[Advaita-l] The sUtra bhAshya reference 'sushupti and avidyA in sushupti'

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri Kalyan prabhuji
Hare Krishna

Here are some of the references with regard to merging of jeeva in sushupti and avidyA that is existing in sushupti.


01.    Jeeva merging in brahman or has become one with brahman without knowing that he has become one with IT.


(a)    Su bh. 3.2.7 :  svamapeetobhavati :  he attains his own real self.

(b)   Su bh. 1.3.15 : satha soumya thada sampanno bhavati :  at the time of sushupta the jeeva is merged in brahman & there only : lokepi kila gadham sushupthaM Achakshathe brahmeebhUtO brahmatham gataH iti.

(c)    Su bh.1.4.18 :  sushuptakaale cha pareNa Brahmana jeevaH ekathaM gacchati : the jeeva becomes one with "para brahman" in sushupti.

(d)   Su bh.:2.1.9 : sushuptisamAdhyadvapi sathyAM svAbhAvikyaM avibhAgaprAptau :  Here interestingly bhAshyakAra says both in sushupti and samAdhi ikyaM is svabhAvika but in the same bhAshya  bhAshyakAra says both samAdhi and sushupti is not free from avidyA :) I will give that vAkya below.

(e)   Su bh.:3.2.7: brahmaivathu ekaM sushuptisthAnaM : sushupti means brahman and brahman alone.

And at various places in bruhadAraNyaka mantra and bhAshya and chAndOgya mantra and bhAshya.

I have taken these references from Sri SSS's Kannada commentary  on sUtra bhAshya and translation is not Sri SSS's, its mine...You can refer the originals for more clarity and clarification.


02.    There exists avidyA in the form of seed ( beeja rUpa nidra or beeja Shakti )  in sushupti :


(a)    Su.bh. 1.1.9 : saha upAdhidvayOparame sushupthAvasthAyaM upAdhikrutavisheshabhavatah svAthmani praleena iva iti :  both upAdhi-s do not exist in deep sleep so it is said AS IF he is merged in brahman.  AS IF is the very potent assertion by bhAshyakAra to argue that merging is not literal in sushupti.

(b)   Su bh.1.3.30 : praleeyamanamapi idaM jagath sakthyavasheshameva praleeyate : This world which merges in brahman in sushupti merges by leaving the Shakti behind.  Here Shakti or seed means not knowing the reality.

(c)    Su bh.2.1.9 : In continuation to what mentioned above with regard to sushupti and samAdhi bhAshyakAra clarifies : mithyAjnAnasya anapodithathwath pUrvavath punaH prabodhe vibhAgo bhavati : Even though there is natural nonduality in sushupti the misunderstanding of brahman as jeeva is not effaced by correct knowledge. Therefore duality comes again as before.

(d)   Su bh: 2.3.31 : ayamapi AtmanobudhyupAdhisaMbandhaH shakthyAtmanaa vidyamanaeva sushuptapralayayoho punaHa prabodha prasavayoravirbhavathi.  Apicha mithyAjnAnapurassaraH ayaM Athmano budhyupAdhisaMbandhaH. :  The seed or Shakti which is concocted by ignorance is in deep sleep.  Therefore it makes one to awake as same individual.

And at multiple places in maNdukya bhAshya and kArika bhAshya the references which you might have seen in this thread.

As I have been telling in this thread, there is a provision to argue that in sushupti jeeva is with para brahman and at the same time there is agrahaNAtmaka avidyA in seed form (beeja nidra, beeja Shakti etc.) in sushupti.  And sometimes this seed is also called prANa, avyAkruta, sat. For example kArika 1-2 here Sat is accepted as the seed.  Nothing other than Sat is accepted as the seed.  So, seed at some places is agrahaNa and at some other places SAT.  This does not show the contradiction is eka vAkyata of siddhAnta it is only understanding the word in accordance with context.  And that context is : waking dreaming and deep sleep states should be taken according to the experience in their respective domains and one should not imagine or infer the other two states from the biased view of one particular state.

Hope this would help you to check other references also in the prasthAna traya and bhAshya on it.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar