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Symbiosis, Paradoxes, and Dialectics: a Narrative of the Non-Dual Path in the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi

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Abstract

This paper investigates the interplay of language, concepts, and reason in treading the non-dual path of Śaṅkara in the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi. This paper claims that in order to gain the non-dual insight, the language and concepts in the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi require to pass through three intermingling phases, namely, a symbiosis of language and concepts leading to understanding, a paradox of concepts and reality leading to sublation, and a dialectical reasoning on the opposing conceptual categories leading to a meta-language (beyond language, unspeakable) and meta-concept (beyond concept, inexpressible). The reality depicted through language and its nets is an obstruction of the reality per se, and therefore, in the text Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, language and concepts irreplaceably pass through the phases of symbiosis, paradoxes and dialectics and reveal the reality sans language genus of worldy enterprises. In this way, in the text Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, language kicks out itself from the general metaphysical structure to be a scaffolding of the reality per se.

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Notes

  1. Śaṅkara who had definite and coherent stand on many problems concentrated specially on metaphysical and religious issues. In his Brahmasūtra Bhāṣya (II.I and II), Śaṅkara offers solutions to a number of philosophical problems raised by his opponents, namely, Yoga, Sāṅkhya, Vaiśeṣika, Jaina, Buddhist, and Bhāgavata. Cf. Devaraja (1970).

  2. Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya of Śaṅkarācārya, Gambhīrānanda Swāmī (tr.), (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2009), 6.

  3. “tu tat samanvayāt,” Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya of Śaṅkarācārya…, 20–21.

  4. “Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad” in The Upaniṣads: A New Translation, Nikhilānanda Swāmī (tr.), Vol. 3 (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2008). Cf. also Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya of Śaṅkarācārya…, 862.

  5. The question of authorship is a unsettled problem, and the present author considers that any discussion on the authorship is not within the scope of this article. However, this author is in agreement with the contemporary view that upholds the non-dualistic nature of the text Vivekacūḍāmaṇi. Thus, all references to non-dualism in this text indirectly refer to Śaṅkara, who is the most celebrated proponent of Advaita Vedānta. The author elaborately takes up the issue of authorship in his forthcoming paper titled “Who is the author of Vivekacūḍāmaṇi?”

    The Vivekacūḍāmaṇi or the ‘Crown Jewel of Discrimination’ is in the form of dialogue between a guru (teacher) and śiṣya (pupil) in which the śiṣya humbly approaches the guru and having propitiated the guru with selfless service (seva), implores to be rescued from worldly existence (saṃsāra). The guru, having pleased and convinced of the earnestness of the student and his qualifications, promises to teach him the way to liberation (mokṣa) which culminates in the ecstatic experience of one’s own self. For details Cf. Grimes (2004).

  6. I am indebted to Arvind Sharma who has acknowledged same idea in his article on anubhava and quoted from Werner (2005). Sharma applies this term in relation to doctrine and experience. But I do not completely agree with the manner in which this word is used by Sharma. According to the present study, experience in Advaita comes only at the later stage, when the doctrines are not recognized. Therefore, according to me, this term should be applied between doctrine and practice or language and concepts. In the present paper, this term refers to the latter.

  7. “ataḥ paraṁ brahma sad advitīyaṁ viśuddhaṁ-Vijñāna-ghanaṁ nir-añjanaṁ; praśāntam ādy’anta-vihīnam akriyaṁ nirantar’ānanda-rasa-svarūpam (Therefore, this universe is the supreme Brahman itself, the real, the one without a second, pure, the essence of knowledge, the taintless, pacified, devoid of beginning and end, beyond activity, the essence of bliss absolute)” (VC: 237). Henceforth, for all the quotations on Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, see Vivekacūḍāmaṇi of Śaṅkarācārya, Swāmī Mādhavānanda (tr.), (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2005; first published 1921)…, 92.

  8. Idaṁ tayā Brahma sadaiva rūpyate, tvāropitaṁ brahmani nāmamātram. VC: 236.

  9. Ataḥ pṛthaṅ nāsti jaganparātmanaḥ. See verse 235 in Vivekacūḍāmaṇi of Śaṅkarācārya, Swāmī Mādhavānanda (tr.) and verse 237 in Vivekacūḍāmaṇi of Śrī Śaṁkara Bhagavatpāda, Sankaranarayanan (2008).

  10. samāhitāyāṁ sati citta-vṛttau parāvmani brahmaṇi nirvikalpe; na dṛśyate kaścid ayaṁ vikalpaḥ prajalpa-mātraḥ pariśiṣyate yataḥ. VC: 398; see also VC: 404, 464–473, and 478.

  11. dehendriya-prāṇa-mano’ahamādayaḥ; vyomādi-bhūtāny’akhilaṁ ca viśvam avyakta-paryantam idaṁ hy’anātmā. VC: 122; see also VC: 123.

  12. Most of the verses of Vivekacūḍāmaṇi speak of non-dual Brahman as “one without a second.” See the following verses: 110, 237, 238, 251, 252, 266, 351, 353, 354, 362, 377, 393, 397, 399, 400–402, 412, 454, 464–470, 478,486, 492, 493, 510, 512–516, 523–526, 554, 557, 570, 571, 573, and 580.

  13. “Gauḍapāda Kārikā” in The Upaniṣads: a New Translation, Swāmī (2008a).

  14. An echo of Muṇḍaka Up. II. ii. 11: “That immortal Brahman alone is before, that Brahman is behind, that Brahman is to the right and left. Brahman alone pervades everything above and below; this universe is that Supreme Brahman alone.” “Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad” in The Upaniṣads: a New Translation, Swāmī (2008b).

  15. “yatra nānyat paśyati nānyac chṛṇoti nānyad vijānāti sa bhūmā; atha yatr anyat paśyati anyac chṛnoti anyad vijānāti tad alpam; yo vai bhūmā tad amṛtam, atha yad alpaṁ tan martyam; sa, bhagavaḥ, kasmin pratiṣṭhita iti; sve mahimni, yadi vā nairātmyavāda mahimnīti.” Chā. Up. VII. xxiv. 1.

  16. Kaṭha. Up. II. Ii. 11, Bṛh. Up. II. iv. 14, Muṇḍaka Up. II. ii, Chāndogya Up. VI. Xiv., etc.

  17. VC: 251, 385, 390, and 391.

  18. VC: 252, 266, 351, 362, 377, and 387.

  19. mām uddhar’ātmīya-kaṭākṣa-dṛṣṭyā ṛjvyāti-kāruṇya-sudhābhivṛṣṭyā. VC: 35b.

  20. Durvāra-saṁ sāra-davāgni-taptaṁ dodhūyamānaṁ duradṛṣṭa-vātaiḥ; bhītaṁ prapannaṁ paripādhi mṛtyoḥ śaraṇyam anyad yad ahaṁ na jāne. VC: 36.

  21. The Vākyapadīya of Bhartṛhari with the vṛtti, Iyer (1965).

  22. John Grimes, Perspectives on Religious Discourse, 22, 52.

  23. A.K Chatterjee, “Metaphysics, Subjectivity and Myth” in The Indian Philosophy Congress, Hyderabad, Osmania University, 1971, 31–32, as quoted in Sebastian (2006).

  24. Śṛṇṣv’āvahito vidvan yan mayā samudīryate; tad-etad-śravanādi sadyo bhava-bandhād vimokṣyase. VC: 68.

  25. Francis X. Clooney, Theology After Vedānta, 78 (1993).

  26. Kanti Lal Das, “Editorial Note” in Language and Reality, Das and Basak (2006).

  27. The projecting power (vikṣepaśakti) which is of the nature of activity, projects power of rajas, where by one gets entangled with lust, anger, avarice, arrogance, spite, egoism envy, jealousy, and the like. This entraps man into repeated cycle of birth and death (VC: 111–113).

  28. Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya of Śaṅkarācārya…, 1.

  29. John Grimes, Vivekacūḍāmaṇi of Śaṅkarācārya Bhagavatpāda, 33; Cf. also Stephen Kaplan, “Vidyā and Avidyā: Simultaneous and Coterminous?…, 178.

  30. ChU. III.15

  31. BSB. I.1.5, 20–21; I.2.8–9, 11 and 13; I.2.1; IV.1.3.

  32. SB, ChU. IV.14: 2–3.

  33. BṛU. IV.4.22; BSB I. i. 20.

  34. VC: 388.

  35. The state of yogāruḍha is described in Gītā, VI. 4 “When one is attached neither to sense objects nor to actions, and has given up all desires, then he is said to be yogāruḍ ha.”

  36. avijñate pare tattve śāstr’ādhītis tu niṣphalā; vijñāte’api pare tattve śāstr’ādhītis tu niṣphalā. VC: 59.

  37. The main argument for the non-origination (all is aja) and that origination of anything cannot be demonstrated as follows: the non-existent cannot have the non-existent for its cause nor the existent have the non-existent for its cause. The existent cannot be the effect of the existent nor can the existent be the effect of the non-existent. See, Colin A. Cole, Asparśa-Yoga…, 41.

  38. Colin A. Cole, Asparśa-Yoga…, 39.

  39. Brahmasūtras According to Śaṅkara, Swami Vireswarananda (tr.), BSB II. 2. 28, p. 197.

  40. VC: 230–232.

  41. nirguṇaṁ niṣkalaṁ sūkṣmaṁ nirvikalpaṁ nirañjanam; ekam ev’ādvayaṁ brahma ne’ha nān’āsti kiñcana. VC: 468; also see, VC: 464–470.

  42. Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad XII.

  43. It is not the void of the nihilists, because this void cannot be conceived without consciousness. A chemical is used to remove impurities from water; after destroying the impurities, the purifying agent also disappears, leaving only pure water. The whole spiritual discipline consists in negating one imaginary image by another, and its process continues till the last trace of imagination is eliminated, leaving behind the self-luminous reality.

  44. Here, the term meta-language and meta-concept should be understood in Aristotelian sense. It points out to something after or beyond language. However, these terms do not deny language at this phase. These terms point out to a distinct sensibility at this phase which goes beyond the realm of speakability. The distinct type of non-dual existence communicates itself by one’s own manner of existence to the aspiring self.

  45. “Ahaṁ padārthas-tv’aham-ādi-sākṣi nityaṁ suṣuptāvapi bhāvadarśanāt; brūte hy’ajo nitya iti śrutiḥ svayaṁ tat pratyagātmā sad-asad-vilakṣaṇaḥ.” VC: 294.

  46. C. D. Sebastian, “Language and Mind: A Mādhyamika Perspective” in Language and Mind: The Classical Indian perspective, Vol. 2, K. S. Prasad (ed.), 46 (2008).

  47. John Grimes, Perspectives on Religious Discourse, 66.

  48. Aparapratyayaṃ śāntaṃ prapañcairaprapañcitaṃ nirvikalpamanānārthametattattvasya lakṣaṇam. MāK 18:9 in. Nāgārjuna: A translation of his Mūlamadhyamakakārikā with an Introductory Essay, Inada (1993).

  49. Miśra, Ganeśwar, Language Reality and Analysis: Essays on Indian Philosophy, Mohanty (1990).

  50. “vikāriṇāṁ sarva-vikāra-vettā nitya’avikāro bhavituṁ samarhati; manoratha-svapna-suṣuptiṣu sphuṭam punaḥ punaḥ dṛṣṭam asattvam etayoḥ.” VC: 295.

  51. Colin A. Cole, Asparśa-Yoga…, 42.

  52. “buddhir vinaṣṭā galitā pravṛttiḥ brahm’ātmanor ekatay’ādhigatyā; idaṁ nairātmyavāda jāne’apy’anidaṁ nairātmyavāda jāne kiṁ vā kiyad vā sukham asty’apāram.” VC: 481.

  53. In spite of the nature of these restrictions of description, positively, Brahman is eternal and infinite non-dual reality. It is the self-luminous light, pure consciousness, infinite bliss, and tranquility. This description is in essence of the definition of Brahman as Sat, Cit, and Ānanda.

  54. nābhāvaḥ upalabdheḥ. BS. II. 2. 28.

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  1. General Fellow (ICPR), Department of Philosophy, Goa University, Panaji, 403206, Goa, India

    Walter Menezes

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Menezes, W. Symbiosis, Paradoxes, and Dialectics: a Narrative of the Non-Dual Path in the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi. J. Indian Counc. Philos. Res. 33, 137–149 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-015-0037-3

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