Adwait Dipika Part 01

Author(s): S Subramanya Shastri
Publisher: Sampurnand Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya

Page 8

Siddhantins also; but by doing so the Absolute Brahman remains as before as it is the Saksin and cannot be disowned. The present work is intended primarily to refute the criticisms found in Nyayasudha, but, it helps us in understading the monistic position in all its pure and pristine glory. It may be mentioned that it is in the works of Nysimhasrama, Madhusudana and Brahmananda that we find a clear and stumbling block to a correct assessment of the monistic veiw. THE WORK The author starts with a discussion about the true, nature of jiva. The Sruti text, 'That thou art ( tat tvam asi) speaks about an identity between thou' (jiva ) and "that ( tat). What is implied by 'thou' ? In ordinary parlance, 'thou', i. e, jiva, the individual self, is understood differently as the physical body, the sense, the vital breath and the mind. But, we are told that the individual self is not any of them for which the expression is sheath or kosa. By a process of elimination we may apprehend the real nature of the Self that transcends all sheaths. The author draws upon a text of the Chandogya Upanisad to show that atman is different from ahankara, the mind. In chapter seven Sanat Kumara initiating Narada into the search for atman mentions (i) the concept of Bhuma Brahman (ii) the identity of 'I' (ahankara ) and (iii) atman. All these three are described as identical with 'all. Now, this is possible only if the three are identical. But, according