[Advaita-l] The story of the 'Tenth Man'

[V Subrahmanian]

'Tenth man story' in Sanskrit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn-cXz7A8hs&t=38s

On Fri, Feb 26, 2021 at 10:44 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
> I have removed the images.
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, Feb 26, 2021 at 10:43 PM
> Subject: The story of the 'Tenth Man'
> To: <advaitin at googlegroups.com>
>
>
> There are many examples in Vedanta to illustrate the fact: You are indeed
> “that.” One among these is the famous story of the tenth man. It is
> particularly interesting to see an ancient example play out in real life
> and making the news.
>
>
>
> In the original story ten people cross a turbulent river. They wanted to
> make sure that all of them safely crossed over and decided to count the
> number of people in the group. So the group leader makes them stand in a
> straight line and starts counting,
> “one…two...three…four…five…six…seven…eight…niiiiinne…” He missed counting
> himself as the tenth and started wailing.
>
>
>
> Others in the group took turns in counting and committed the same mistake
> of counting everyone except themselves, the one who counts! After a few
> rounds of (mis)counting, and with the firm collective conviction that the
> tenth man was indeed missing, they all sat down and were wailing when the
> group was seen by a passer-by. On inquiring, he realized they were missing
> a person in the group, presumably drowned while crossing the river. He
> quickly counted and realized all 10 were indeed alive and present. He
> assured the group that he will show them the tenth man. He made the group
> stand in a line and asked the leader to count. After the group leader
> reached “…nine”, the passer-by pointed to him and said, “you are the tenth”
> much to the joy and relief of the group. The missing tenth man was “found.”
>
>
>
> If the sceptic in us ever wondered, ‘Come on! Who will make such a
> mistake?’ Here is a newsclip of the above story playing out in real life!
>
>
>
> Here is a link to the report in a Newspaper:
> https://www.cbsnews.com/news/missing-woman-finds-herself-after-intense-search/
>
> In the Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashya, Shankara alludes to the story:
> *प्रकृतसङ्ख्यापूरणस्यात्मनः *अव्यवहितस्यापि
> बाह्यसङ्ख्येयविषयासक्तचित्ततया स्वरूपाभावदर्शनवत् परमार्थब्रह्मस्वरूपाभावदर्शनलक्षणया
> अविद्यया अन्नमयादीन्बाह्याननात्मन आत्मत्वेन प्रतिपन्नत्वात्
> अन्नमयाद्यनात्मभ्यो नान्योऽहमस्मीत्यभिमन्यते । एवमविद्यया आत्मभूतमपि ब्रह्म
> अनाप्तं स्यात् । तस्यैवमविद्यया अनाप्तब्रह्मस्वरूपस्य
> *प्रकृतसङ्ख्यापूरणस्यात्मनः* अविद्ययानाप्तस्य सतः केनचित्स्मारितस्य
> पुनस्तस्यैव विद्यया आप्तिर्यथा, तथा श्रुत्युपदिष्टस्य सर्वात्मब्रह्मण………
>
> Here is the English translation of the above by Sw.Gambhirananda, who adds
> the story in the footnote:
>
>
>
> The Vanamala on the above gives the whole story:
>
>
>
> स्वरूपेऽप्यग्रहणादयो भवन्तीत्यत्र दृष्टान्तमाह –
>
> प्रकृतेति ।
>
> प्रकृताया दशसङ्ख्यायाः पूरणे समर्थस्यात्मनः स्वस्य देवदत्तस्य
> संनिकृष्टस्यापि स्वापेक्षया बाह्या ये नव सङ्ख्येयाः तद्विषयासक्तचित्ततया
> स्वात्मानं विहाय तेष्वेव पुनः पुनः परिगणनव्यासक्तचित्ततया स्वात्मभूतोऽपि
> दशमो नास्तीत्यभावदर्शनम् , तद्धेतुभूतं दशमं न जानामीत्यनुभूयमानमावरणम् ,
> नवैव वर्तामह इति विपर्ययश्च यथा दशमस्य स्वरूपेऽपि दृश्यन्ते तथेत्यर्थः ।
>
> अदर्शननिमित्तां ब्रह्मणोऽनाप्तिमुपसंहरति –
>
> एवमिति ।
>
> इदानीं दर्शननिमित्तां तदाप्तिं दृष्टान्तेन विवृणोति –
>
> तस्यैवमिति ।
>
> केनचिदिति ।
>
> 'दशमस्त्वमसि’ इत्याप्तेन स्मारितस्वरूपस्येत्यर्थः ।
>
> तस्यैवेति ।
>
> यद्दशमस्वरूपमविद्ययानाप्तमासीत्तस्यैवेत्यर्थः ।
>
> I have not checked the Vartika, though.
>
> In the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya 1.4.7 too there is a reference: अविद्याध्यारोपितदुःखित्वभ्रमापोहार्थत्वात्
> — आत्मनि प्रकृतसङ्ख्यापूरणभ्रमापोहवत् ; कल्पितदुःख्यात्माभ्युपगमाच्च ॥
>
> Yet another from the above Upanishad bhashya: 1.4.15:  …यद्यपि स्वो लोकः,
> अविदितः अविद्यया व्यवहितः अस्व इवाज्ञातः, एनम् — सङ्ख्यापूरण इव लौकिकः
> आत्मानम् — न भुनक्ति न पालयति शोकमोहभयादिदोषापनयेन………
>
> I have not checked the commentaries for the story, though.  The
> Panchadashi too details the story in several verses.
>
> regards
> subbu
>
>
>