[Advaita-l] GYAnimAtra and the sthitapraGYa (was Re: FW: Avidya, Jnanis and SSS' views)

[V Subrahmanian]

Dear Karthik,

This is the portion of the JMV that categorically, unambiguously states that
the akRtopAsti has his ignorance destroyed by the practice of vedanta
shravaNa, etc.:

*They even
> reach the stage of obliteration of vasana and the
> dissolution of the mind
> for the time being*, and in consequence, study,
> contemplation and
> assimilation (of the VEdanta) are also fully accomplished
> by repeated
> application to these three;* ignorance, doubt and false
> perception are
> demolished; *and real Jnana is achieved**.

This is the portion that says that the ignorance destroyed does not return:

 In the
> absence of a more powerful
> means to counteract it and of any cause which can
> resuscitate the ignorance
> dispelled by it, *the resultatnt Jnana does not
> fade.*

[pl. read the concluding verses of the Panchadashi 2nd chapter with the
above]

The above is the JMV proof for the akRtopAsti being a mukta. The word may
not be there, but that is what is meant there. Freedom from ignorance with
the gaining of JNanam is what mukti is. And  If you ask: If anything, note
the last line about how they are affected by prArabdha karma - can this be
called mukti?!

The answer is: yes.  This is mukti.  Pl. note that all over the Shankara
bhashya (we have recently seen)  there are innumerable references to the
mukta, jivanmukta, having prArabdha.  No one, even the brahmavidvareeyaan of
the JMV is free from prArabdha karma.  The varishTha can be said to be
endowed with the 'best prArabdha'.

Praarabdha karma and mukti are not related to each other.  Mukti is the
result of shamadamAdi pUrvaka shravaNAdi anuShThAnam.  Praarabdha karma is
what the jiva has started to reap, as a result of his past karma, even at
the start of his present birth (this birth that has given him the occasion
for Atma jnana and is the last birth) which will expire only with the fall
of the body.  Atma jnanam will burn away only the sanchita karma.  The
Agaami karma that he will do after Atma jnAnam will bear no fruit as he does
it with the 'na aham kartaa' bhAva.

The mukta has no complete control on prArabdha.  By resorting to yoga /
bhakti sAdhana-s he might be able to better his defense/withstanding power.
There are a number of references to say - 'prArabdha is inevitable for the
Jnani (mukta)'.  Even here, he has no control on its intensity or
incidence.  It is because it is nature/prakRti that is bringing this to him.


The JmV is only giving the method to face the prArabdha karma with greater
fortitude and reduce its onslaught.

Best regards,
subrahmanian.v

2010/5/7 S Jayanarayanan <sjayana at yahoo.com>

> --- On Thu, 5/6/10, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Dear Karthik,
> >
> > The quote from the JMV (see below) clearly says that the
> > akRtopaasti, with
> > aparoksha jnAnam *does have real, liberating, Jnana and
>
> Can you please provide the exact verse from the JMV that says that the
> akR^itopAsti with aparokSha GYAna (GYAnimAtra) is a *** mukta ***? The verse
> that is quoted below only says that they have saMyak-GYAna, certainly
> nothing about "liberation". If anything, note the last line about how they
> are affected by prArabdha karma - can this be called mukti?!
>
> > इदानीन्तनास्तु
> > प्रायेण अकृतोपास्तय
> > एव औत्सुक्यमात्रात्
> > सहसा विद्यायां
> > प्रवर्तन्ते ।
> > वासनाक्ष्य-मनोनाशौ च
> > तात्कालिकौ
> > सम्पादयन्ति । तावता
> > श्रवणमनननिध्यासनानि
> > निष्पाद्यन्ते ।
> > तैश्च
> > दृढाभ्यस्तैरज्ञान-संशय-विपर्
> > ययनिरासात्
> > *तत्त्वज्ञानं
> > सम्यगुदेति *।
> > उदितस्य ज्ञानस्य
> > बाधकप्रमाणाभावात्
> > निवृत्ताया
> > अविद्यायाः
> > पुनसुत्पत्तिकारणाभाच्च
> > *नास्ति तस्य शथिल्यम्*
> > ।
> > *वासनाक्ष्य-मनोनाशौ
> > तु दृढाभ्यासाभावात्
> > भोगप्रदेन प्रारब्धेन
> > तदा तदा
> > बाध्यमानत्वाच्च
> > सवातप्रदेशदीपवत्सहसा
> > निवर्तते *।
> >
> > Nowadays men rush in quest of Jnana,  out of sheer
> > curiosity, in most cases
> > even without going through the preliminary stage of
> > upasana.  *They even
> > reach the stage of obliteration of vasana and the
> > dissolution of the mind
> > for the time being*, and in consequence, study,
> > contemplation and
> > assimilation (of the VEdanta) are also fully accomplished
> > by repeated
> > application to these three; ignorance, doubt and false
> > perception are
> > demolished; *and real Jnana is achieved*.  In the
> > absence of a more powerful
> > means to counteract it and of any cause which can
> > resuscitate the ignorance
> > dispelled by it, *the resultatnt Jnana does not
> > fade.*  *But then the
> > obliteration of vasana and the dissolution of the mind are
> > easily
> > extinguished*, like a lamp exposed to the breeze, for want
> > of steady
> > application and in consequence of being influenced, from
> > time to time, by
> > the fruit-bearing previous karma.
> >
> > [translation complete]
> >
>
>
>
>