[Advaita-l] Accepting Possibility of Error in Sastras

[V Subrahmanian]

While we would like to see what exactly is said there by Madhusudana
Saraswati, it is the siddhAnta of Advaita Vedanta that the entire portion
pertaining to duality in the Veda - the description of creation, karma,
jiva-s, lokaantara, upAsana, etc. is only an 'anuvAda', a restatement of
what is naturally available to people due to avidyA based on the nAnAtva of
jiva-s and finitude, paricchinna bhrAnti, of jiva-s.  The famous
'dvA-suparNA' mantra of the Mundakopanishad is one such anuvAda of the
avidyAprApta dvaita by the Upanishad.  In fact according to Shankara, in
the adhyAsa bhAshya, even the Upanishadic literature dealing with mokSha
sAdhana is only a statement based on the avidyA-born notion that one is
bound.  The Upanishad comes to remove this notion by teaching the means of
release and thereby enabling the jiva to realize that there was no bondage
in the first instance.

regards
subrahmanian.v

On Sat, Dec 29, 2012 at 7:04 AM, Sunil Bhattacharjya <
sunil_bhattacharjya at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear friends,
>
> Quote
> However, we see that Madhusudana says in Siddanthabindu (v 79),
> "The scriptures may state something that is merely the outcome of
> delusion".
> Unquote
>
> I shall be thankful if RV or any other member can kindly give the Sanskrit
> texts of v. 78 &79 of Siddhantabindu in Devanagari script (unicode).
>
> Regards,
> Sunil KB
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Rajaram Venkataramani <rajaramvenk at gmail.com>
> To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2012 6:22 AM
> Subject: [Advaita-l] Accepting Possibility of Error in Sastras
>
> In many religions, the scriptures are considered inerrant. We also consider
> the sastras to be the authroity. There is a lot of logic given to establish
> why sabda is pramana. There are stories such as Kumarila Bhatta's
> where complete acceptance of the authority of the sastras is
> reinforced. However, we see that Madhusudana says in Siddanthabindu (v 79),
> "The scriptures may state something that is merely the outcome of
> delusion". Here he admits that sastras can be erroneous. Though the
> tradition accepts the vedic model for creation, we see that there is a
> recognition of a contradictions there that is to be resolved through
> reason. For example, Gaudapada says (I.23), "In the matter of being
> created, whether from the already existent or from the non-existent also,
> the Sruti is equal, that is supporting both views. What is associated with
> or fortified with logical reasoning holds not the other".  The importance
> of reasoning is also stressed by Madhusudana, "The creation of names and
> forms by Him who does the triplication in BSB 2.4.20 in only an explanatory
> statement and cannot nullify quintuplication which is established by
> reasoning".  Sankara himself says, forget where, "Even a thousand sruti
> statements cannot make fire cold." In his bhashyas, we often see him quote
> sruti and then the opponent makes a logical counter to sruti. Sankara does
> not dismiss off the opponent saying that there cannot be a logical
> opposition because already the point has been established using sruti. He
> defends his position using logic.
>
> Are there conditions in which sastras can be accepted as erroneous? I am
> not talking about a presumption of error in sastras without evidence. But
> when there is concrete evidence based on pratyaksha and anumana that shows
> that the sastras are not correct, what is the valid traditional response?
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