[Advaita-l] Bhamati DSV theory according to Siddhanta Bindu

[V Subrahmanian]

On Thu, Jul 27, 2017 at 7:13 PM, Aditya Kumar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste,
>


> But isn't the Jiva itself part of creation? If Jiva is the one who
> creates, then how do we explain Karma. Who give karma-phala? Why would a
> jiva create misery to oneself or in general?


Shankara answers through the Bhagavadgita verses:

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः।
न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते।।5.14।।

Shankara:
*Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya*

।।5.14।। न *कर्तृत्वं* स्वतः कुरु इति *ना*पि *कर्माणि* रथघटप्रासादादीनि
ईप्सिततमानि *लोकस्य सृजति* उत्पादयति *प्रभुः* आत्मा। नापि रथादि कृतवतः
तत्फलेन संयोगं *न कर्मफलसंयोगम्।* यदि किञ्चिदपि स्वतः न करोति न कारयति च
देही कः तर्हि कुर्वन् कारयंश्च प्रवर्तते इति उच्यते *स्वभावस्तु* स्वो भावः
स्वभावः अविद्यालक्षणा प्रकृतिः माया *प्रवर्तते दैवी हि* इत्यादिना
वक्ष्यमाणा।।परमार्थतस्तु [Shankara says māyā is avidyālakṣaṇā thereby
agreeing avidya = māyā]
5.14 Prabhuh, the Self; na srjati, does not create; lokasya, for anyone;
kartrtvam, agentship, by saying 'Do this'; or even karmani, any
objects-such objects as chariot, pot, palace, etc. which are intensely
longed for; nor even karma-phala-samyogam, association with the results of
actions-association of the creator of a chariot etc. with the result of his
work. Objection: If the embodied one does not do anything himself, and does
not make others do, then who is it that engages in work by doing and making
others do? The answer is: Tu, but; it is svabhavah, Nature- one's own (sva)
nature (bhava)-characterized as ignorance, Maya, which will be spoken of
in, 'Since this divine Maya' (7.14); pravartate, that acts. But from the
highest standpoint-

*Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Madhusudan Saraswati*

।।5.14।।देवदत्तस्य स्वगतैव गतिर्यथा स्थितौ न भवति एवमात्मनोऽपि कर्तृत्वं
कारयितृत्वं च स्वगतमेव सत्संन्यासे सति न भवति अथवा नभसि
तलमलिनतादिवद्वस्तुवृत्त्या तत्र नास्त्येवेति संदेहापोहायाह लोकस्य देहादेः
कर्तृत्वं प्रभुरात्मा स्वामी न सृजति त्वं कुर्विति नियोगेन तस्य कारयिता न
भवतीत्यर्थः। नापि लोकस्य कर्माणीप्सिततमानि घटादीनि स्वयं सृजति कर्तापि न
भवतीत्यर्थः। नापि लोकस्य कर्म कृतवतस्तत्फलसंबन्धं सृजति भोजयितापि भोक्तापि
न भवतीत्यर्थः।स समानः सन्नुभौ लोकावनुसंचरति ध्यायतीव लेलायतीव सुधीः
इत्यादिश्रुतेः। अत्रापिशरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते इत्युक्तेः यदि
किंचिदपि स्वतो न कारयति न करोति चात्मा कस्तर्हि कारयन्कुर्वंश्च प्रवर्तत
इति तत्राह स्वभावस्तु अज्ञानात्मिका दैवी माया प्रकृतिः प्रवर्तते।

[A clear acceptance of māyā as responsible for everything.]

The next verse:

नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः।
अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः।।5.15।।


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

5.15 Vibhuh, the Omnipresent; na adatte, neither accetps; kasyacit,
anybody's-even a adevotee's; papam, sin; na ca eva, nor even; does He
accept sukrtam, virtue offered by devotees. Why then are such virtuous acts
as worship etc. as also sacrifices, charity, oblation, etc. worship etc. as
also sacrifices, charity, oblation, etc. offered by devotees? To this the
Lord says: Jnanam, knowledge, discriminating wisdom; remains avrtam,
covered; ajnanena, by ignorance. Tena, thery; jantavah, the creatures, the
non-discriminating people in the world; muhyanti, become deluded thus-'I
do; I make others do; I eat; I make others eat.'

[A clear denial of Ishwara's active role in anything; again avidya as cause
for all samsara.]



> If jiva can create, why can't it annihilate? Why did this jiva become a
> jiva in the first place?
>

It is not like executing a planned project. It is not wilful creation. It
is erroneous perception like seeing a snake in the place of a rope. It is
because of ajnana, avidya, maya, that Brahman 'becomes' a jiva.[Br.up.
1.4.10 and bhashya]



> One thing to note here is that, if DSV was the view of Shankara, then
> probably the opponent schools were right in saying that Advaita is Buddhism
> in disguise because Ishwara is completely invalidated.
>

Even before the advent of Vidyaranya, Madhusudana Saraswati, Prakashananda,
etc. (who are alleged to have invented DSV/EJV),  Ramanuja, and even before
him, Bhaskara, onwards have leveled that charge on Shankara/Advaita:
Buddhist/ism in disguise. There is enough material in the Shankara bhashya
for the opponent to level this charge: No (divine) attributes to Brahman,
jiva is none other than Brahman, the world is naught, etc.  A Brahman with
no attributes whatsoever made them equate the Advaitic Brahman to the
shunya of the bauddha. Denying the world too is buddhistic. The alleged
verse of the Padmapurana: māyāvādam asat śāstram pracchannam bauddham....
is unlikely to be post Vidyaranya, Madhusudana, etc. The purana goes on to
say, in Lord Shiva's words that he will preach this heretic doctrine in the
form of a brahmana (Shankara) in the Kali yuga. So, no need to blame
Madhusudana, etc.In fact Madhva who is clearly pre-Vidyaranya, Madhusudana,
etc. has critiqued the EJV:

http://veda.krishna.com/encyclopedia/ekajivavada.htm

http://www.mediafire.com/file/nw59e9a94la4vso/Ramanuja_1000_K.pdf

regards
vs

>
>       From: Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedan
> ta.org>
>  To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedan
> ta.org>
> Cc: Venkatesh Murthy <vmurthy36 at gmail.com>
>  Sent: Thursday, 27 July 2017 10:03 AM
>  Subject: [Advaita-l] Bhamati DSV theory according to Siddhanta Bindu
>
> Namaste
>
> अज्ञानविषयीभूतं चैतन्यमीश्वरः अज्ञानाश्रयीभूतं च जीव इति वाचस्पतिमिश्राः
> ।अस्मिंश्च पक्षे अज्ञाननानात्त्वाज्जीवनानात्वम् । प्रतिजीवं च प्रपञ्चभेदः
> जीवस्यैवाज्ञानोपहिततया जगदुपादानत्वात् प्रत्यभिज्ञा चातिसादृश्यात् ईश्वरस्य
> च सप्रपञ्चजीवाविद्याऽधिष्ठानत्वेन कारणत्वोपचारादित । अयमेव चावच्छेदवादः ।
> Translation by Sri S N Sastri
>
> According to Vachaspatimisra, pure consciousness which is the content
> (object) of nescience is Isvara. The locus of nescience is the jiva. In
> this view multiplicity of jivas is due to multiplicity of nescience. Thus
> the
> universe is different for each jiva, because the jiva is the material cause
> of the universe since it has nescience as limiting adjunct. The recognition
> of the universe as the same by all is due to extreme similarity. Isvara is
> metaphorically described as the cause of the universe because of being the
> substratum of the jivas, nescience and the universe. This is the limitation
> theory.
>
> Important point is Ishwara is not really the cause of the universe but the
> Jeeva is the cause. There is no Ishwara Srushti. Bellamkonda Rama Raya Kavi
> has said in his Vyaakhyaa
>
> ईश्वरशब्दोऽत्र निरुपाधिकचैतन्यवाची न तु अज्ञानविषयीकृतचैतन्यवाची । The
> Ishwara here in Bhamati is the Nirupaadhika = Suddha Brahma only. This
> means the Tat in Tat Tvam Asi is Suddha Brahman exactly like for DSV. Jeeva
> is creator of the universe exactly like for DSV but there are many Jeevas.
> When I am seeing a pot and you are seeing the same pot the two pots are not
> the same. I am seeing a pot in my universe and you are seeing a pot in your
> universe. But there is Ati Saadrushya between the pots. They are very very
> similar but not same. Therefore we both think we are seeing the same pot.
>
> Therefore Bhamati theory is nothing but DSV with NJV.
>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> -Venkatesh
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