Sambodhi 1982 Vol 11

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 86

Avidya in Vedānta
77
souls devoid
for the time of the awareness
are lying the transmigratory of their nature. 1
Here Sankara equates avidyā with the Prakyti of the Sāṁkhya with this difference that he regards it as dependent on the Lord. Thus Avidyā can be regarded as a material causal potency. Sankara says it has Brahman as its afraya. On the other hand he says that only if this avidya as a causal potency or seminal condition is accepted, could the anutpatti of the released souls be rendered tenable, for there would be no mundane existence for the jīva by whose perfect knowledge this seminal condition is destroyed. This would mean that avidyā bas the jiva for its āfraya and each jiva has its own avidyā which could bring about samsāra and which could be destro; ed by its perfect knov ledge. This explains how the Sankaraites-those who regarded Brahman as the locus of Avidya, as also those who regarded thu jiva as its locus, could both find statements in Sankara's works to support their view. Perhaps this did not matter much for Sankarācārya who concentrated upon showing the Absolute Pure Consciousness as the only Reality. It is evident that the conception of avidya as a cosmic cau al material potency is a derivative one. Causality bas no scope in Absolute Idealism. Yet if sone explanation is to be given from the empirical point of view in crder to explain the Upanişadic passages pertaining to creation, avidya can be represented as a causal potercy to account for the phenomenal world.
Sankara says that the jivas have the same qualities as Išvara, but they are covered or obscured by veils of avidyā, etc. This should mean that avidya bas avarana-sakti or power of concealing. Avidyā has viksepafakti.also inasmuch as it projects unreal appearerces. These two faktis can be said to be related. The true nature of the soul cannot be obscured unless it identifies itself with the adjuncts, body, etc. formed out of name and firm projected by Avidya, and avidyā cannot project these ugless the true cature of the celf is hidden. The followers of Sarkara specifically described Avidyā as having avarana sakti and vikṣepa-fakti and even a distinction was drawn between avidyā and māya on the
____1. यदि वयं स्वतन्त्रां कांचित्प्रागवस्थां जगतः कारणत्वेनाभ्युपगच्छेम, प्रसन्जयम तदा प्रधान कारणवादम् । परमेश्वराधीना त्वियमस्माभिः प्रागवस्था जगतोऽभ्युपगम्यते, न स्वतन्त्रा । सा चावश्याभ्युपगन्तन्या । अर्थवती हि सा । न हि तया विना परमेश्वरस्य स्रष्टत्वं सिध्यति, शक्तिरहितस्य तस्य प्रवृत्त्यनुपपत्तेः । मुक्तानां च पुनरनुत्पत्तिः । कुत:? विद्यया तस्या बीजशक्तेहात । अविद्यात्मिका हि बीजशक्तिरव्यक्तशब्दनिर्देश्या परमेश्वराश्रया मायामयी महासप्तिः. यस्यां स्वरूपप्रतिबोधरहिताः शेरते संसारिणो जीवाः ।
- Br. Sū. ŚB. I. 4.3.