[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Seeking clarification on Bri. Up. Mantra 1-4-2

[H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l]

Namaste.

Sri Subhanu wrote << In BUBV 1.4.57 Suresvara states that the main
purpose is just an illustration (pratipatti) to show that only true
knowledge
of Brahman brings true fulfilment [ityetat pratipattyartham virādsthānasya
kutsanam]. As such, the question of why or how Viraj became a jñānῑ should
not
be brought into this discussion. >> The last portion of the verse states
that the illustration is given to clarify why blame attaches to the state
of Viraj when earlier verses have been all praise for that state. The
question of how Viraj became a jnani is indeed raised by the purvapakshin
in verses 71-76 and answered by Sri Sureshwaracharya in verses 77-90.
Several objections are raised and answered. But the crux of the answer is
to be found in verses 77-81 wherein the word " sahasidhi " used in the
manusmriti quoted ( In verse 79 ) as the main reason is explained by the
Acharya in verse 81. He maintains that true knowledge dawned upon Viraj by
his further reflection on whatever he had learnt in his previous birth (
though it had not culminated in true knowledge at that time ) and not by
any instruction by any other person to him in this birth. This is what is
not acceptable to Sri Sadanandaji as I understand according to whom if
knowledge were to arise without any further instruction then he should have
got the knowledge in the previous birth itself. In support of his
contention that further instruction only could lead to knowledge he cites
the bhagavatham incident. As I could see from the vartika, no other reason
is adduced except the above which according to the Acharya is quite
satisfactory as per reasons given thereof.

Regards


On Tue, Apr 22, 2014 at 12:00 AM, subhanu <subhanu at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Sri Sadananda wrote "Anyway since the issue remains unless I take it that
> he has no full knowledge of the abosolute, I will stop with this".
> Namaste to all
>
> Though it has mostly been covered, I thought I would add a
> few points to Sri Sadananda’s query re BUB 1.4.2:
>
>
>
> 1)
> Sri Chandramouli has correctly given BUBV
> 1.4.103 as the response to the query. When discussing the prārabdha of a
> jñāni
> one would find it useful to keep the maxim from tattvabodha top of mind:
> prārabdha-karmaṇām
> bhogādeva kṣayah
>
>
> 2)
> In BUBV 1.4.57 Suresvara states that the main
> purpose is just an illustration (pratipatti) to show that only true
> knowledge
> of Brahman brings true fulfilment [ityetat pratipattyartham virādsthānasya
> kutsanam]. As such, the question of why or how Viraj became a jñānῑ should
> not
> be brought into this discussion.
>
>
> 3)
> In this context the seeming presence (note the
> word seeming-see below), of prārabdha is tied to their remaining duties to
> be
> exhausted. These are carried out out of compassion and for the benefit of
> mankind. In commenting on BUBV 1.4.103, Anandagiri explains that the great
> rishi’s such as Vasishtha and Vamadeva, though jnānῑ’s, continued until
> their
> duties to mankind were fulfilled: vasishtha-vāmadevādῑnām
> utpanna-samyajjñānānām
> api svādhikāra samāptir paryantam. As such they may then be seen to go
> throught
> the emotions of anger, fear etc though this is not really the case.The
> footnote
> makes it even clearer: “yāvadadhikāram avasthitir adhikāriṇām“ adhikāriṇām
> jagatah paripālane niyuktānām virād-puruṣa-sūryachandrendra-vasishthādῑnām
> adhikārasamāptir paryantam avasthitih abhyupagantavyā (this last word is
> important-it qualifies that this is how we should take it for the purpose
> of
> the teaching)
>
>
> 4)
> Swami Vidyaranya brihadāranyaka vārtikāsāra
> 1.4.62-66 provides the above in a little more detail. I can provide you the
> full verses if you like , but I will just quote “virājo’dhikritih sriṣṭau
> vyāsādeh
> shāstranirmitau”
>
>
> 5)
> For completeness I mention that the Sanskrit
> commentary on brihadāranyaka vārtikāsāra, the laghusangraha, states when
> commenting on the above verse “adhikārah prāabdham karma”- the seeming
> prārabdha
> of the jñānῑ is interwoven with their duties to the world.
>
>
> For those wishing to understand Suresvara’s position on
> Jivanmukta you can consult BUBV 1.4.1528-1557 where this is discussed in
> detail. One should always remember that the discussion of jivanmukta and
> the
> karma etc of the jñānῑ is adhyāropa from the ignorant bystander’s
> standpoint
> (cf Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi 383 “In fact his karma is seen only
> from the
> ajnānῑ’s standpoint”. The apavāda by Suresvara appears later in BUBV also.
>
>
> I hope the above is useful. Sri Sadananda, I would always
> recommend that, whenever one is studying, or wishes to teach a passage of
> the
> BUB or TUB, then it is indispensable to present the vārtikā verses
> alongside
> the bhashyam. Should you at any time require such references then please
> feel
> free to reach out privately to me and I will do my best to provide.
>
>
> Regards
>
> Subhanu
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