Superb explanation. A must watch
and understand...
And here are my 2 cents of observation...
A
simple and fantastic explanation by Swami Sarvapriyanandaji on the two most important questions
debated in Vedanta philosophy. For the first question regarding the never
ending debate on “एकजीव वा अनेकजीवाः (ekajīva vā anekajīvāḥ
– single soul or multiple souls)“,
he has very beautifully summarized the relativistic explanation that from the
relative standpoint of व्यवहारिक / संवृति सत्य (vyavahārika / saṁvṛti
satya – emperical / phenomenal realm),
multiplicity is true, while from the absolute standpoint of परमार्थिक/ परमार्थ सत्य (paramārthika / paramārtha
satya – ultimate/noumenal realm), singularity is true.
Similarly,
while responding to the second question relating to the आश्रय अविद्यायाः (āśraya avidyāyāḥ – locus of nescience) in terms of another never ending debate viz. जीवाश्रित अविद्या वा ब्रह्माश्रित अविद्या (jīvāśrita avidyā vā
brahmavāśrita avidyā – soul residing nescience
or god/brahman residing nescience), the His Holiness, the Honourable Swamiji has touched upon
about both the viewpoints of the two main branches of दर्शन केवलाद्वैतवेदनातौत्तरमीमाम्सयाः
(darśana kevalādvaitavedanātauttaramīmāmsayāḥ
– philosophy of absolute nondualistic final-gnosis posterior inquiry) viz, the अविच्छेदवाद भामतिप्रस्थानसंप्रदायस्य (avicchedavāda
bhāmatiprasthānasaṃpradāyasya -
limitation doctrine of bhamati-treatise-tradition), as well as the प्रतिबिंबवाद विवरणप्रत्शानसंप्रदायस्य (pratibiṃbavāda vivaraṇapratśānasaṃpradāyasya – reflection
doctrine of vivarna-treatise-tradition).
As explained by Swamiji (@ time-frame 10:50m in the video), although his monastic order (RKM) belongs to the latter school viz. ईश्वर / ब्रह्मन् (īśvara / brahman – god / divnity) is both the आश्रय च विषय अविद्यायाः (āśraya ca viṣaya avidyāyāḥ – locus and object of nescience) yet he also clarifies that the essential अनिर्वचनीय अविद्यामायायाः (anirvacanīya avidyāmāyāyāḥ - indeterminacy of nescient-paradox) – (Please refer @timeframe 12:39m in the video). However, interestingly, although, as said above, he belongs to the school of ब्रह्माश्रित अविद्यामायायाः (brahmavāśrita avidyāmāyāyāḥ – god-residing locus of nescience), he indirectly opines the जीवाश्रित अविद्यामायायाः (jīvāśrita avidyāmāyāyāḥ - soul-residing locus of nescience) when he concludes by citing the words of another Swamiji (@timeframe 13:04) –
“on this side of enlightenment (on our/Jiva side of enlightenment, there is question but no answer while on the other side (/Brahman side), there is answer but no question.”
By
concluding thus, he seems to reflect that it is in the जीवात्मन् (jīvātman – individual soul) where the question
(doubt) and hence the आश्रय अविद्यायाः (āśraya avidyāyāḥ – locus of nescience) resides.
Personally, I think, he does so to indirectly drive
home the message that the actual differences between the two seemingly
contradicting doctrines are only relative perspectives and not absolute
water-tight compartments. Afterall, as the Veda’s proclaim Truth is One and Sages
express it variously.
