[Advaita-l] [advaitin] avidya vs maayaa - What is the difference?

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri Sada prabhuji
Hare Krishna


Ø As I said, since there are more ‘yes’ to your observations from my side, would like to share some additional thoughts to what you have already presented.  Infact, I got the seed of this view point after reading Sri SSS’s clear comments on the difference between avidyA and mAya, Sri Chitta prabhuji’s relentless effort to prove ananyatvaM between kArya kAraNa, Sri Madathil Nair prabhuji’s observation on the topic ‘pUrNamidaM’ and of course from you observation with Ishwara srushti and jeeva srushti as well.  For all these we have ample references from prasthAna traya bhAshya hence some other Achraya-s in Advaita tradition say that ‘jagat’ is not mithya like sarpa on rajju and jagat in its svarUpa brahmAbhinna since for the jagat brahman is the abhinna nimittOpadAna kAraNa.

Ø  Now to your observation :

Jannam can only eliminate avidya or ignorance –and the jeeva sRiShTi – that involves I am this, and this is mine, or ahankaara and mamakaara and also associated projection of individual values on top of Iswara sRiShTi – I like this and I do not like this, etc. Jnaanam cannot eliminate the vishekpa of Iswara or Iswara sRishTi and this aspect Sree Vidyaranaya discusses in the Panchadashi, in the 4th Ch.


Ø   Kindly let me know in detail what panchadashi says on this.  And yes, there are two moons for the person who has drushti dOsha (cataract), the dviteeya Chandra is because of drushti dOsha of that particular jeeva (antaHkaraNa dOsha) and this dviteeya Chandra is illusory or avidyA kalpita but it does not mean that the Chandra itself is illusory as this Chandra is to all those who donot have any drushti dOsha.  After the cataract removed, the illusionary moon disappears (kalpita jagat / Chandra from the jeeva disappears) only Ishwara srushti Chandra (the real Chandra, which is available for vyavahaara for both jnAni and ajnAni) would remain.

Ø   Now, if we take Sri sugavanaM prabhuji’s example of rajju-sarpa, the rajju appears as sarpa due to wrong understanding.  (the jagat non-different from brahman appears as different from brahman –svatantra astitva).  After realization we would come to know that it is rajju only appearing like sarpa.  Now the bhrAnti jnana (sarpa jnana) is lost only the transaction with the rajju remains with the correct knowledge of rajju.  ( that this jagat is brahma mayaM only, sarvam khalvidaM brahma from the Atmaikatva drushti).
 Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar