Wk 08 Mon, Feb 22

Today

Mīmāṃsā – Hamilton, IP: VSI section on Mīmāṃsā, pp. 121-5 in Ch. 8, "The Word and the Book." – Wilhelm Halbfass’s “, , and "Natural" Causes: Observations on the Growth and Limits of the Theory of Saṃsāra.” 1980 . Focus on the Mīmāṃsā-related aspects, pp. 268-84 – Elisa Freschi’s Ch. 6 “Freedom Because of Duty” in FWASIP

1 Wednesday

 Grammarian Tradition – Khilnani, Sunil. 2016. "Panini: Catching the Ocean in a Cow's Hoofprint" Incarnations. – HamiltonIP: VSI section on Bhartṛhari, pp. 118- 21 in Ch. 8, "The Word and the Book." – George Cardona’s Ch. 4 “Paninian Grammarians on Agency and Independence” in FWASIP

Grade Matters

 The final grade: – 15% Class Preparation & Participation – 25% 30% Twice-Weekly Feedback on readings – 30% 35% Weekly Reflections – 30% 35% Final Term Paper + Presentation 

 Canvas Late Grade Policy enabled: – -10% per day late – Min: 30%

2 Final Paper & Presentation

 10-12 pgs + Bibliography  35% of Course Grade  Due Mon Finals Week 2pm – Mar 15 – 10 min Presentation 2:30-4:20 pm.  Goal: Synthesis, your own position on karma vs. free will  Important concepts studied: – Karma, , reincarnation, self, theodicy – Free Will & Agency – Determinism, fatalism, compatibilism, libertarianism – Bhagavad Gītā, -sūtras & Agency – Consciousness? Luck?  Systems Considered: 7. Grammarian 1. Sāṅkhya 8. Advaita Ved nta 2. Nyāya ā 3. Abhidharma 9. Viśiṣṭādvaita 10. Madhva Ved nta 4. Mādhyamika Buddhism ā 5. 11. Kashmir Śaivism 12. Gau ya Vai avism 6. Mīmāṃsā ḍī ṣṇ

Final Paper, cont’d

 Some questions to address: – Is karma necessary? Why (not)? – What are implications of (not) accepting karma as seen in the different systems? – What in your opinion is the best solution to the problem karma is trying to answer? – Is there free will? Why (not)? – How do the different systems answer this question? . Are they successful? . Why, or why not? – How has this class affected your thinking on free-will? – What is/are the most significant take-away(s) for you?

3 WOTD

• Injunction Miles

• Arthāpatti, postulation Halbfass 275 Samhitā • Apūrva Dhandeep

Mīmāṃsā = Enquiry

 Pūrva-mīmāṃsā / Karma-mīmāṃsā – “Earlier Inquiry” – Focus on Vedic dharma, karma  Uttara-mīmāṃsā / Vedānta – “Later/Subsequent Inquiry” –Brahma-sūtras (BS) by Bādarāyaṇa, 4th c. BCE–1st c. CE – Focus on , liberation

4 Pūrva-/Karma-mīmāṃsā

 Founding text: Mīmāṃsā-sūtras (MS) by , 4th c. BCE–1st c. CE – >2,500 sūtras, twelve ‘books’ (adhyāya) – Śabara earliest commentary ? 3rd-6th c. CE  Two major sub-schools –Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, ~660 CE → BhāṭṭaMīmāṃsā –Prabhākara Miśra, ~7th c. CE → Prābhākara Mīmāṃsā

Pūrva Mīmāṃsā

are: – infallible regarding all that is imperceptible, – eternal, unauthored, self-revealed  Focus on dharma (duty), not mokṣa  Plurality of real, eternal selves  God ≠ creator  Self-validity of cognition, svataḥ-prāmāṇya

– Knower, known, knowledge simultaneous (VSI 123)  6 Valid means of knowledge, pramāṇa

5 Means Of Knowledge, pramāṇa

 Pratyakṣa, perception: nirvikalpa & savikalpa  Anumāna, inference  Śabda, verbal testimony  Upamāna, comparison  , non-perception  Arthāpatti, postulation – (not accepted by Prābhākara)

Types of Vedic Statements

1. Injunctions, vidhi – command / exhortation 2. formulas, 3. Names, nāmadheya 4. Prohibition, niṣedha 5. Explanatory passages, arthavāda

6 Vedic Karma

A. Prescribed, vidhi 1. regular rites, nitya-karman 2. special occasion rites, naimittika-karman 3. rites to attain specific desires, kāmya- karman 4. rites for atonement, prāyaścitta-karman

B. Forbidden, niṣedha / pratiṣedha

Karma vs. Apūrva  No definition of karma in Vedas or Mīmāṃsā- sūtras as relating to rebirth / saṃsāra  Apūrva is a precursor – Not in MS, only in Śabara commentary, ?3rd-6th c. – Fleshed out by Kumārila, 7th c. CE – Potency, yogyatā produced by sacrifice which effects results at a later time. (Halbfass 275-7) – Located in the ‘agent’, as saṃskāra for Kumārila . Sponsor of ritual – Stronger than karma

7 Apūrva, Adṛṣṭa

 apūrva = that which did not exist before – proto-karmic causality (274)  adṛṣṭa = that which is unseen –Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika precursor to karma = dharma + adharma – To account for “invisible” causes / results – Early locus is atoms, not / self – “gap-filler” later extended to explain saṃsāra – Omnipresent, like ātman

Mīmāṃsā Self

 Eternal, capable of consciousness  Plural, infinite  Changing → constant  Doer  Distinct from body, mind, senses  Performance of dharma → merit  Performance of prohibited karma → demerit  Beyond merit / demerit → liberation

8 Reminder: Creel on dharma

 How does one know one’s dharma? 1. śruti, scriptures = Vedas 2. smṛti, “derivative” scripture 3. sadācāra, conduct of good persons 4. ātmatuṣṭi, self-satisfaction – whose self? . Freschi’s answer?

Freschi on Mīmāṃsā, 1

 Agency – Commissioner,yajamānā of ritual (yajña)? – Executor of ritual, priest? – Consciousness v. Ability

 Free Will=capacity to do what one wishes (145).

 “Through desire we grasp the self” (145).

 One can influence one’s likes & dislikes (154).

9 Freschi on Mīmāṃsā, 2

 What to do, not has to do (155) – Can the Veda prescribe something immoral? (159). . Śyena ritual to destroy one’s enemies  Veda = only source of morality (156).

Halbfass on apūrva, review  Karma & saṃsāra not in Vedas.  Different functions & dimensions: 1. Principle of Causal Explanation 2. Ethical guideline 3. Stepping stone to final liberation  Apūrva = “not there priorly” – Only from carrying out Vedic injunctions – Unfailing result . Time of result unpredictable, e.g., Citrā ritual → cattle . Rain ritual kārīrī efficacy hidered by? (278)

10 Halbfass, review 2

 Adṛṣṭa = “retributive potency of past deeds stored as a quality of ātman.” (281) = saṃskāra ? –Vaiśeṣika ambiguity . Gap-filler in realm of physical causality . Device for world process as saṃsāra (288)

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