Pratyabhijna and Shankara鈥檚 Advaita (comparative study)
by Ranjni M. | 2013 | 54,094 words
This page relates 鈥楥ommon Features of Maya in Pratyabhijna and Advaita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..
Go directly to: Footnotes.
7. Common Features of 惭腻测腻 in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Advaita
As in the concept of ultimate reality, in the notion of 惭腻测腻 in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 and Advaita Ved膩nta hold very similar ideas in spite of there are some basic differences. In these two philosophies 惭腻测腻 is the cause of the world and sufferings. In both systems 惭腻测腻 has a veiling power, by which the ultimate self is unrecognized, and a projecting power, by which the visible world is experienced.
1. 惭腻测腻 as the 艢补办迟颈 of Supreme Lord
In both systems 惭腻测腻 is considered as the power of ultimate reality. In 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 it is a real entity, which has no independent existence from the Supreme Lord.[1] Utpala says this fact repeatedly.[2] In Advaita also 惭腻测腻 is considered as the power of Lord.[3] At the same time it is an illusory principle in the ultimate level.
2. 惭腻测腻 as the Cause of the World
In both systems 惭腻测腻 is considered as the cause of the world. In 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, all manifestations of Lord in the form of diversified universe is described as the effect of 惭腻测腻 or as 惭腻测腻 itself.[4] In Advaita 惭腻测腻 is described as 笔谤补办峁泃颈, the origin of all worldly beings, which have their own names and forms.[5] In both systems 惭腻测腻 is both a principle of creation as well as the creation itself. According to 艢补峁卥补谤补, the empirical world exists as long as the sense experience lasts. This is because of the objective nature of the external universe caused by 惭腻测腻. But in reality there is no creation. It is in terms of Vedic cosmology, 艢补峁卥补谤补 developed the idea of 惭腻测腻 as 艢补办迟颈 as the counterpart of Brahman, who without this dynamic creative energy, is unable to create this manifold, out of himself, and by himself alone.
It is observed that the influence of 膧gamic and T膩ntric tradition is clear in this 艢补办迟颈 concept of 艢补峁卥补谤补. In his work 膧苍补苍诲补濒补丑补谤颈, he addresses this 惭腻测腻 艢补办迟颈 as the supreme power. He traces the 艢补办迟颈 from the point of view of the lower order of knowledge and makes it a connecting link between the 狈颈谤驳耻峁嘺 Brahman and 厂补驳耻峁嘺 Brahman. This divine power 惭腻测腻 projects the phenomenal world of relative reality. Through this power of 惭腻测腻 狈颈谤驳耻峁嘺 Brahman becomes 厂补驳耻峁嘺 Brahman, 莫艣惫补谤补. He, in collaboration with 惭腻测腻, carries out this creative manifold universe. Here 莫艣惫补谤补 is the efficient cause and 惭腻测腻 as the material cause, but never 惭腻测腻 has an independent status.[6]
3. 惭腻测腻 as the Cause of the Bondage
It is believed that the bondage causes for the sufferings of all human beings. It starts from the very origin of the universe itself and continue till the liberation of 闯墨惫补. In both systems 惭腻测腻 is considered as the cause of bondage. According to Advaita, the bondage is due to the presence of ignorance called variously as Avidya, 础箩帽腻苍补 or 惭腻测腻.[7] As this bondage is due to the illusory knowledge or the ignorance of the real Brahman, the annihilation of the same by real knowledge is considered as the liberation.[8] The worldly sufferings including desires, actions, etc. are due to the ignorance.[9] In the empirical existence the effect of bondage is the separate feeling and vision of everything. In 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 also 惭腻测腻 is considered as the cause of bondage.
Utpala defines the bondage as the 厂补峁僺腻谤补 (worldly experience) constituted by all the fruitions:
He also states that this bondage occurs only in the 笔补艣耻产丑腻惫补, where the division of the subject and object is clear.[11] This is already stated that this 笔补艣耻产丑腻惫补 is due to 惭腻测腻.[12] Thus 惭腻测腻 is the cause of bondage in 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 also.
4. 惭腻测腻 as Ignorance
In both Advaita and 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, the principle of 惭腻测腻 is related to ignorance or ignorance itself. In Advaita the term 惭腻测腻 is used as a synonym for 础箩帽腻苍补 or 础惫颈诲测腻.[13] In 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, the effects of 惭腻测腻, called Malas, are considered as ignorance. Here 惭腻测腻 is considered as a synonym to Mala, which is in turn used as a synonym for 础箩帽腻苍补, which is the cause of the worldly experience.[14]
5. 惭腻测腻 as Tirodh膩na艣akti and Vimohin墨艣akti
In both systems, 惭腻测腻 has a hiding tendency, by which the ultimate reality is covered.[15] The adjective 惭腻测腻ndha (blind by 惭腻测腻) is given to the individual self, who is ignorant of the reality.[16] Besides the concealing tendency, in both systems, 惭腻测腻 has a bewildering tendency also. 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 says at a place that all creatures are enticed[17] by 础箩帽腻苍补 and in another place he repeats that all living things are fascinated by 惭腻测腻.[18] Utpala also has stated that 惭腻测腻 is the deluding power of the Lord.[19]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
aha峁僷ratyavamar艣o ya岣� prak膩艣腻迟尘腻pi v膩gvapu岣� | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-办腻谤颈办腻, 1.6.1; prak膩艣avapu峁 prak膩艣am膩trasvabh膩ve p奴rvasiddhe鈥�. | 138 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-vimar艣ini, 叠丑腻蝉办补谤墨, Part II, p. 135; aha峁� j膩n膩mi, 尘补测腻 箩帽腻迟补峁� j帽膩syate ca ityeva峁� svaprak膩艣膩ha峁僷ar膩mar艣aparini峁ａ弓hitameva ida峁� 箩帽腻苍补峁� 苍腻尘补,鈥adaprak膩艣e hi vi艣vam 补苍诲丑补迟补尘补蝉补峁� sy膩t | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-vimar艣ini, 叠丑腻蝉办补谤墨, Part I, p. 71.
[2]:
[3]:
补迟谤腻测补峁� 辫耻谤耻峁岣� sv补测补峁僯yotirbhavati | 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 4.3.9; 腻迟尘腻 蝉惫补辫谤补办腻艣补岣�, svasatt膩y膩峁� prak膩艣avyatirekaviruddhatv膩t prad墨pavat | Advaitasiddhi岣�.
[4]:
[5]:
tasm膩dyadyat kasyacidavabh膩saka峁� tattajjyoti艣艣abden膩bhidh墨yate | tath膩 sati 产谤补丑尘补峁噊'pi caitanyar奴pasya samastajagadavabh膩sahetutv膩dupapanna岣� jyoti艣艣abda岣� | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 1.1.24.
[6]:
[8]:
ap奴rv膩rthanirm膩峁嘺j帽膩nas膩marthy膩t ca vikalpa eva sarvasya 蝉补谤惫补箩帽补迟惫补峁� sarvakart峁泃va峁� ca sphu峁璦m | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩办腻谤颈办腻-惫峁泃迟颈, 1.6.11.
[9]:
[10]:
惭耻峁囜笉补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.1.9.
[11]:
yattu 产谤补丑尘补峁噊 vi箩帽腻苍补峁� 鈥�. na tatk膩ra峁嚹乶tarasavyapek峁m | nityasvar奴patv膩t sarvabh膩v膩n膩峁� ca ten膩vibhakta-de艣ak膩latv膩tk膩l膩k膩艣膩dik膩ra峁嘺tv膩cca nirati艣ayas奴k峁atv膩cca | na tasy膩nyadavij帽eya峁� 蝉奴办峁补峁� 惫测补惫补丑颈迟补峁� 惫颈辫谤补办峁涐梗峁璦峁� 产丑奴迟补峁� bhavadbhavi峁adv膩sti | tasm膩t蝉补谤惫补箩帽补峁� tadbrahma | 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测辞辫补苍颈峁诲-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 2.1.1; asti t膩vadbrahma nitya艣uddhabuddhamuktasvabh膩va峁�, 蝉补谤惫补箩帽补峁� 蝉补谤惫补艣补办迟颈samanvitam | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 1.1.1; 鈥�. sarvaj帽asvar奴pa鈥�. | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 1.1.2;.鈥� sarvaj帽膩danyata岣� 鈥�. | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 1.1.3; tadbrahma 蝉补谤惫补箩帽补峁� 蝉补谤惫补艣补办迟颈 jagadutpattisthitilayak膩ra峁嘺m | 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补-艣腻峁卥补谤补-产丑腻峁补, 1.1.4.
[12]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.5 & 3.6.
[13]:
叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 3.9.28.
[14]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 3.6.
[15]:
艣iva艣cid膩nandaghana岣� | 莫艣惫补谤补pratyabhij帽膩-办腻谤颈办腻, 4.14.
[16]:
[17]:
Sarma, L.N., op.cit., p. 191.
[18]:
[19]:
n膩yam腻迟尘腻 pravacanena labhyo na medhay膩 na bahun膩 艣rutena | yamaive峁 v峁涐箛ute tena labhyastasyai峁 腻迟尘腻 viv峁涐箛ute sv膩峁� tan奴m || KU, 1.2.23; 惭耻峁囜笉补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 3.2.3.