Doshas of Hetu

What is the difference between sadhyavikalata and sadhanavikalata dosha ?

Before answering this, let us understand that these doshas are often used to point out to the logical fallacy. There are others like bhagasiddhi, vyabhichara etc. too.

To understand these doshas, we have to understand the avavaya – limbs, of the tarka – syllogory. Generally, the logicians accept five limbs in a tarka, we vedantins accept only three, either the first three or the last three of the five limbs.

Pratigna, hetu, udharana are the important limbs.

Pratigna is the aim, where the sadhya – the one we want to prove in the paksha – the place where it needs to be proved is specified. Ex. Parvato vahnimaan, the mountain has fire. Here the mountain is the  

Hetu is the reasoning we give to prove the aim.  Ex. Dhumaat / dhmavatvaat, since it has smoke. Smoke is the pointer which always co-exists when there is fire.

Udharana is the example to prove the reasoning is correct with respect to the aim. Ex. Mahanasavat, like the kitchen. The concomitance ‘where there is smoke there is fire is gained’ from different places, like, kitchen, sacricial fire etc.

In sadhya and sadhanavikalata doshas, vikalata means handicapped or absence (abhava).

If the hetu does not fit in with the sadhya then it is sadhyavikalata dosha.

If the hetu does not fit in with  the udhaharana it is sadhanavikalata dosha.

If the hetu fits only in a portion of the sadhya, it is bhagasiddhi. Bhaga – portion, assiddhi – is not proven. In a portion of the sadhya the reason does not fit.

If the hetu misses the sadhya completely, it is called vyabhicara dosha.

No Confusion

In an earlier blog, I had said that the puranas are for the people who are less qualified. Now on reading this we (some of us :) ) have these doubts,

What exactly is the role of puranas?You wrote in your blog it is the means of realization for less qualified people .But somehow it seems that to understand the puranas one has to have more maturity than the shrutis.why I am saying this is because puranas often contains stories which areenough to confuse people ,sometimes Shiva or Shree Hari are shown to behave in such a manner that is not expected from a morally elevted person. we do find puranas extolling one God over the other. To reconcile them is rather diffiult.So less qualified people won't they get more confused?

The question is from a not-so less qualified. The less and / or lesser qualified person will not think like this. And if at all these questions arise than understand he is not the less ualified person we are talking about.

And as for the contradictions in the smrti, they are not like prastanatrayi, where one reads all, they select one of their favorite hero, and his one drama and generally stick to it, without bothering much about the difficulties you face :).

It is like the story we say, when the acharya was explaining bhagawad gita for more than an hour, one layman asked him to stop, when asked for the reason, he said, since bhagawan is turning around to teach arjuna he will have ache in his neck.

So, no confusion. OK :)

What is a Shiva Linga

Shiva linga though many people in their ignorance consider it as a phallus worship or union of male-female etc. these ideas are absurd. A linga means leenam artham gamayathi, that which points out to the hidden truth, and shiva means auspiciousness. A shiva linga is a pointer to the Truth. Truth is the most auspicious. In many place the linga is in the form of a ellipse. But there are temples where the ling is in the form of a circle, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon or an octagon. And there is a temple in south tamilnadu (neat pudukkottai / arandangi), Avudayarkoil, the swami is called Atmanatheswara who has no form, Arupa. This is a temple built by Sri Manikkavacakar. Leave this alone, one of the jyothirlinga, Kedar has the linga in the form of a small mountain.

The shiva linga which is baneswara is the one which is brought from the river narmada. This is a naturally formed linga because of the rolling of the stone, in a small water fall. And the other lingas are either made from a stone from narmada of any good stone, like marble, crystal etc. Otherwise there is no "upadhi", attribute difference between a baneswara and any other iswara. But, there is an important difference, for a baneswara there is no prana-prathishta, establishing of vital-air (deity) through sacred chants required and for the other including a linga made from the narmada stone.

There are different types of lingas that are worshipped. The results are attributed to be different for each. Linga made of crystal, is a special form for the Brahmins. Others include narmadeswar linga, linga made from a metal gold, silver etc. There is a special linga made of mercury amalgamation which is considered to be good. There is one called hariharatma linga which is one found in a shaligrama stone. A shaligrama stone is like a bana linga which is found in the gantaki river flowing in Nepal. Inside this, when a shaligrama is bigger, there is a shivalinga form stone which is considered very sacred. We can make linga from clay or cow dung also.

It is also to be understood here, that when someone calls a shivalinga a Swayambhu, it does not mean, swayam bhavati iti, that which came automatically / naturally, except in the mythological stories. But, that for which the one who installed it in the first place is not known.