Write a short note on Describe the theory of erroneous perception in Advaita.

The theory of erroneous perception, known as Adhyasa or Adhyaropa in Advaita Vedanta, is a central concept elucidated by the philosopher Adi Shankaracharya. According to Advaita, erroneous perception occurs when individuals superimpose attributes of one object onto another due to ignorance of their true nature.

Adhyasa occurs at both the empirical (vyavaharika) and absolute (paramarthika) levels of reality. At the empirical level, individuals mistake the empirical world of names and forms (nama-rupa) for reality and perceive multiplicity and diversity where there is only unity. This misperception leads to attachment, aversion, and suffering.

At the absolute level, individuals fail to recognize the underlying unity of Brahman, the ultimate reality, and mistake the world of names and forms as separate from Brahman. This ignorance of one's true nature as Brahman leads to the erroneous identification with the individual ego (jiva) and the cycle of samsara.

Adi Shankaracharya compares erroneous perception to the illusion of a rope mistaken for a snake in dim light. Just as the rope is mistaken for a snake due to poor visibility, individuals mistake the world of names and forms for reality due to ignorance (avidya). The removal of ignorance through knowledge (jnana) reveals the rope's true nature and dispels the illusion of the snake, leading to liberation (moksha) from suffering.

In Advaita Vedanta, overcoming erroneous perception requires the pursuit of self-inquiry (atma-vichara) and the realization of one's true nature as Brahman, beyond the limitations of empirical perception. Through the direct experience of non-dual awareness, individuals transcend the illusion of multiplicity and recognize the underlying unity of all existence.