[Advaita-l] karmasrishTi vAda

[V Subrahmanian]

In this discussion the consideration of the BGB 7.2 along with the
commentaries of Shankara, Madhusudana Saraswati and Gambhirananda for
Shankara will be of great benefit.  Basically by 'svānubhava' what is meant
is aparokṣajnānam and shāstrajanyam jnanam by itself is paroksha jnanam.
'Jnanam' will mean knowledge, information, derived from the words of the
shastra and guru. 'vijnanam' is the converting that information into one's
direct conviction, anubhava.

ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः।

यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते।।7.2।।

*Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Madhusudan Saraswati*

।।7.2।।ज्ञास्यसीत्युक्ते परोक्षमेव तज्ज्ञानं स्यादिति शङ्कां
व्यावर्तयन्स्तौति श्रोतुराभिमुख्याय इदं मद्विषयं स्वतो*ऽपरोक्षज्ञानम्*
असंभावनादिप्रतिबन्धेन फलमजनयत्परोक्षमित्युपचर्यते। असंभावानादिनिरासे तु
विचारपरिपाकान्ते तेनैव प्रमाणेन जनितं ज्ञानं प्रतिबन्धाभावात्फलं
जनयदपरोक्षमित्युच्यते। *विचारपरिपाकनिष्पन्नत्वाच्च तदेव विज्ञानं* तेन
विज्ञानेन सहितमिदमपरोक्षमेव ज्ञानं शास्त्रजन्यं ते तुभ्यमहं परमाप्तो
वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः साधनफलादिसहितत्वेन निरवशेषं कथयिष्यामि। श्रौतीमेकविज्ञानेन
सर्वविज्ञानप्रतिज्ञामनुसरन्नाह यज्ज्ञानं नित्यचैतन्यरूपं ज्ञात्वा
वेदान्तजन्यमनोवृत्तिविषयीकृत्येह व्यवहारभूमौ भूयः पुनरपि अन्यत्किंचिदपि
ज्ञातव्यं नावशिष्यते। सर्वाधिष्ठानसन्मात्रज्ञानेन कल्पितानां सर्वेषां बाधे
सन्मात्रपरिशेषात्तन्मात्रज्ञानेनैव त्वं कृतार्थो भविष्यसीत्यभिप्रायः


Shankara:

ज्ञानं ते तुभ्यम् अहं सविज्ञानं *विज्ञानसहितं स्वानुभवयुक्तम्* इदं
वक्ष्यामि कथयिष्यामि अशेषतः कार्‌त्स्न्येन । तत् ज्ञानं विवक्षितं स्तौति
श्रोतुः अभिमुखीकरणाय — यत् ज्ञात्वा यत् ज्ञानं ज्ञात्वा न इह भूयः पुनः
अन्यत् ज्ञातव्यं पुरुषार्थसाधनम् अवशिष्यते नावशिष्टं भवति । इति
मत्तत्त्वज्ञो यः, सः सर्वज्ञो भवतीत्यर्थः । अतो विशिष्टफलत्वात् दुर्लभं
ज्ञानम्


*English Translation Of Sri Shankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary By Swami
Gambirananda*

7.2 Aham, I; vaksyami, shall tell; te, you; asesatah, in detail, fully; of
that (Knowledge) about Myself, which is idam, this; jnanam, Knowlege; which
is *savijnanam, combined with realization, associated with personal
enlightenment;* yat jnatva, after experiencing which Knowledge; avasisyate,
there remains; na anyat, nothing else, anything that can be a means to
human ends;

The Panchadashi twin-verses also bring this difference between direct,
aparoksha, and indirect, paroksha, jnanam, out effectively. It is the
aparoksha jnanam that is denoted by the term 'sva anubhava'.

वाक्यम् अप्रतिबद्धं सत् प्राक् परोक्षावभासिते । करामलकवद् बोधम् अपरोक्षं
प्रसूयते ॥६२॥

परोक्षं ब्रह्म विज्ञानं शाब्दं देशिकपूर्वकम् । बुद्धिपूर्वकृतं पापं
कृत्स्नं दहति वह्निवत् ॥६३॥

अपरोक्षात्मविज्ञानं शाब्दं देशिकपूर्वकम् । संसारकारणाज्ञानतमसश्चण्डभास्करः
॥६४॥


62. Then the great dictum, freed from the obstacles (of doubt and
ambiguity), gives rise to a direct realisation of the Truth, as a fruit in
one’s palm – Truth which was earlier comprehended indirectly.

63. The knowledge of Brahman obtained indirectly from the Guru, teaching
the meaning of the great dictum, burns up like fire all sins, committed up
to that attainment of knowledge.

64. The *direct realisation *of the knowledge of the Self obtained from the
Guru’s teaching of the great dictum, is like the scorching sun, that
dispels the very darkness of Avidya, the root of all transmigratory
existence.

In the BSB 2nd sutra, Shankara makes this statement:

 न धर्मजिज्ञासायामिव श्रुत्यादय एव प्रमाणं ब्रह्मजिज्ञासायाम् । किन्तु
श्रुत्यादयोऽनुभवादयश्च यथासम्भवमिह प्रमाणम्,
अनुभवावसानत्वाद्भूतवस्तुविषयत्वाच्च
ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य ।

// In the case / field of dharma jijnāsa (karma kāṇda), shruti, etc. alone
are pramāṇa. However, in the field of brahma jijnāsa, along with shruti,
etc. anubhava also constitute pramāṇa. Brahmajnāna has to culminate in
anubhava. //

In the Vivekachudamani too the gradation of pramāṇa is demonstrated. Some
more inputs can be found in this old post:

http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2010-April/024201.html


warm regards

subrahmanian.v