[Advaita-l] DSV in the advaitasiddhi: adhyAsa is substantiated

[Anand Hudli]

Shri Venkatraghavanji,

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1) The drishti srishti prakriyA does not differentiate between vyAvahArika
and prAtibhAsika satya.
2) Thus shukti also must have some ajnAna as its upAdAna kAraNa.
3) Because of jnAtaikasatta in DSV, the jnAna of a vastu also implies its
existence.
4) Thus shukti jnAna also can be said to be the upAdAna kAraNa of shukti.
5) Therefore ajnAna (from 2) = jnAna (from 4).
6) Because it would be absurd to say shukti ajnAna = shukti jnAna, or some
unrelated object's ajnAna, say, ghaTa ajnAna = shukti jnAna, we have to
admit the ajnAna from 2 is brahma ajnAna.
7) If we do that, we do differentiate between vyAvahArika vastu which has
brahma ajnAna as its upAdAna kAraNa and prAtibhAsika which has
brahmAtirikta ajnAna as its upAdAna kAraNa. This is contrary to 1.

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Steps 3 and 4 above are to be corrected as per DSV. It is not the case that
jnAna of an object implies its existence, rather it is the other way round.
If something exists (E), it must necessarily be known(K) (E->K). In other
words, ajnAta object is not allowed to exist. (Of course, the six entities,
jIva, Ishvara, avidyA, jIva-Isha-bheda, shuddha cit, and the association of
cit and avidyA) are exempt from this rule.) In dRShTi-samakAlIna-sRShTi,
dRShTi (perception, knowledge) and sRShTi (existence of an object) happen
simultaneously. In PrakAshAnanda's dRShTirevasRShTi vAda, dRShTi itself is
the object.

There is absolutely no scope for vyAvahArika sattA in DSV, since existence
implies its dRShTi. There cannot be objective reality. Even the bhAmati
school which advocates DSV NJV, realizes this and admits a "kind" of
vyavhArika sattA based on sAdRshya of the worlds created by jIvas. If you
see a pot and I see the "same" pot, the same-ness is due to the
*similarity* of the world created by you and the world created by me. The
two pots are effectively different. This is a kind of pseudo-vyavAhArika
sattA. Of course, in the DSV EJV, there is no other jIva and any objective
reality is ruled out.

Regarding shuktyavacchinna avidyA, or a tUlAvidyA corresponding to the
shukti, being the upAdAnakAraNa of the rajatabhrama, that should work even
in DSV. However, I have a feeling PrakAshAnanda's DSV would have a problem
with it, because it seems (according to what I have understood) he does not
allow any parts or division within avidyA, holding it to be One.

Anand