Adwait Dipika Part 02

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

Page 8

( III ) etc., state that the universe does not exist. The text, Vidvan etc., states that the universe of name and form disappears with the dawning of Brahman-consciousness. The dualists, however, are not prepared to accept the aforesaid interpretation of the text in view of the fact that perception does not corroborate the literal interpretation of these texts and as such they try to discover a secondary meaning so that compatibility of the results made available is reached. The monists however put greater weight on the authority of Sruti texts as they are not of human but divine origin. An erroneous cognition is explained differently in the different systems of Indian philosophy. The Naiyayikas explain it as anyathakhyati. Silver cognised as a piece of shell is in existence elsewhere. The Sankhyaites and the Prabhakaras aver that there is no illusion at all. The incorrect cognition 'this is silver', according to them is not one single cognition; but, it is partly perception and partly recollection. The Buddhists think that it is cognition itself that appears as silver. It is for the Advaitins to adumbrate that what is cognised in error is neither sat nor asat but something that baffles our power of understanding, i.e, anirvacaniya. It serves as an example in the well-known inference of the Advaitins : 'prapancah mithya disyatvat euktirupyavat' which is formulated to prove the unreality of the universe. The author closes the third chapter by proving on the strengh of inference mentioned above as also of sruti texts that God, be He Visnu or Siva, is not real. His qualities, his body