(8) Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies Vol. 53,No.2, March 2005
On the Proof of the Identity of the Self with the Lord in
the Pratyabhijna School
Yohei KAWAJ I RI
0. Introduction For the followers of the Pratyabhijna school who uphold the doc-trine that the world and persons are no more than the play of the power of the Lord, how to prove the identity of the 1, whose essence is the Self (atinun), with the Lord (isvara) is a fundamental problem.
The aim of this paper is to show how Abhinavagupta (ca. 975-1025) proves the identity of the Self with the Lord and to make clear why he considers knowledge and action, the properties of the Self, to be the most essential logical reasons for the proof of the identity at issue. In order toachieve such an aim, I take up Ab-hinavagupta's Isvarapratvabhijiiavimarsini, a commentary on Utpaladeva"s (ca. 925-975) Isvaraprat'vahhij`lukuriku.
1. Two kinds of proofs In commenting on the introductory part (upodghuta) of the work by Utpaladeva, Abhinavagupta presents two kinds of proofs based on the vvahhavahetu defined by Dharmakirti (ca. 600-660)') in proof of the identity in question: The first is meant for those who are acquainted with the Lord; the second is meant for those who are not acquainted with Him.
The first proof Abhinavagupta offers is as follows: This knowing subject should be called the Lord (isvara);
Because it is in union with the power of knowledge and that of action; Just as the Lord who is well known in the Purunu, Againa and others.')
While the Lord who is well known in the Purana,Agama and others is omniscient and omnipotent, the knowing subject, whose essence is the Self, is not. Conse-quently, it follows that there is a difference between knowledge and action of the former and those of the latter, so that the objection may be raised that the knowing subject is distinguished from the Lord. Howeverthis objection is rebutted: Both are not distinguished from each other because they are equally free to know and act,
(9) On the Proof of the Identity of the Self with the Lord in the
Pratyabhijna School (Y. KAWAJIRI)
just as fire is not distinguished from a spark of fire even if they are distinguished from each other with respect to the state of being fire, because they have the same essential property of burning something.') Therefore, it is rational to present the above-mentioned proof, the one based on the Self being in union with knowledge and action, for the sake of those who are acquainted with the Lord.
However it is not proper to do so for the sake of those who are not acquainted with Him. For, they do not know the Lord given as an example in this proof, in consequence of which they cannot consider theirknowledge and action as the prop-erties of the Lord. Through this proof, they cannot arrive at the conclusion that they are nothing but the Lord. Thus, Abhinavagupta has to show another proof including the example which is well known even to them.
The second proof Abhinavagupta intends to offermay be formulated as follows: Whoever knows and acts in a particular field isthe lord (isvara) of it, as, e.g., a king; The Self knows and acts in the phenomenal world;
[Therefore the Self is the lord of the phenomenal world].')
By means of interpreting the word 'isvarcc' notas a'Lord' but as a 'lord', Abhi-navagupta establishes the relation of universalconcomitance (vyapti) between sover-eignty (aisvarya), which consists in omniscience and omnipotence,') and the proper-ties of being a knower and an actor. It is to be noted that he confirms it by using examples like a king. The king is commonly accepted as a knower and an actor in his kingdom and as the lord of it. Thus, for those who are not acquainted with the Lord also, it is established through this proofthat one who knows and acts has, the sovereignty, namely that he/she is the Lord.
2. Five kinds of proofs Abhinavagupta presents five kinds of proofs in another section." In these proofs, what is to be provenis that the Self has sovereignty, the property of being a pervader (vyapitva) and eternity (nityatva). These properties be-long to the Lord.') Accordingly, those who are familiar with Him can establish their identity with Him on the basis of these properties, if they are established as belong-ing to the Self. However, for those who are notfamiliar with Him, these properties except that of being a lord are not useful to prove the identity. They do not know them as the properties of the Lord.
3. Conclusion In order to give a proof of the identity of the Self with the Lord,
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On the Proof of the Identity of the Self with the Lord in the Pratyabhijna School (Y. KAWAJIRI)
Abhinavagupta adduces the Self's properties as its logical reasons . Of them, knowl-edge and action are the most essential logical reasons for the proof. For, they are the life of the living being, and nobody can deny the empirical fact that the living being knows and acts. According to the Pratyabhijna school, it is on the basis of the Self's being living that its identity with the Lord is proven.
*1 would like to thank Professor Brendan S. Gillon for correcting my English.
Abbreviations Bhsk: Bhclskari, see IPV. IPK: lsvarapratvabhijncckarika, Torella ed., Roma, 1994. IPV: Isvarapratyabhijnavinmarsini, Iyer and Pandey ed., 1938, 1950, 2vols, Allahabad.[Reprinted 1986: Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass].
1) What is to be noticed is that Abhinavagupta uses the expression 'tanincrtrcinubantdhit-vut' in explaining the relation of universal concomitance in question. Dharmakirti employs this kind of expression in defining a logical reason called svabhuvahetu. Therefore, these proofs presented here are the ones based on thesvabhuvahetu (IPv I p.68,1-3). On. the definitions of the svabhuvahetu in Dharmakirti's work, see Steinkellner, "An Explanation of Dharmakirti's svabhuvahetu Definitions" Festschrift Dieter Schlingloff, 1996. 2) IPV I pp.67,5-68,1. 3) See Bhsk I pp.68,25-69,4 andibid. II p.144,21-26. 4) IPV I p.68,3-5. 5) See IPV I p.68,1-3. 6) These are presented in the IPV2.3.14. See IPV II pp.144,8-146,4. 7) See Bhsk II p.313,22-24.
(Key Words) Isvarapratyabhijnvimarsini, Abhinavagupta, identity, atman, isvara, sv-abhavahetu
(Graduate Student, Hiroshima University)
