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Vol. XXXVII, 2014
A Critique of 'Avidyāvicāra' of Prof. Nagin G. Shah
59
positive entity is like negative and therefore cannot have any material cause of its own. Again, the illusory object is sad-vilaksana (different from existent) so it cannot have any constituent. Moreover, the opponents continue, when anything is the material cause of other things, the former appears as a constant factor of the latter, but neither the illusory silver not its knowledge appears as ajñāna. The Advaitasiddhi argues in defence that it is not necessary that a cause and effect must necessarily be positive, for the self which is positive entity is neither a cause nor an effect. What is essential for a material cause is that it is persistent in all its effects, 34afcura4 341GH
Thus goes on the arguments. All this has been very admirably, lucidly and perceptively discussed by Prof. Nagin Shah in this book 'Avidyāvicāra'. This is not a place to deal with all those marshalling of the arguments. But Prof. Nagin Shah's grasp of the fundamentals of Indian Philosophy is admirably come through and his works wait for a deeper study and analysis by scholars and students of Indian Philosophy.
