Adṛṣṭa
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The Fifth Chapter of the
Meaning
The Sanskrit term, Adrishta (Sanskrit: अदृष्ट) or Adrsta, as an adjective means - not seen, unseen, unobserved, unforeseen, unknown, invisible, unexpected, not experienced, destiny, fate, luck,[1] not permitted or sanctioned, illegal, virtue or vice as the eventual cause of pleasure or pain.[2] In Hindu philosophy it refers to the unseen force, and the invisible results of works which accrue to a person; it refers to the Doctrine of Apurva.
Mimamsa concept
Adrishta, literally meaning unseen, in the Mimamsa context refers to the invisible result of a ritual that accrues to a person, and in the Vaisheshika context, synonymous with Adharma, to the equally invisible negative karmic accrual, as the unknown quality of things and of the soul, and brings about the cosmic order and arranges for soul according to their merits or demerits.[3] Adrishta is all the elements which are not known and verified with the help of the five senses, and which can be realized through mind, intelligence and soul.[4]
Each successive birth or incarnation and its possibilities are determined by the Adrishta and Samskara acquired in the previous incarnations – Adrishta and Samskara, without which the
Vaisheshika concept
The concept of adrsta is discussed in the Vaiśeṣika Sūtra, the main text of the Vaisheshika Hindu school of philosophy, as part of its philosophical discussion on the nature of the universe. After explaining the atomistic cosmology that this school theorizes as the constituents of universe, it focuses on explaining phenomena such as motion and change. These occurrences are attributed to manifestations of adrsta, or invisible forces and fields as causative reasons behind change. Vaiśeṣika scholars explain Adr̥ṣṭa as what intermediates between cause and effect but is not seen.[7][8] The Vaisheshika school also uses Adrsta concept in its formulation of the Karma doctrine.[9]
The term Vaisheshika, appearing only once in Vaisheshika Sutra X.ii.7 and meaning characteristic or distinguishing, according to
- मणिगमनं सूच्यभिसर्पणमदृष्टकारणकम् |
- "The movement of the jewel (and) the approach of the needle, (both) have adrishtam (the invisible consequences of previous acts) as their cause."
The reason of the movement of the jewel is not a particular volition but the efficient cause is the merit of the former possessor or the demerit of the thief. The non-combative cause is its conjunction with soul possessing adrishta (or results of actions in previous states of existence) and the combinative cause is the jewel. Adrishta is also the cause of attraction of the needle towards a loadstone (magnet). Owing to adrishta is the upwards flaming of fire, the sideward motion of air and the actions of atoms at the beginning of creation. Kanada, later on, tells us that even action in earth results from impulse, impact, and conjunction with the conjunct and is caused by Adrishta (Vaisheshika Sutra V.ii.1-2).[10] The fruits or rewards of
tells us –- क्लेशमूलः कर्माशयो दृष्टादृष्टजन्मवेदनीयः (Yoga SutrasII.12)
that obstacles are the breeding ground for tendencies that give rise to actions and the consequences thereof; such obstacles are experienced as visible and invisible obstacles.[12] Swami Prabhavananda translates this sutra as – "A man’s latent tendencies have been created by his past thoughts and actions; these tendencies will bear fruits, both in this life and in lives to come."[13]
Apurva is an epistemic mechanism that indicates knowledge of causal links between acts and their consequences. Sabara discusses this concept in his commentary on the Vaisheshika Sutras, and even claims that by the word codana (Sanskrit: चोदन -meaning precept or rule -the performative element of an injunction) Jaimini really meant Apurva; it is mentioned by Jaimini in passing, as part of purvapaksha argument in Mimamasa Sutra I.ii.9.[14]
Significance
The early Mimamsakas believed in an adrishta that was the result of performing karmas and saw no need for an Ishvara in their system. However, the Atomic Theory which teaches that the world is produced by the successive formation of compounds due to the aggregation of atoms resulting from the motion of atoms, the primary motion brought about by the unseen the Adrishta residing in the primary atoms and residing in the individual souls is rejected by the followers of the Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa) schools:
- उभयथापि न कर्मातस्तदभावः | (Brahma Sutras II.ii.12)
"In either case (viz the Adrishta, the unseen principle, inhering either in the atoms or in the soul) the activity (of the atoms) is not (possible), therefore the negation of that (viz of creation through the combination of atoms)."
The Nyaya-Vaisheshika systems of philosophy derive the conception of moksha from the Upanishads but require a highly developed stage of logical thought, and care more for the instrument of knowledge than for knowledge itself. The Mimamsa system by the very nature of its ritualistic problems does not have much in common with Upanishadic philosophy.[15]
References
- ^ "Sanskrit Dictionary". Spokensanskrit.de.
- ^ Vaman Shivram Apte. The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Digital Dictionaries of South Asia. p. 55.
- ISBN 9780816075645.
- ISBN 9788128812392.
- ISBN 9780895819703.
- ISBN 9781578631483.
- ISBN 978-1898723936, pages 122-123
- ^ "Indian Philosophy :: The "Vaisesika-sutras" Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 24 Nov. 2010.
- ISBN 978-0791403624, page 311-315
- ^ The Sacred Books of the Hindus Vol.VI - The Vaisheshika Sutras of Kanada 1923 Ed. Sudhindra Nath Basu. 1923. pp. 157–161.
- ^ "Bhartrmitra". Vishal Agarwal.
- ^ Patanjali. "Sadhana Pada". International Infopage for Ashtangayoga. Archived from the original on 2014-08-27.
- ^ Patanjali Yoga Sutras. Sri Ramakrishna Math. p. 84. Archived from the original on 2016-12-29. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
- ISBN 9004101543.
- ^ R.D.Ranade (1926). A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy. Bharatiya vidya Bhavan. pp. 139–140.