ThithikshAsthApinI-Part 4

The purport of profound acceptance in the analysis of the distinction between dEhAtma with reference to GitA bAshya of Adi Shankara Ch2:V14.
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Vādē vādē jāyatē tattva Bodhā: demonstrates the dialectical democracy, given to us to investigate on the truths to attain the Ultimate truth. Tattva Bodhā: to Advaita is not attaining the truth but realizing it’s being. Metaphysical ‘being’ here is Ontological at an initial level to Advaita. It goes beyond Ontology to mean it is beyond Metaphysics too. It is not to be misunderstood for what Advaita explains is a blasphemy of stifle thought, but it has to be apprehended paralyzing presuppositions framed by empirical conditions. Transgression of such empirical conditions is nothing but transcending it vitality, to know that it is not the test of reality. Karma-Jnāna mix is thus refuted by Advaitins to say that karma is not the test of jnāna for the latter alone is real. Sankarācārya, completely disowns karma stating that its reality being focused on jnāna, the former loses its potential to independently serve for being the Ultimate truth. Gita bhāshya 1 refers to ‘Sarva karma samnyāsa purvakāt’ ātma jnānam. Karmas are of six different types. Sarva karma in context refers to all the six types of karmās. They are kāmya karma, nishiddha karma, nitya karma, naimittika karma, prāyascitta karma and Upāsana. Kāmya karma is the Mimāmsa method of Sacrifice for a particular purpose like that of jyothistoma, soma, asvamēdha sacrifices that would yield respective benefits. Slaying of Cows other than for the sacred obligations, slaying of Brāhmana are considered Nishiddha karmās 2. Nitya karmā’s are the daily Sandhya prayers and the panca mahā yagnā’s that a person/ househoulder is supposed to do, and it offers sin if not done. Important, that the twice born must recite the gāyatri mantra in a pure place with all purity in heart. Naimittika karmās 3 are special duties prescribed, like religious karmas – vratās or the expiatory penances designed for a period of time. Upāsana’s are of many types those that are prescribed in the principle Upanishads, meant for the concentration and meditation of certain deity, or a certain mode of practice – the Vidyā’s 4. All these karmās to Advaita are those that yield fruits in some or other manner, unlike Visistādvaita which strictly prescribe the Nitya Naimittika karmās. Advaita Vēdānta gives much satisfactory explanation to the non-performance of such rites, and says that these six fold Karmās are required only for those who need Citta Suddhi and not for all. Surēsvarācārya , immediate disciple of Sankara, affirms to renounce karmas without considering Jnāna-karma mix. In his Naishkarmya Siddhi, Surēsvarācārya catergorically rejects jnāna-karma samuccaya vādins claims. Though he attempts to refute all arguments that are in support of six-karmās as the means for liberation, here it is enough that we prove nitya naimittika karmās alone not as means to Moksa. Visistādvaitins especially Vēdanta Dēsika subscribes to the view that all karmas except Nitya Naimittika are not the means for Liberation in Rahasyatraya sārā. Coming back to Naishkarmya Siddhi, the suthor elaborates; Nitya karma cannot be a Moksa Sādhana since it has the potency to annihilate the Sins alone, though not giving punya. Kāmya Karma apparently cannot give liberation since it yields the fruit o svarga. Jnāna being the cause for ajnāna nivrtti, jnāna utpatthi annihilates the three fold karma (effects) sancita,prārabdha and āgāmya, there is no need for a jnāni to perform the nitya karmās which are intended to remove the sin (duritāksapana). Moreover it is clearly said in the scriptures that performance of such karmās without disowning them after attaining jnāna will end up giving the doer reach the world of Manes 5. At the most nithya naimittika karmās can be considered to have a negative means for its performance prevents and destroys the due sins – pratyavāya parihāra. However giving importance to shruthi passages that stresses on the compulsory duties (nitya-naimittika karmās), Surēsvarācārya, remarks such as a remote aid to Moksa - ārārupākāraka, not the immediate aid. Subsequently ācārya explains the cause for the vairāgya jnāna, stating ‘as a person is afraid of hell, he is afraid of all actions that owes different results’ and so he gains dispassion towards all karmās. ‘suddhya mānam tu tat cittam; Iswarārpitha karmabhi:’ – all karmās are surrendered to God – Hari who gives pure mind and faultless dispassion. Supremacy of Advaita stands here. Further from Naishkarmya siddhi, it is learnt that ācārya frames the eligibility criteria for those whom can renounce all karma inclusive of Nitya-Naimittika karmās. They are those who are Sādhana catustaya sapannā’s 6. The term antahkarana mentioned by our author intends to refer the vrtti – modification of mental mode that aids the cognition of several objects (the dualities). Thus Suddha antahkarna vrtti is that modification which sees no duality but for the reality. Since the reality is only one, ‘ēkam ēvam Advitiyam’ Suddha antahkarana does not modify any more and no vrtti takes place. To account for the realization of the sole reality, the antahkarana vrtti at the previous stage transforms to the akandākāra vrtti, the indivisible modification where the term modification is only figurative, while in actuality it transcends such. Suddha vrtti automatically connotes asuddha vritti as we have already seen that Māyā/avidya is categorically and functionally explained in two terms suddha māyā and asuddha māyā. Thus asuddha vrtti is one, which makes an individual see the duality. Sankarācārya, in his own terms call this sad buddhi and asad buddhi respectively. Ācārya defines the two in lucid terms saying one that is immutable and un-sublatable is known as ‘sad buddhi’ and the other which is mutable and sublatable is ‘asad buddhi’. Thus all processes of attaining cognitions involve these two types of awareness – in ācāryās own words he says this ‘sarvatra dvē buddhi: sarvai: upalabyētē sāmādhikaranē’. From here Sankara proceeds to explain how thithiksa aids to apprehend, the quality of tolerance, in perceiving something that actually exists not. For this Sankarācārya uses the pramāna – anupalabhi (non-existence) with which he establishes Thithiksa to be the means of attaining the Brahman knowledge or in short Liberation.

will continue ...

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1) Gita Bhāsyam Verse 11.0(b)
2) Refer Vāsista Sutra (ii 11) (iv.7) Manu Smrti (xi 98)
3) Chāndrāyana – Baudhāyana Smrti i.x.19
4) Pranavopāsana of Nrsimha tāp.Upanishad by Sankarācārya & Vidyāranya. Madhu or Brahma Vidya – Sri Bāsya (iv.1.4)

5) Br Up (i.v.16) Naishkarmya Siddhi I.26-29.

6) Suddha antahkaranasya utpanna vairāgyasya sarva karma samnyāsē adhikārah NS(I.49)