[Advaita-l] मुद्राराक्षसः

[V Subrahmanian]

Namaste.
’मुद्राराक्षसः’ - 'mudrA-rAkShasaH' is a work in Sanskrit authored by
ViShAkhadatta. The story is centered on the historical character Chanakya.

In the modern language of slangs, this word 'mudrA-rAkShasaH' has come to
connote the 'printer's devil'.  I have seen Kannada and Sanskrit speakers
using this slang.  Here is an instance of such an error.  There is an
obvious pun in the material presented although pun is not my intention.

In the blog available here:

http://madhwabrahmanas.blogspot.com/2009/07/sri-harivayu-stuti-translation.html

there are two paragraphs:

QUOTE:
(3) The third and last type of souls consists of haters
of Sri Vishnu and Vaishnavas. They say: Vishwam Mithya,
Vibhuh Agunavan, Jiva-Brahma Abheda etc. They are
the particles of kali and they are doomed to derision
by all. Our Anandathirtha who has after a thorough
and dispassionate research, established Sri Hari as
Anandagyana Deva, Jiva-Jada Bhinnah, Sarvottama,
Sakalaloka pravartaka and takes his cudgels and sending
them to Andhatamas, punishes them to rot in eternal
misery.

//Along with your close study and research work,
you started to discuss with Advaitins and always *you
successfully refuted their arguments and convincingly proved
the daitya philosophy is the eternal truth* and the result
of your whirl wind tour and constant discourses was so
impressively charming that many a Pandit-well versed in all
works on Advaita-argued with you for days together and
finally accepted yor philosophy and became your ardent
devotees. //
UNQUOTE

In the first quoted paragraph it is evident that Advaitins are the subject
matter of the censure. Their fate, destiny (destination) is also stated:
andhatamas. So, their philosophy is the 'daitya (demoniacal) philosophy'.
However, in the second quoted paragraph  the highlighted portion contains a
grave error on the part of the blogger: he intended to say that the 'dvaita
philosophy is the eternal truth' but ended up saying 'the daitya philosophy
is the eternal truth.'  'daitya' is the 'mudrA-rAkShasaH' here that played
spoilsport.  The pun is, 'daitya' is a 'rAkshasa', a demon.  And the
printer's devil occurred in this very word.

In this paragraph there is the term 'jivanmukti'.   I have noticed this term
in some compositions of Sri Purandaradasa too.

// O! Srimadananda Thirtha, I have argued with you for full 18
days and I have been vanquished finding my Advait study was
a waste of time and labour and I have now become conscentiously
convinced about your philosophy being the only sure road to
win Moksha. I have therefore taken a deep plunge into your
Sarvagnashastra and I feel my soul purified and completely
at rest, intensly gratified with your irrefutable arguments
and conclusions. My brain is almost on fire with deep
devotion for you, who worship Sri Hari and Lakshmi with the
singular object of gaining their graces. Since your convincing
philosophy is a perennial source of joy to all good souls,
I am doubly happy to feel strong to defy the fear of death.
This Samsara cannot now entice me. Gods above who worship
Sri Vayu the Sarvagna are pleased with me and all the
conceited (Indrabhimani) Gods will leave me free to concentrate
myself* on the attainment of Jivanmuktha *state with Bimbaparoksha.
With incessant Namaskara's I stop.//

The above was pointed out purely on a humorous note and not intended as a
topic for discussion.

Regards,
subrahmanian.v