[Advaita-l] FW: Avidya, Jnanis and SSS' views

[Anand Hudli]

>Sri Bhaskar ji,

>Ref to your post: Message 8 / Thursday 29th April you have related
>Vacaspati’s view to Mandana in the context of Avidya Lesa to Brahma Jnani
>(if I read your post correct). I would want to clarify this – atleast for
>the readers, if not you. Mandana Misra in his Brahma Siddhi categorically
>rejects the concept of Avidya Lesa and hence Jivanmukti while Bhamati takes
>an opposite position here and Sankara’s view being abstract.

I would argue that Shankara's view here is clear, but I just wanted to point
out more views where Vachaspati differs from Mandana Mishra. Mandana has
supported the viparIta khyAti theory of bhATTas which runs along the lines
of anyathA khyAti of the naiyAyikas. But VAchaspati, in his BhAmatI, has
accepted the theory of anirvachanIya khyAti, as I explained in my message
earlier on the abhinava anyathA khyAti. MaNDana has also put forth something
that every advaitin in Shankara's lineage will reject -
the jnAna-karma-samuchchaya, or the efficacy of karma combined with jnAna.
Finally, on the issue of the sthitaprajna mentioned in the gItA, Shankara is
very clear in his bhAShya - this term can only refer to a jIvanmukta (sthitA
pratiShThitA ahamasmi paraM brahmeti prajnA yasya sa sthitaprajnaH,
commentary on gItA 2.54). But maNDana, in his brahmasiddhi, says that a
sthitaprajna is only a special (advanced) sAdhaka, not a jIvanmukta. maNDana
denies that the sthitaprajna is one whose avidyA has melted away -
sthitaprajnastAvat.h na vigalita-nikhilAvidyaH siddaH, kiMtu sAdhaka
evAvasthAvisheShaM prAptaH syAt.

Anand