Sambodhi 1984 Vol 13 and 14

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, Ramesh S Betai, Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 94

Avidya-its afraya and visaya
Sarvajñatma Muni draws a distinction between adhisthana (basis) and adhara (support). Brahman that underlies all illusions is the true adhisthana while Brahman as associated with a false ajilāna is a false adhāra. It is only the false adhāra that appears in the illusory appearance, while the real basis (adhisthana) lies untouched. Sarvajñatia Muni does not want to give the same degree of importance to Māyā or Avidyā as he gives to Brahman in the creation of the world. Brahman in association with avidyā is not the cause of the world; avidya is only dvara-kārana (intermediary cause) without which creation is certainly impossible, but which has 110 sliare in the ultimate cause that underlies all world-appearance,
Padmapada, an immediate disciple of Sankara, clearly says that mithyajiana (mithya-ajñana) in Sankara's Adhyāsa-bhāsya signifies an indefinable force or potency of avidyā (avidya-sakti) which is material in character, and it is this potency that is the stuff or material cause of the world-apperance.?! Padmapada has not clearly stated whether Avidyā has Braliman as both its locus and object. He only says that avidya is conceived in the individual soul as obstructing the light which is the true nature of Brahman. Could he have regarded the jiva as the locus ? But Prakasatman commenting on Padmapāda's Pancapädika clearly states that Bralıman is both the locus and object of avidya. Padmapada says that Brahman associated with maya is the cause of the world-appearance. That on which the world-appearance is manifested, viz. Brahman must be recognised as the cause??. Prakasatman puts forth three alternativc explanations in this respect : (a) Like two twisted threads in a rope, Brahman and mayā are together the joint cause of the world; (b) that which has māyī as its power is the cause, and (c) Brahman which has maya supported on it is the cause. But in all these the causality rests with Brahman as māyā is dependent on it.
Vidvāranya distinguishes in his Pancadasi between maya and avidya. That which is associated with God is maya, and that which is associated with the jiva is avidya. Maya and avidya are so called according to the purity or impurity of sativa. Brahman reflected in maya is Isvara (God), whereas Brahman as reflected in avidyā is fiva. This force with its three gunas is called Prakrti, the causal body. A vidya has a two-fold functionconcealing and projecting. In its former capacity, it obscures the true nature of the pure self; in the latter, it superimposes a subtle and a gross body on the self. This beginningless avidya--non-discrimnation of
Sambodhi XIII-12