[Advaita-l] 'Avidya lesha' ('samskāra') admitted by the Upanishads, Bh.Gita and Shankara

[V Subrahmanian]

There are many instances across the Upanishads where an Aparoksha Jnani is
seen to be teaching, discussing, etc. the Atma vidya proving that a
post-Jnana life is indeed there.  Here are a few such instances, though not
exact references are given here:

1. At the end of the Prashnopanishad, the six aspirants who have now become
Jnani-s, as per Shankara, offer their gratitude to Sage Pippalada, their
Guru, for having bestowed that Jnana to them: tvam hi nah pitā (thou are
our father)..for having taken us to the other shore of samsara.  Shankara
says, they worshiped the Guru with flowers and obeisance. He says the Guru
is father because he has given birth to the brahma shariram and put an end
to the taking of repeated births.

2. The Kenopanishad has the statement where an aspirant, undergoing the
Atma vidya teaching, goes out for a while and returns to the class to
declare with humility his enlightenment.

3. This Upanishad also says in the Yaksha episode that Indra got the Jnanam
through Umā which he further taught the other devata-s.

4. The Brihadaranyaka 1.4.10 is a very clear statement of gaining Aham
Brahmasmi jnana and attaining sarvatmatva.

5. In the same upanishad Yajnvalkya confers on Janaka 'abhayam vaik Janaka
prāpto'si'  - Janaka, you have attained the Fearless Brahman.

6. Yajnavalkya, himself an enlightened teacher, engages in discussions,
teaches the Brahma vidya to many and at the end renounces home and hearth.

7. In the Chandogya 7th ch. Sanatkumara, the enlightened sage, instructs
Narada who becomes enlightened.

8. There is the famous Vāmadeva case of him declaring his enlightenment
from the mother's womb.

9. The Ishavasya upanishad gives expression to the Universal Oneness vision
of the Jnani.

The Bhagavadgita in several chapters gives the traits of a Jnani:
sthitaprajna, bhakta, guṇātīta and so on.

The Gita 4th chapter says: One must seek a Jnani and put questions on
Atman, etc. be submissive and serve him. A Tattvadarshi (aparoksha jnani)
will impart the knowledge to such a one.

Shankara while elaborately commenting on all the above, has of his own
accord said, sometimes even giving unmistakable expression to his own
enlightenment:  Brahma sutra bhashya: 4.1.15:

अपि च नैवात्र विवदितव्यम् — ब्रह्मविदा कञ्चित्कालं शरीरं ध्रियते न वा
ध्रियत इति । *कथं हि एकस्य **स्वहृदयप्रत्ययं** ब्रह्मवेदनं देहधारणं च अपरेण
प्रतिक्षेप्तुं शक्येत ?* श्रुतिस्मृतिषु च स्थितप्रज्ञलक्षणनिर्देशेन एतदेव
निरुच्यते । तस्मादनारब्धकार्ययोरेव सुकृतदुष्कृतयोर्विद्यासामर्थ्यात्क्षय
इति निर्णयः ॥ १५ ॥

Shankara says here:

A Jnani will have the aparoksha anubhava of (1) being Brahman and (2) at
the same time be in a body too. *No one can deny this*, continues Shankara,
'This alone is spoken of as Sthitaprajna lakshana in the shruti and
smritis.'


The corresponding verse in the Bh.Gita for no.2 above is: सर्वकर्माणि मनसा
संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी।
नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन्।।5.13।।  5.13


The embodied man of self-control, having given up all actions mentally,
continues happily in the town of nine gates, without doing or causing
(others) to do anything at all.


warm regards
subbu