[Advaita-l] Consciousness and cognition - a consonance between the taittirIya upaniShad bhAShya and dakshinAmUrti stotra

[Anand Jammalamadaka]

Dear Sir,
Very beautifully explained
  - Satchidananda Sastry J


మంగళ, 24, జూన్ 2025 20:31కి, Venkatraghavan S via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> ఇలా రాశారు:

> Namaste,
>
> A nice consonance between the taittirIya upaniShad bhAShya for satyam
> jnAnam anantam brahma (TUB 2.1.1) and the 4th sloka of the dakshinamUrti
> stotra.
>
> TUB 2.1.1
> स्वरूपाव्यतिरेकेण कार्यत्वोपचारात् । आत्मनः स्वरूपं ज्ञप्तिः न ततो
> व्यतिरिच्यते । अतो नित्यैव ।
>
> Free flowing translation -
> Because they are non distinct (the self and jnAnam of the upanishadic
> sentence, satyam jnAnam anantam brahma) , there is figurative usage of the
> term (jnAnam) to denote effects (the word jnAnam in the true sense is
> eternal and unchanging, but is figuratively used to denote cognitions,
> which being products, are non eternal).
>
> Knowing (jnAnam = jnapti) being the nature of the self,  cannot be
> different to it. Therefore it (jnAnam) must be eternal only (in the true
> sense).
>
> What then is the basis of the figurative usage of the term jnAnam to denote
> thoughts / cognitions? Shankara explains:
>
> TUB 2.1.1 (continued)
> तथापि बुद्धेरुपाधिलक्षणायाश्चक्षुरादिद्वारैर्विषयाकारपरिणामिन्याः ये
> शब्दाद्याकारावभासाः, ते आत्मविज्ञानस्य विषयभूता उत्पद्यमाना एव
> आत्मविज्ञानेन व्याप्ता उत्पद्यन्ते । तस्मादात्मविज्ञानावभास्याश्च ते
> विज्ञानशब्दवाच्याश्च धात्वर्थभूता आत्मन एव धर्मा विक्रियारूपा इत्यविवेकिभिः
> परिकल्प्यन्ते ।
> Despite so, cognitions, which are modifications of the intellect, the
> adjunct (of the self), through the doorways of the senses such as the eyes
> etc, take on the forms of objects and reveal them to be sounds etc.
> (Therefore) they are verily objects of the self, and even as they arise,
> they do so, being pervaded by the self. These cognitions, which are
> illuminated by the self, are referred to by the word 'knowledge', and the
> entity denoted by the root/stem of the word (jna) in Sanskrit. These
> constantly transforming cognitions are mistaken to be properties of the
> (unchanging) self by those that are unable to distinguish the self from
> cognitions.
>
> This passage appears to me to be the basis for pratikarma-vyavasthA
> (epistemology according to Vedanta) that was later expanded upon by the
> vivaraNakAra, paribhAShAkAra, et al. The idea of cognitions, through the
> medium of the senses, taking on the AkAra of the objects (vRtti vyApti)
> which are illuminated by the self (phala vyApti) is found here in the
> prasthAna bhAShya.
>
> This also appears to be a basis of the famous vivaraNa statement,
> अन्तःकरणवृत्तौ ज्ञानत्वोपचारात्।
>
> The fourth verse of the dakshiNamUrti stotra which the above bhAShya
> passage mirrors -
>
> नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभा भास्वरं
> ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा वहिः स्पन्दते ।
> जानामीति तमेव भान्तमनुभात्येतत्समस्तं जगत्
> तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
>
> As the rays of light of a great lamp situated inside a pitcher having many
> holes, shine outwards, ....similarly, the knowledge of that alone (i.e.
> Atman) bounds outwards, through the media of the eyes and other sense
> organs, (manifesting) as "I know". Through His shining, this entire world
> shines. To that Self, who is this (my) guru,  and who is verily
> Dakshinamurti, I offer my obeisance.
>
> Kind regards,
> Venkatraghavan
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