Māyāvādakhaṇḍanam (मायावादखण्डनम्)

मायावादखण्डनम्

Refutation of the Doctrine of Illusion

नरसिंहोखिलाज्ञानमतध्वान्तदिवाकरः । जयत्यमितसज्ज्ञानसुखशक्तिपयोनिधिः ॥

Narasimha, the sun that dispels the darkness of all doctrines of ignorance, triumphs—the ocean of immeasurable true knowledge, bliss, and power.

‘विमतम् अनारम्भणीयम् अन्यथाप्रतिपादकत्वात्, यदित्थं तत्तथा, यथा सम्प्रतिपन्नम्।’

“The subject under dispute ought not to be undertaken, because it presents matters otherwise. Whatever is of this kind is so, as in the case of what is agreed upon.”

न हि ब्रह्मात्मैक्यस्य याथार्थ्यं तत्पक्षे । अद्वैतहानेः स्वरूपातिरेके । अनतिरेके स्वप्रकाशत्वादात्मनः सिद्धसाधनता । निर्विशेषत्वादात्मनो नानधिगतो विशेषः । सिद्धत्वाद् स्वरूपस्य विशेषाभावाच्च नाज्ञानं कस्यचिदावरकम् ।

For, on that position, the identity of Brahman and the self is not real: if it is distinct from essential nature, nonduality is abandoned; if it is not distinct, then, because the self is self-luminous, there is the establishment of what is already established. Because the self is devoid of attributes, there is no previously unapprehended attribute. And because the essential nature is already established and there is no attribute, ignorance does not obscure anything whatsoever.

‘अनधिगतार्थगन्तृ प्रमाणम्’

“A valid means of knowledge is that which apprehends a previously unapprehended object.”

इति च तन्मतम् ।

And thus is their position.

अज्ञानासम्भवादेव तन्मतम् अखिलमपाकृतम् । मिथ्यात्वे चैक्यस्यातत्त्वावेदकत्वमागमस्य स्यात् । सत्यता च भेदस्य । एवमेव प्रयोजनमपि निरस्तम् । स्वरूपत्वात् मोक्षस्य पूर्वमेव सिद्धत्वात् । अज्ञानासम्भवेन चतुर्थप्रकाराभावात् पञ्चमप्रकारताऽपि निरस्ता । विषयप्रयोजनाभावादेव अधिकारी च । तदभावादेव सम्बन्धोऽपि ।

Precisely because ignorance is impossible, that doctrine is entirely refuted. And if unity were false, scripture would communicate what is unreal, while difference would be real. In precisely the same way, the purpose too is ruled out, because liberation is the essential nature and is already established. Since the fourth type is absent owing to the impossibility of ignorance, even the status of being a fifth type is ruled out. The qualified person too is ruled out precisely because subject matter and purpose are absent; and the relation too, precisely because that person is absent.

‘द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च । क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥’ (भ.गी.१५.१६)

There are these two puruṣas in the world: the perishable and, indeed, the imperishable. All beings are the perishable; the unchanging one is called the imperishable.

‘उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥’ (भ.गी.१५.१७)

But the highest Person is another, declared to be the Supreme Self—the immutable Lord who, having entered the three worlds, sustains them.

‘यस्माद् क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥’ (भ.गी.१५.१८)

Since I have transcended the perishable and am superior even to the imperishable, I am therefore renowned in the world and in the Veda as the Supreme Person.

‘यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् । स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥’ (भ.गी.१५.१९)

Whoever, undeluded, knows me thus as the Supreme Person is a knower of all and worships me with his entire being, O Bhārata.

‘इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ । एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान् स्यात् कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥’ (भ.गी.१५.२०)

Thus this most secret teaching has been declared by me, O sinless one. Having understood this, one would become wise and one who has done what was to be done, O descendant of Bharata.

‘इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिः बुद्धेरात्मा महान् परः ॥’(कठ.१.३.१०)

The sense objects are indeed higher than the senses, and the mind is higher than the sense objects; but the intellect is higher than the mind, and the great self is higher than the intellect.

‘महतः परमव्यक्तम् अव्यक्तात् पुरुषः परः । पुरुषान्न परं किञ्चित् सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः ॥’(कठ.१.३.१०)

The unmanifest is higher than the Great; the Person is higher than the unmanifest. Nothing is higher than the Person. That is the ultimate limit; that is the highest goal.

‘भूम्नः क्रतुवज्ज्यायस्त्वं तथा च दर्शयति’(ब्र.सू.३.३.५९) ।

The complete aggregate is superior, as in the case of a sacrificial rite; and scripture likewise indicates this.

इति विष्णोः पुरुषोत्तमत्वमेव सर्वशास्त्रार्थत्वेन भगवता श्रुत्या चाभिहितम् । इति सर्वज्ञमुनिना मायावादतमोऽखिलम् । निरस्तं तत्त्ववादेन सतां संशयनुत्तये ॥

Thus, Viṣṇu’s status as the Supreme Person alone has been stated by the Lord and by Śruti as the purport of all śāstras. Thus, the omniscient sage has entirely dispelled the darkness of Māyāvāda by Tattvavāda, for the removal of the doubts of the virtuous.

नास्ति नारायणसमं न भूतं न भविष्यति । एतेन सत्यवाक्येन सर्वार्थान् साधयाम्यहम् ॥(म.भा.१.१.३४)

There is none equal to Nārāyaṇa; none has ever been, nor will there be. By this true statement, I accomplish all aims.

इति श्रीमदानन्दतीर्थभगवत्पादाचार्यविरचितं मायावादखण्डनम् ॥

Thus ends the Refutation of Māyāvāda, composed by the venerable Ānandatīrtha Bhagavatpādācārya.