Vidhi of mimamsa

 There are three types vidhi vakyas, injunction statements found in the scriptures. They are apurva vidhi, niyama vidhi and parisankhya vidhi.

Apurva vidhi : when we have a new knowledge gained from a statement, and which is not gained before or / and from any other means than this type of injunction is called as apurva vidhi. The common example said is the statements like “swargakamo yajeta”, one who desires for heaven let him do the fire obulation or “vriheen proshati”, sprinkle the grain with water. In the first statement we gain the knowledge of heaven and also the means to gain it. In the second statement we gain the knowledge that the grains which are to be used for oblation should be sprinkled with water, though this sprinkling does not bring about any  change in the grains; note – not all the grains as srinkled individually, and when it is done collectively not all the grains get wet;but this sprinkling gives what is called an anga apurva, partial virtue (punya).

Niyama vidhi : when there are many ways to do a karma one is prescribed which helps in ruling out / negating the other possible ways. In the karma as we saw before the vrihi, grain is to be used. From this grain the husk has to be removed to get the rice /  barley / wheat etc. for the sacrifice. When there are different possibilities to do this, like - crushing the grain with a stone, removing with the nail, biting the husk with the teeth, running it through the polishing machine etc. then, the veda gives us a statement “vriheen avahanti”, let the grain be beaten to remove the husk. This statement makes it clear the method of removal of husk and so rules out the other methods.

Parisankhya vidhi : when there is a confusion of  two karmas in one place or one karma for two places then accepting one and thereby negating the other is parisankhya vidhi. Example is in the karma of agnichayana, fire receiving ceremony. The clay should be brought to make the bricks ( / pot) for this we should take a horse and a donkey. The place where the hoof print of the horse is placed we should remove the clay and place it on the donkey. After collecting the necessary clay, we should bring the horse and the donkey back. Here there is a statement “imam rashanan agrbhnan amrtasya”, holding the noose string. Now there is confusion, noose of the horse or the donkey or both. To remove this confusion “iti ashva abhidaanim adatte”, with this he cathes the noose string of the horse. This statement makes it clear, only the noose string of the horse should be held thereby negating the noose string of the donkey.

Understanding these vidhi type is important not just to decipher the vedic statements. But also when there is a discussion on the type of vidhi, if any, in the statement of Vedanta, like “atma va are drshtavya shrotavya mantavya nidhidhyasitavya” oh dear, this atma is the one which should be seen, hear to, meditated upon and gain clarity of. Here the suffix (case ending) tavya is used, which denotes an injunction.

Avidya alias Adhyasa

Was in Brindavan for a coule of days, as I was asked by some of the sadhus there I did adhyasa bhashya for them. In that there is a statement in the bhashya, “tam etam evam lakshanam adhyasam panditaa avidya iti  manyante” – that this adhyasa is accepted as avidhya by the knowledgeable people, when I was explaining this as adhyasa and avidya are synonyms and not different.

There was a doubt raised by one of the sadhus. The reason being, many a commentator have explained this avidya as the cause and adhyasa as the effect. But we have not distinguished between both. Here what they say is, avidya is the karana, cause and adhyasa is  the karya, effect. Because we see sometimes that the avidya though exist in the deep sleep state or in the Samadhi state does not cause any trouble but only when we have the adhyasa, its effect, we have trouble.

This idea is not right (though for prakriya sake i am ready to accept anything and everything now J). Because, if the avidya and adhyasa are seen as cause and effect, the whole point is explained by bhagavan bhashyakara himself this adhyasa is avidya and “tat vivekena vastusvarupa avadharanam vidyam ahu” by the right knowledge of this we gain the clarity of the true Self which is called as vidya. Now, if this is what is vidya, e clear knowledge of the adhyasa then we cannot understand avida in anyother  way. Because if we remove the adhyasa through understanding and after removal of it if the avidya still exists, it will because we have not removed the cause but only the effect. Then we will never be able to attain mukti.

To support this view, bhagavan bhashyakara goes on to say, “tam etam avidhyakhyam atmanatmanor itetara adhyasam” – that this that is reffered to as avidya (named as avidya) which is the non-differentibility of the atma from the anatma which is adhyasa. Here He refers to the adhyasa as that which is called avidya. Now, if we say “this boy called rama” in this statement the boy and rama cannot be accepted to be in cause-effect relationship.