[Advaita-l] Jivatvam is mithyā - References from the Veda and Vedavyasa

[V Subrahmanian]

Jivatvam is mithya -  References from the Veda and Vedavyasa

In Vedanta, the jiva is an appearance, being a product of ignorance.
Brahman, the only Pure Consciousness alone appears as the jiva out of
ignorance. When the due process of shravana, etc. is carried out, the truth
emerges and the jiva-aspirant realizes that he was never ever bound and is
ever free. Here are some references where the jiva bhāva is stated to be a
superimposition and not absolutely real:

The Bhagavatam, annotating the famous Dvā suparṇā mantra of the
Mundakopanishat says:

https://satsangdhara.net/bhp/sam11-11.htm

आत्मानमन्यं च स वेद विद्वान्
अपिप्पलादो न तु पिप्पलादः ।
योऽविद्यया युक् स तु नित्यबद्धो
विद्यामयो यः स तु *नित्यमुक्तः* ॥ ७ ॥

The one who realizes himself as the bird that does not eat — he is the wise
one, the one who does not enjoy karma-phala. One with ignorance is always
bound (nitya-baddha), due to avidyā, the one with knowledge is *ever-free
(nitya-mukta).  T*his shows that the jiva is in truth is never bound at
all. Samsara, being an appearance, is annulled by right knowledge, as the
above Bhagavatam verse says: vidyāmaya: nityamukta:.  Vidya puts an end to
the wrong notion that one is a jiva.

There are many references across the Upanishads and the Bhgavatam, etc.
that say that the samsara is not real, it's only an appearance/erroneous
notion, like a dream, etc. which mean that jivatvam is not native to the
Atman.  Below are some references where the term jivatvam is directly
available:

योगशिखोपनिषत्
<https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%96%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D>
 Yogashikhopanishat:

चैतनस्यैकरूपत्वाद्भेदो युक्तो न कर्हिचित् ।
जीवत्वं च तथा ज्ञेयं रज्ज्वां सर्पग्रहो यथा ॥ ४.१॥
रज्ज्वज्ञानात्क्षणेनैव यद्वद्रज्जुर्हि सर्पिणी ।
भाति तद्वच्चितिः साक्षाद्विश्वाकारेण केवला ॥ २॥

Since Consciousness is one nature alone, there can't be any distinctions in
it like jiva-Ishwara, etc. Hence jivatvam is to be known as a
superimposition, an error of perceiving a serpent in a rope. Just as the
rope ignorance quickly projects the snake cognition, so too the Pure
consciousness, out of ignorance, appears as the variegated world, in which
jiva/iivatva too is contained.

योगशिखोपनिषत्सु चतुर्थोऽध्याय: -

यद्वन्मृदि घटभ्रान्तिः शुक्तौ हि रजतस्थितिः ।

तद्वद्ब्र्ह्मणि *जीवत्वं *वीक्षमाणेविनश्यति ॥१३॥

  Just as the illusion of a pot exists in clay, and the appearance of
silver is imagined in mother-of-pearl,
In the same way, the notion of *jīva*-hood (individuality) in Brahman
vanishes upon inquiry.

यथा मृदि घटो नाम कनके कुण्डलाभिधा ।

शुक्तौ हि रजतख्याति*र्जीवशब्द*स्तथा परे ॥१४॥

  As the name "pot" is merely a designation for form in clay, and "earring"
a name for form in gold,
As the appearance of silver is imagined in nacre (mother-of-pearl) — so too
is the term *jīva* merely a label upon the Supreme.

The above statements of this Upanishad on clay and gold are there in the
Chandogya Upanishad, 6th chapter.  The Advaitic interpretation thereof
alone is endorsed by the Yogashikhopanishat.

परिव्राट् उपनिषद् (नारदपरिव्राजक)/उपदेशः ६
<https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D_(%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%95)/%E0%A4%89%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AC>


स्पृष्ट इति चेन्न । जीवाभिमानेन क्षेत्राभिमानः । शरीराभिमानेन जीवत्वम् ।
जीवत्वं घटाकाशमहाकाशवद्व्यवधानेऽस्ति । व्यवधानवशादेव हंसः सोऽहमिति..

The Parivrāt upanishad (Narada parivrajaka upanishad) says: it is due to
jiva abhimāna does one have identification with the body-mind complex. The
body identity is what is jivatvam. The infinite space alone appears as the
pot-space. Space is non-differentiated.

श्रीरामहृदयम्
<https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D?wprov=srpw1_0>
Adhyatma Rāmāyanam:

साभासबुद्धेः कर्तृत्वमविच्छिन्नेऽविकारिणि।
साक्षिण्यारोप्यते भ्रान्त्या जीवत्वं च तथाऽबुधैः ॥ ४ ॥
आभासस्तु मृषाबुद्धिरविद्याकार्यमुच्यते। अविच्छिन्नं तु...

Doership, kartrutvam, belongs to the reflected consciousness in the
intellect. This is wrongly superimposed on the Pure Witness consciousness,
so also the idea of being a jiva. Therefore jivatva is not real.


स्कन्दपुराणम्/खण्डः ३ (ब्रह्मखण्डः)/ब्रह्मोत्तर खण्डः/अध्यायः १
<https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A9_(%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83)/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7>

सर्वोपनिषदात्मना ॥ लेभिरे मुनयः सर्वे परं ब्रह्म निरामयम्॥१३॥
नमस्कारेण जीवत्वं शिवेऽत्र परमात्मनि ॥
ऐक्यं गतमतो मंत्रः परब्रह्ममयो ह्यसौ ॥ १४ ॥ भवपाशनिबद्धानां...

The Skanda purana says: By absolute devotion/surrender to Shiva, the
jivatva merges into/with Shiva. This shows that jivatva is not a real
attribute of the jiva/Atman.

Here is a composition of Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra (17th Century)  on the
various analogies for Jivatvam:


https://sadasivabrahmendra.blogspot.com/2018/08/tadvat-jivatvam-raga-kiravani-talam-adi.html


warm regards

subbu