[Advaita-l] Difficulty with Akhandakara Vrtti - or more with the word itself.

[Anand Hudli]

Dear Shri Sadanandaji,

You wrote:
The word which neither scriptures used or Shankara used but latter Advaita
Acharyas had to use it to counter arguments of the non-advaitic
daarshanikas purvapakshaas.

Although the word akhaNDAkAra vRtti is not used, yet the *concept* is used
in the works of Shankara. For example, we find in the Atmabodha, verse 5:

ajnAnakaluShaM jIvaM jnAnAbhyAsAdvinirmalam|
kRtvA jnAnaM svayaM nashyejjalaM katakareNuvat||

Here Shankara has used the analogy of the kataka nut powder, which clears
the water of impurities and itself settles down, leaving the water clear.
(Brahma)jnAna too destroys ignorance and itself too, leaving Brahman alone.

It is likely the later AchAryas coined the word akhaNDAkAra vRtti to refer
to the culmination of the process of jnAnAbhyAsa, as stated by Shankara.

Anand