[Advaita-l] Nyayasudha Objections 1

[Anand Hudli]

> If the absolute brahman (nirvishesha / nirguNa / nirupAdhika brahman) is
not graspable / reachable  by any upAdhi-s (karaNa-s) and even shAstra
(shabda pramANa) then what is the proof that it exists??  Is it not
something similar to shUnya?? Were the questions usually raised by dvaitins
when it has been said that parabrahman is agrAhya and aprameya.  Anyway, it
has been clarified by shankara that jneya brahman is paraM whereas upAsya
brahman is aparaM (sOpAdhika) paraM chet jnAtavyaM aparaM chet prAptavyaM.
How can this brahman (jneya brahman) be known, when it is categorically
said by shruti that IT is  beyond the reach of mind and speech?? Shankara
clarifies adhyArOpita nAmarUpakarma dvAreNa brahma nirdhishyate,
vijnAnamAnandaM brahma, vijnAnaghana eva,  brahma, Atma ityevamAdhi
shabdaiH.  And this brahma to be realized in mana only since there is no
other instrument to realize this truth.  But this mana/buddhi should be ati
sUkshma, svaccha and atyanta nirmala and this nirmala buddhi would take the
shape (!!) of Atma Chaitanya clarifies shankara in geeta bhAshya.  Atyanta
nimalatva, atisvacchatva, ati sUkshmatva upapaatterAtmanaH, buddhescha
AtmasamanaiH nirmalAt upapatteH, AtmachaitanyAkAra abhAsatvOpapattiH.  It
is this Nirmala mana that can 'see' the Atman and it is this mana that has
been insisted by shruti when it is said : manasaivAnudrashtavyaM
nehanAnAsti kiMchana. If we deny the role of upAdhi (manObudyahankAra) in
brahma jignAsa / realization we cannot establish the upanishat pratipAdita
para brahman through adhyArOpa apavAda prakriya.
>

The shruti contains statements that lead us to believe Brahman cannot
be known as well as statements that lead us to believe Brahman can be
known, such as  "na dRShTerdraShTAraM pashyeH" and also "AtmA vA are
draShTavyaH". How do we reconcile these statements?

When it is said Brahman can be known, first it is important to understand
that it can be known only by means of a pure mind according to the
gItAbhAShya vacana:
shAstrAcAryopadesha-shamadamAdisaMskRutaM mana Atmadarshane kAraNam.

However, even in this case Brahman is not known through "phalavyApti", but
through "vRttivyApti" only. This means there is no involvement of
chidAbhAsa, the reflection of Consciousness in antaHkaraNa, as in the case
of cognition of external objects. Rather the vRtti  serves to remove the
ajnAna covering Brahman, which shines in all Its glory. And what vRtti is
this? shruti-pramANajanyapramArUpA. It is the knowledge generated by shruti
pramANa.

An analogy is mentioned in the PanchadashI (tRptidIpa 93):

cakSurdIpAvapekShyete ghaTAderdarshane yathA|
na dIpadarshane kiMtu cakShurekamapekShyate||

To see an (external object) such as a pot both eyes and the lamp are
necessary. However, to see the light of the lamp, only the eyes are
necessary.

Anand