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Superimposition (Adhyāsa)

The rope mistaken for a snake — the single error at the root of all bondage.

Adhyāsa is 'superimposition': mistakenly projecting one thing onto another, as when a rope in the dusk is taken for a snake, or a shell for silver. Śaṅkara opens his great commentary by arguing that all our trouble begins with a primal confusion of this kind — superimposing the body and mind onto the pure self, and the self onto them. Liberation is simply the cancelling of this mistaken projection.

How it traveled

  1. Upadeśasāhasrī
    Kālaḍi (Kaladi) · 710
    explains

Key passages(14)

Upadeśasāhasrī · Ādi Śaṅkara

Very high

Vivekacūḍāmaṇi · Śaṅkara (traditionally ascribed; authorship doubted)

Very high

Upadeśasāhasrī · Ādi Śaṅkara

Very high

Aṣṭāvakra-gītā · Aṣṭāvakra

High

Aṣṭāvakra-gītā · Aṣṭāvakra

High

Paramārthasāra · Abhinavagupta

High

Yoga-sūtra · Patañjali

High

Paramārthasāra · Abhinavagupta

High

Tantrasāra · Abhinavagupta

High

Śiva-stotrāvalī · Utpaladeva

Moderate

Vijñāna-bhairava · Anonymous (Bhairava Āgama / Tantra)

Moderate

Chāndogya Upaniṣad · Vedic Revelation (śruti)

Moderate

Kaṭha Upaniṣad · Vedic Revelation (śruti)

Moderate

Śiva-stotrāvalī · Utpaladeva

Moderate