[Advaita-l] Brahman being object of chAkshusha-prataykasha

[V Subrahmanian]

On Wed, Jul 17, 2024 at 6:05 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Hari Om,
>
> When we say "pot is", it is accepted that is-ness seen in pot is not a
> feature of pot, but of Brahman.
>
> If we close our eyes, we cannot say - pot is - even if pot is before us.
>
> This shows clearly that is-ness is an object of chAkshusha-pratyaksha.
>
> However, this implies that Brahman is an object of chAkshusha-pratyaksha.
>
> But then it militates against Brahman being aprameya and being beyond
> chakshu etc.
>
> What exactly is the siddhAnta here. Is shuddha-Brahman accepted to be an
> object of chAkshusha-pratyaksha or is it pot-avachchhinna-chaitanya which
> is the object of chAkshusha-pratyaksha?
>

Dear Sudhamshu ji,

I think the answer to your question is available (at least) here in the
Gita Bhashya 2.16.  Here is a part of a dialogue:

सद्बुद्धिवत् घटबुद्धिरपि घटान्तरे दृश्यत इति चेत् न पटादौ अदर्शनात्।।
सद्बुद्धिरपि नष्टे घटे न दृश्यत इति चेत् न विशेष्याभावात्।* सद्बुद्धिः
विशेषणविषया सती विशेष्याभावे विशेषणानुपपत्तौ किंविषया स्यात्* न तु पुनः
सद्बुद्धेः विषयाभावात्।।

The translation by Swami Gambhirananda for the above is:

 May it not be that even the awareness of reality is not present in
relation to a pot that has been destroyed? Vedantin: No, because the noun
is absent (there). Since the awareness of reality corresponds to the
adjective (i.e. it is used adjectivelly), therefore, when the noun is
missing there is no possibility of its (that awareness) being an adjective.
So, to what should it relate? But, again, the awareness of reality (does
not cease) with the absence of an object৷৷ [Even when a pot is absent and
the awareness of reality does not arise with regare to it, the awareness of
reality persists in the region where the pot had existed. Some read nanu in
place of na tu ('But, again'). In that case, the first portion
(No,৷৷.since৷৷.adjective. So,৷৷.relate?) is a statement of the Vedantin,
and the Objection starts from nanu punah sadbuddheh, etc. so, the next
Objection will run thus: 'May it not be said that, when nouns like pot etc.
are absent, the awareness of existence has no noun to alify, and therefore
it becomes impossible for it (the awareness of existence) to exist in the
same substratum?'-Tr.]

To put it in simple terms, as Swami Paramarthananda ji would say:  The
presence of electricity can be known only through some medium through which
it can express itself and not otherwise.  For example a lamp, a fan,
grinder, washing machine, etc. Without any of such gadgets the presence of
electricity is not possible to be perceived/known.


Similarly Brahman, the ateendriya vastu, is always knowable only through
some or the other upadhi like pot, cloth, etc. And not without such
upadhis.  Even in the case of aparoksha anubhava, sAkShAtkAra, it is
'known' through a vritti, the Atma/BrahmAkAra vritti. In any case, it is
not a vishaya for chAkShuSha pratyaksha. The isness that is perceived in a
pot is no doubt that of Brahman (sat) but without the pot, it is not
perceived.  The prakriya in the Atma/BrahmAkAra vritti is that with effort
one keeps away any kind of a-Brahma/anAtma objects/vrittis and in that
state the kevala Atma/Brahma pratyaksha is possible, through that vritti.
Again, it is not chAkShuSha.

The pot-avacchinna chaitanya too is not indriya pratyaksha but it can be
said that in the pot-pratyaksha, by default, there is the sat aspect of
Brahman:

asti bhAti priyam rupam nAma chetyamsha panchakam
aadyatrayam brahmarUpam mayarUpam tato dvayam

Here too the sat is only one of the amshas and of Brahman but Brahman is
appearing through the pot upAdhi. Without that upAdhi it is not possible to
perceive Brahman that is imperceptible. It is Brahman that is even making
it possible for the pot to be perceived/present itself for perception.

Not sure if the Advaitasiddhi has dealt with this.

warm regards
subbu

>
> Regards.
> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
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