[Advaita-l] Bhavarupa Ajnana Tamas (Ignorance) - Nrsimha Tapini Upanishad and Gita Bhashya

[V Subrahmanian]

In this Upanishad (for which a Shankara Bhashya is said to be there) it is
stated that the Tamas, ajnana, ignorance, is an object, vishaya, to the
Vishayi, the Sakshi the Atman:

https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/nrisinha.html

बुद्धेर्द्रष्टा प्राणस्य द्रष्टा *तमसो द्रष्टा*

सर्वस्य द्रष्टा ततः सर्वस्मादन्यो विलक्षणचक्षुषः

साक्षी श्रोत्रस्य साक्षी वाचः साक्षी मनसः साक्षीः

बुद्धेः साक्षी प्राणस्य साक्षी *तमसः साक्षी*

सर्वस्य साक्षी ततोऽविक्रियो महाचैतन्योऽस्मात्सर्वस्मात्प्रियतम...

In the Bhagavadgita 13.2 Bhashya, Shankara, in a dialogue, establishes that
the ignorance, avidya, is something witnessed by the Atman:

यस्य अविद्या, सः तां परिहरिष्यति । ननु ममैव अविद्या । जानासि तर्हि अविद्यां
तद्वन्तं च आत्मानम् ।

*Opponent: Indeed, ignorance belongs to myself. Reply: In that case, you
know ignorance as also yourself who possess it?*


यदि पुनः अविद्या ज्ञेया, अन्यद्वा ज्ञेयं ज्ञेयमेव । तथा ज्ञातापि ज्ञातैव, न
ज्ञेयं भवति । यदा च एवम् , अविद्यादुःखित्वाद्यैः न ज्ञातुः क्षेत्रज्ञस्य
किञ्चित् दुष्यति ॥


In this dialogue Shankara establishes that the Avidya/Tamas/ignorance is a
Bhaavarupa entity.  The inviolable rule is: That which is an object is an
existent entity.  A non-existent entity cannot be perceived/objectified.

*Again, whether the knowable be ignorance or anything else, a knowable is
verily a knowable; similarly, even a knower is surely a knower; he does not
become a knowable. And when this is so, [Since the knower cannot be known,
therefore his relation with ignorance also cannot be known by himself or by
anybody else] nothing of the cognizer-the knower of the field-is tainted by
such defects as ignorance, sorrowfulness, etc. *


*Thus, on the basis of the Upanishad, the Gita Bhashya and logic, avidya is
a bhaava rupa entity.*

*Those who object to this have mistaken the meaning of 'Bhaava rupa' in the
Shaastra.  They think Bhaava rupa means Brahman-Existence.  That such is
not the sense in which Shankara uses the term 'vishaya' is well known for
those who have studied the shaastra.  The superimposed snake is bhaava
rupa, being experienced.  Nevertheless it is not absolutely real like the
rope.  *


*Om Tat Sat  *