[Advaita-l] Debunking Drishti-Srishti Vada and Eka Jiva Vada - part 1

[Anand Hudli]

For those who feel inclined to SDV the "tattvamasi" upadesha, with the
usual jahadajahallakShaNa directly leads to brahmajnAna. Here the "tat"pada
represents the upahita caitanya, not the shuddha caitanya as implied by
"satyaM jnAnam anantaM brahma". For those inclined to DSV/EJV the
"tattvamasi" upadesha directly leads to brahmajnAna. However, here the
"tat"pada is the anupahita caitanya or shuddha caitanya. The
jahadajahallakShaNa is applied only to the "tvam" pada.

I had written earlier about this:
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2016-May/041400.html

So it depends on what one is prepared to accept for the "tat"pada - whether
"tat" represents Ishvara with all His attributes such as sarveshitva,
sarvajnatva, sarvavyapitva,sarvAntaryAmitva, sarvaniyAmakatva, etc or the
shuddhacaitanya- and what one is prepared to accept for the "tvam"pada - a
jIva with alpajnatva, etc. or the lone jIva who is responsible for all
sRShTi through dRShTi. Strange as it  may seem, it is possible to have a
view with Ishvara and just one jIva. Advanced upAsakas, for example, may
see God everywhere, including in other people and animals. There will be no
other jIvas but just the upAsaka and God. The upAsaka may or may not be
willing to accept Ishvara as the jIva's creation as in DSV/EJV. If he is
not willing to do so, he may subscribe to the view of Ishvara-sRShTi.
PrakAshAnanda, the author of the well known work on DSV,
VedAntasiddhAntamuktAvali  was said to have been an upAsaka in the tantric
mode of worship. Many other advaitins, such as appayya dIkShita,
madhusUdanasarasvatI, and several Sringeri lineage AchAryas were/are ardent
upAsakas of forms of Ishvara.

Anand