Pratyabhijna and Shankara鈥檚 Advaita (comparative study)
by Ranjni M. | 2013 | 54,094 words
This page relates 鈥楳aya in Vedic Tradition鈥� of study dealing with Pratyabhijna and Shankara鈥檚 Advaita. This thesis presents a comparative analysis of two non-dualistic philosophies, Pratyabhijna from Kashmir and Shankara鈥檚 Advaita Vedanta from Kerala, highlighting their socio-cultural backgrounds and philosophical similarities..
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3. 惭腻测腻 in Vedic Tradition
The references of 惭腻测腻 has been made by the earlier thinkers of Vedic age itself. Some 峁歡vedic hymns are the direct examples for it. Not only the term 惭腻测腻, but some closely related terms of 惭腻测腻 are often seen used in many places. 惭腻测腻, 惭腻测腻岣�, M膩yay膩, 惭腻测腻bhi岣�, 惭腻测腻峁�, M膩yina岣�, 惭腻测腻vin etc. are the words seen in 峁欢惫别诲补. P.D.Sastri has cited seventy five instances of the use of the term 惭腻测腻 and its different forms in 峁欢惫别诲补.[1] All are not in the same sense. The two chief meanings of the word assigned in 峁欢惫别诲补 are power (笔谤补箩帽腻) and deception (碍补辫补峁璦).[2] 惭腻测腻 is the 顿别惫补迟腻 of 177th 厂奴办迟补 in tenth 惭补峁囜笉补濒补 of 峁欢惫别诲补. Here it is described that the learnt men, with their internal eye, see one fly, which is infected by the 惭腻测腻 of Asuras.[3] The fly mentioned here is explained as the individual self. It is also narrated in 峁欢惫别诲补 that Indra assumes different forms with his power of 惭腻测腻.[4]
In Yajurveda and Atharvaveda also the narration of 惭腻测腻 can be seen. In 艢耻办濒补 Yajurveda a narration of a prayer to Agni is seen, where there is a reference of one S膩hasr墨r奴p膩 惭腻测腻.[5] In Atharvaveda 惭腻测腻 is illustrated as a creative power (Nirm膩峁嘺艣akti).[6] The word 惭腻测腻 can be seen in 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 texts also. 础颈迟补谤别测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 has references of the term having the supernatural or magical skill. Other texts like 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 笔补帽肠补惫颈峁兣沘产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 and 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 also have the description of 惭腻测腻.[7]
In Upani峁dic literature the term 惭腻测腻 is used profusely in more clear senses. The 艢惫别迟腻艣惫补迟补谤补, 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办补 and Pra艣na Upani峁ds are noteworthy in the matter. In 笔谤补艣苍辞辫补苍颈峁诲 it is said that the Brahmaloka devoid of taint is for them, in whom there is no wickedness, falsehood and dissimulation.[8] 艢惫别迟腻艣惫补迟补谤辞辫苍颈峁诲 contains the concept of 惭腻测腻 which is similar to that seen in 艢a峁卥ar膩dvaita and 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻. Here 惭腻测腻 is described as the nature of the Supreme God, whose limbs are seen spread as this whole universe:
m膩y膩峁� tu 辫谤补办峁泃颈峁� vidy膩nm膩yina峁� ca mahe艣varam |
tasy膩vayavabh奴taistu vy膩pta峁� sarvamida峁� jagat || [9]
It is also suggested here that by the meditation upon the God, unification and the identification with him one can get liberated from this 惭腻测腻:
tasy膩bhidhy膩n膩d yojan膩ttattvabh膩v膩d bh奴ya艣c膩nte vi艣vam膩y膩ni惫峁泃迟颈岣� || [10]
Even though 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测辞辫补苍颈峁诲 has no reference of 惭腻测腻, in Gaudap膩da鈥檚 碍腻谤颈办腻蝉 and in 艢补峁卥补谤补鈥檚 commentary it is highlighted much. In Epics and 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 also 惭腻测腻 is illustrated as the power of God or the magical power of demons. In 骋墨迟腻 it is said that dwelling in the heart of all beings, the God revolves and confounds them with his 惭腻测腻:
墨艣惫补谤补岣� sarvabh奴t膩n膩峁� h峁沝de艣e'rjuna ti峁ａ弓hati |
bhr膩mayan sarvabh奴t膩ni yantr膩r奴岣峢膩ni m膩yay膩 || [11]
碍峁涐梗峁嘺 tells Arjuna that 惭腻测腻, His own divine power, having three constituents (骋耻峁嘺蝉), is extremely difficult to get over and those who take refuge in Him alone transgress from this 惭腻测腻:
诲补颈惫墨 hye峁Ｄ� gu峁嘺may墨 mama m膩y膩 诲耻谤补迟测补测腻 |
m膩meva ye prapadyante m膩y膩met膩峁� taranti te || [12]
In 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 惭腻测腻 is used in only one 蝉奴迟谤补:
m膩y膩m膩tra峁� tu k膩rtsnyen膩nabhivyaktasvar奴patv膩t |[13]
艢补峁卥补谤补 the chief exploiter and propagator of the doctrine of 惭腻测腻 make use of the word in his 叠丑腻峁补蝉 profusely. It is observed that 艢补峁卥补谤补 used the term 惭腻测腻 nearly 30 times in Brahma-蝉奴迟谤补产丑腻峁补, 40 times in 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻产丑腻峁补, 60 times in 惭腻峁囜笉奴办测补-办腻谤颈办腻产丑腻峁补, 4 times in 惭耻峁囜笉补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲产丑腻峁补, 4 times in 碍补峁环辞辫补苍颈-峁诲产丑腻峁补, 4 times in 笔谤补艣苍辞辫补苍颈峁诲产丑腻峁补, 3 times in 础颈迟补谤别测辞辫补苍颈峁诲-产丑腻峁补, 3 times in 碍别苍辞辫补苍颈峁诲产丑腻峁补, 2 times in Taittir墨yopani峁d产丑腻峁补 and 2 times in Ch膩ndogyopani峁d产丑腻峁补, and 3 times in B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛akopa-ni峁d产丑腻峁补.[14] It shows that the concept of 惭腻测腻 has an eminent place in Advaita Ved膩nta of 艢补峁卥补谤补.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
mad膩tman膩 gha峁璷 vetti vedmyaha峁� v膩 gha峁乼man膩 | sad膩艣iv膩tman膩 vedi?[脗]ma sa v膩 vetti mad膩tman膩 | n膩n膩bh膩vai岣� svam腻迟尘腻na峁� j膩nann膩ste 蝉惫补测补峁� 艣颈惫补岣� | 艢颈惫补诲峁涐梗峁璱, 5.105-106,109.
[2]:
[3]:
sv膩mina艣c膩tmasa峁僺thasya bh膩vaj膩tasya bh膩sanam | astyeva na 惫颈苍腻 tasm膩dicch膩mar艣a岣� pravartate || 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻-办腻谤颈办腻, 136 1.5.10.
[4]:
Vide Pandit, B.N., 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻办腻谤颈办腻 of Utpaladeva, Verses on the Recognition of the Lord, Muktabodha Indological Research Institute, New Delhi, 2004, p. 59.
[5]:
[6]:
Utpala doesn鈥檛 use straightly the word omnipresent (厂补谤惫补惫测腻辫墨) in his 碍腻谤颈办腻蝉. But it is clear that the external manifestation renders the various objects that shine within him by his will. The K膩rik膩: bh膩ntamev膩ntarath膩?[峁俔ghamicchay膩 bh膩sayedbahi岣� | 1.6.7.
[7]:
罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补, 1.60.
[8]:
[9]:
[10]:
brahma v膩 idamagra eva 膩s墨t | 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.4.1.
[11]:
[12]:
sa yathokta 腻迟尘腻 paryag膩tpari samant膩dag膩dgatav膩n膩k膩艣avadvy膩p墨tyartha岣� | 艣耻办谤补峁� 艣耻诲诲丑补峁� jyoti峁add墨ptim膩nityartha岣� | ak膩yama艣ar墨ro li峁単a艣ar墨ravarjita ityartha岣� | avra峁嘺m ak峁tam | asn膩vira峁� sn膩v膩岣� 艣颈谤腻 yasminna vidyanta ityasn膩viram | avra峁嘺masn膩viramityabhy膩峁� sth奴la艣ar墨ra辫谤补迟颈峁诲丑补岣� | 艣耻诲诲丑补峁� nirmalamavidy膩malarahitamiti 办腻谤补峁嘺艣补谤墨谤补- 辫谤补迟颈峁诲丑补岣� | ap膩paviddha峁� dharm膩dharm膩di p膩pavarjitam | IUSB, 8.
[13]:
yadv膩c膩 anabhyudita峁� yena v膩gabhyudyate | tadeva brahma鈥� || 碍别苍辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.5-8.
[14]:
碍补峁环辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.2.16, 17 & 22.