Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Traverses on less trodden path...
There cannot be absolute indentity between Jiva and Brahman because, in that case muncane world of different individual selves will be impossible to conceive on account of inseparability of Jiva from ever liberated supreme Brahman. It also cannot be said that Ātman seems to be different on account of bodily adjuncts but essentially one, because, in that case, just as after destruction of pot its space is also freed, similarly, when body is destroyed every one will be liberated and no nced of means of liberation, consequently no one will try to achieve this goal and whole science of liberation will become purposeless 04 and theory of karma, rebirth etc. collapse to the ground.
If it is said that, on account of Sanskäras (impressions) every fiva is not freed immediately after destruction of the body and becomes object of trasmigration then the question is whether these Sanskaras of individual Jiva are specio-temporal or all-pervading like ether. If they are limited by space and time then the man died at particular place, to say at Citrakūta must born in the same place, because Sańskaras cannot travel from one place to another being inactive and unconscious (because product of unconscious avidyal, Sumskāras cannot also be allpervading because in that case, no place and 10 soul, even liberated, will be free from clutches of all pervading Samskäras and these Sanskaras might bring liberated man back to this mundane world. So, it is not possible to prove the oneness of souls and it is more wise and practical to accept the view of plurality of selves, 6 5
To sum up, Jainas point out that Advaitin's arguments that reality is one without a second, on account of Māyā this world appears as many (vivarta) and this appearant world disappears after destruction of Maya and realisation of Brahman, and Sravana, Manana and Nididhyasana are the means of liberation, are meaningless like discription of the barren woman son, because the existance of non-dual Brahman or Ātman cannot be proved by any available means of knowledge.66
Now, all these objections raised by Jainas are generally found in the writings of Rāmānuja 67 and Madhva. Possible answers are found in
64. S. R. P-1095. 65. S. R. P-1095-6. 66. S. S. P, P-7. 67 Śribhåşya-part-I, ed. Vasudev Shastri Abhyankar, Nirnayasagar Press, Bombay,
1914, P-77-135, 68. Anandatirtha (Madh va)-Māyāvādakhandanam, Pub : T. K. Venkatacarya, Srividya
Printing Press, Kumbhakonam, 1921, P-1-15.