ajnAna and jnAna-abhAva in advaita vedAnta

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hari Om,

it is essential to understand that in advaita vedAnta, the concept of ajnAna and jnAna-abhAva are quite distinct. The following are some of the crucial points:

1. ajnAna is both bhAva-vilakshaNa and abhAva-vilakshaNa. jnAna-abhAva is only bhAva-vilakshaNa but not abhAva-vilakshaNa. jnAna-abhAva is an abhAva. 

2. ajnAna is sAkshi-bhAsya. But jnAna-abhAva is pramAtri-gamya. jnAna-abhAva is known through vyatirekI-anumAna or arthApatti or anupalabdhi.

3. ajnAna is known in sushupti by sAkshI. The jnAna-abhAva of sushupti is not known through anupalabdhi. The jnAna-abhAva of sushupti is known by waker through vyatirekI-anumAna or arthApatti. [एवमुत्थितस्य ज्ञानाभावपरामर्शोऽपि। ज्ञानविरोधिनोऽज्ञानस्यानुभूततया स्मर्यमाणस्यानुपपत्त्यैव प्रमीयते नानुस्मर्यते।। - VivaraNa]

4. The vyatirekI-anumAna is as under: यत्र यत्र अज्ञानं, तत्र तत्र ज्ञानाभाव:, यन्नैवं तन्नैवम्, यथा घटज्ञानवति (घटज्ञानाभावाभाववति) मयि घटाज्ञानं  नास्ति (घटाज्ञान-अभाव: अस्ति). Here, the hetu/vyApya is ajnAna and sAdhya/vyApaka is jnAna-abhAva. The anumAna works by showing vyApti between sAdhya-abhAva and hetu-abhAva. [पूर्वकालेऽहं, गजज्ञानाभाववान्, गजाज्ञानवत्त्वात् , यन्नैवं तन्नैवम् , यथा गजज्ञानवानहमिति, एवं सर्वत्राज्ञानस्य ज्ञानाभावव्याप्यत्वेन तदनुमापकत्वम् । - Advaita Siddhi]

5. While (aparoksha-jnAna)-abhAva can be known through aforesaid means, (paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva is known through an anumAna wherein paroksha-jnAna-sAmagrI-viraha is hetu. The aforesaid vyatirekI-anumAna does not apply in case of (paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva.

6. jnAna-abhAva is an atyanta-abhAva. It is precisely depicted as ज्ञानत्व-रूप-सामान्य-धर्म-अवच्छिन्न-प्रतियोगिताक-यावत्-विशेषज्ञान-अत्यन्त-अभावकूट.

7. ajnAna is capable of causing AvaraNa of Brahman on account of being abhAva-vilakshaNa. jnAna-abhAva is not capable of causing AvaraNa of Brahman being an abhAva.

8. aparoksha-jnAna removes ajnAna and consequently ensures removal of (aparoksha-jnAna)-abhAva. aparoksha-jnAna, however, does not automatically result in (paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva. (paroksha-jnAna)-abhAva is inferred from anumAna whose hetu is paroksha-jnAna-sAmgrI-viraha. [अथापरोक्षतो ज्ञातेऽज्ञानाभावात् कथं परोक्षज्ञानाभावानुमानम् ? सामग्रीविरहादिनेति गृहाण । - Advaita Siddhi]

9. When ajnAna is stated by BhAshyakAra as jnAna-abhAva, viparIta-jnAna and samshaya-jnAna, the aforesaid distinctions of ajnAna and jnAna-abhAva should be kept in mind. Here, ajnAna refers to that which causes AvaraNa. jnAna-abhAva, viparIta-jnAna and samshaya-jnAna cannot cause AvaraNa.[तस्मात् सुषुप्तादौ स्वरूपानवभासव्यवहारः अग्रहणमिथ्याज्ञानतत्संस्कारकर्मभ्यः अन्यदेव किंचित् प्रतिबन्धकं अज्ञानं कल्पयतीत्यर्थः - VivaraNa]

10. ajnAna is an aparoksha-vishaya. jnAna-abhAva is a paroksha-vishaya.[ननु ज्ञानाभावविषयः अयमवभासः, न;अपरोक्षावभासत्वात् - VivaraNa]

11. ajnAna-jnAna is an aparoksha-jnAna as the vishaya of this jnAna, namely ajnAna, is aparoksha-vishaya. jnAna-abhAva-jnAna is a paroksha-jnAna as the vishaya of this jnAna, namely jnAna-abhAva, is a paroksha-vishaya.

Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.