[Advaita-l] Avidya for Srishti kartA brahman/Ishwara? Prashnopanishad bhashya

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Prashna Bhashya 6.3. Shankara raises a question and replies:

The mantra is:

स ईक्षाञ्चक्रे कस्मिन्नहमुत्क्रान्त उत्क्रान्तो भविष्यामि कस्मिन्वा
प्रतिष्ठिते प्रतिष्ठास्यामीति ॥ ३ ॥

 भवतां पुनर्वेदवादिनां सृष्टिकर्तृत्वे तत्त्वान्तरपरिणाम
एवेत्यात्मनोऽनित्यत्वादिसर्वदोषप्रसङ्ग इति चेत् , न ;
*एकस्याप्यात्मनोऽविद्याविषयनामरूपोपाध्यनुपाधिकृतविशेषाभ्युपगमात् ।*
*अविद्याकृतनामरूपोपाधिनिमित्तो* हि विशेषोऽभ्युपगम्यते आत्मनो
बन्धमोक्षादिशास्त्रकृतसंव्यवहाराय । परमार्थतोऽनुपाधिकृतं च
तत्त्वमेकमेवाद्वितीयमुपादेयं सर्वतार्किकबुद्ध्यनवगम्यं ह्यजमभयं शिवमिष्यते ।

Translation by Swami Gambhirananda:
Objection:
From your standpoint, who are followers of the Vedas and admit that the
Self is the creator, there does occur an essential mutation, and therefore
the Self becomes subject to all such faults as impermanence etc.

Vedantin's Answer: *No, for it is held by us that though the Self is but
one, still, in a state of ignorance, there occur to It apparent
distinctions created by the pre- sence or absence of the limiting adjuncts
constituted by the names and forms of objects. The creation of some sort of
distinction in the Self by ignorance is admitted as a concession, so that
talk about the bondage and freedom of the Self in the scriptures may be
possible*. In reality, however, one should stand by the unconditioned
Entity which is one without a second, which is beyond the reach of all
sophists, and which is admitted as fearless and auspicious. There can be no
agentship, no enjoyership, nor any action, instrument, or result, where
everything is reduced to non-duality.

In the above discourse, the word Self means Brahman, the Creator
Consciousness.

Another conclusive passage by Shankara in the above vein in the same
bhashya: Here it is even more explicit: Shankara says Brahman is assisted
by all accessories that are created by Avidya, for the purpose of Brahman
being/becoming a Creator:

....*एतेनाविद्याकृतनामरूपाद्युपाधिकृतानेकशक्तिसाधनकृतभेदवत्त्वाद्ब्रह्मणः
सृष्ट्यादिकर्तृत्वे *साधनाद्यभावो दोषः प्रत्युक्तो वेदितव्यः,

Translation by Swami Gambhirananda:

It is to be understood that hereby is refuted the fault imputed by others
that Brahman lacks the necessary equipment etc. for becoming an agent in
the matter of creation etc.; for Brahman can (be imagined to) be associated
with differences created by diverse powers and accessories that emerge from
the limiting adjuncts created through name and form which are called up by
ignorance. And so also is set aside the other objection raised by others
that the Self (of the non-dualists) becomes the originator of Its own
misery.


Conclusion:  Since avidya is generally thought of to be associated with the
jiva alone and not with Ishwara/Brahman the Creator, the explicit usage of
avidya-created name form upadhi for Brahman brings us to conclude that for
Shankara the māyā shakti that is used by Brahman for creation, is none
other than Avidya. Even with the meaning avidya = adhyasa, it is only jiva
that is associated with adhyasa and not Brahman/Ishwara.  Since Shankara
uses the term Avidya as the power that creates name/form upadhis that are
at play in Brahman creating the universe, this conclusion gets even more
strengthened. In the view of Shankara the avidya shakti and the māya shakti
are non-different.

Om Tat Sat