[Advaita-l] Unambiguous statement of Akhandakara vritti in the Gita Bhashyam

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

Subbuji– PraNAms

 

Requestingsome clarification:

 

Discriminativeknowledge involves nitya anitya vastu viveka – When a thought arises in themind, it is illumined by the light of consciousness for me to have theknowledge of the thought. Hence, discriminative involves leaving the thought(while the thought is there), shifting the mind’s attention to that light ofconsciousness and claiming that I am that. Hence, Kena says ‘pratibodha viditammatam’ – it is revealed in every thought. 

 

Onecannot perceive a thoughtless mind – as Swami Satprakashanandaji says in his Methodsof Knowledge (P.94) –‘mind (without vrutti) is imperceivable.’ 

 

Hence,we need a perceptual thought to use Viveka to keep the mind shifting from theanitya to nitya -That constant shift – do you call this akhandaakaara vritti? –I give an example  -  one cannot recognize the presence of sunlightwhere the moon is if the moon is not there. We need the moon to reflect thesunlight. Discriminative intellect then involves shifting mental attention to moonlight,which is nothing but sunlight, leaving the mind's attention from the moon.  

 

Meditationis then leaving the perceived objects and shifting the mind’s attention to the lightof consciousness because of which every perception is known. Is that ‘akhandaaakaara vritti’? Would like to hear your clarification.  

 

HariOm!

Sada



 

OnMonday, February 10, 2025 at 04:28:04 PM GMT+5:30, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l<advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

 

 

…

 

अविक्रिय एव सन् बुद्धिवृत्त्यविवेकविज्ञानेन अविद्यया उपलब्धा आत्मा

कल्प्यते, *एवमेव आत्मानात्मविवेकज्ञानेन बुद्धिवृत्त्या विद्यया *

* असत्यरूपयैव* परमार्थतः अविक्रिय एव आत्मा विद्वानुच्यते । विदुषः………

 

Shankarasays that this vRtti is not absolutely real, but unreal: asatyA.

Thisis no doubt vidyA, right / samyag jnanam.

 

Translationby Swami Gambhirananda: What is highlighted is the translation

of theBhashya for the component 'vRtti' that has for its content the

Discriminativeknowledge:

 

As onaccount of the lack of knowledge of the distinction between the Self

andthe modifications of the intellect, the Self, though verily immutable,

isimagined through ignorance to be the perceiver of objects like sound

etc.presented by the intellect etc., in this very way,* the Self, which in

realityis immutable, is said to be the 'knower' because of Its association

withthe knowledge of the distinction between the Self and non-Self, which

(knowledge)is a modification of the intellect.*

 

Anandagirisays: The Atman itself, in association with the Discriminative

knowledge-bearingvRtti, is called the 'Jnani'. (In contrast, the Atman

itself,in association with the ignorance-propelled illusory connection

withobjects is known as the knower of objects.

 

तेनात्मोपलब्धा कल्प्यते। तच्चाविद्याप्रयुक्तमिथ्यासंबन्धनिबन्धनं

तथैवाध्यासिकसंबन्धेन* ब्रह्मात्मैक्याभिव्यञ्जकवाक्योत्थबुद्धिवृत्तिद्वारा

विद्वानात्मा व्यपदिश्यते* नच मिथ्यासंबन्धेन

पारमार्थिकाविक्रियत्वविहतिरस्तीत्यर्थः।

 

Thus,we have in the Bhashyam an irrefutable instance of akhaNDAkAra vRtti

stated.

 

warmregards