumably include Sruti itself?"
> > 
> 
> Namaste Sir,
> 
> I am Sorry, I don't agree that Swamiji ever said
> "Anubhava is the kingpin amongst pramAnas".  Whoever
> said this is completely mistaken, or is taking it
> totally out of context. 
> 
> I was only trying to convey the fact that Swamiji
> emphasizes sArvatrika loukika anubhava (not personal
> experiences) and the avastha traya viveka in vedanta
> jignAsa, and he has said that such unsublatable and
> common experience available to all should be used
> when
> resolving doubts regarding Sruti. That's all. 
> 
> Since you agree that Sruti is the antya pramANa for
> realization of atman-brahman aikya, in what way can
> we
> say anubhava is the kingpin of pramANas? Actually
> anubhava isn't an independent pramANa at all, in
> fact
> it is a culmination of the pramANic transactions.
> Sruti is the only pramANa for Atman.  As Bhaskar has
> explained earlier, Shankara teaches that unlike the
> Karma Kanda where the Vedas are the only pramANa, in
> Vedanta jignAsa, sArvatrika anubhava and tarka in
> accordance with this anubhava are also considered as
> valid means of resolving doubts in Sruti. 
> 
> Regards,
> Savithri
> 
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