foreign travel by a sanyasin (forwarded message)

[Ashish Chandra]

>From: Rajesh Venkataraman <rajesh_venk at YAHOO.COM>
>Reply-To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
><ADVAITA-L at braincells.com>
>To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
>Subject: Re: foreign travel by a sanyasin (forwarded message)
>Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 17:38:47 -0800
>
>--- "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at braincells.com> wrote:
> > Regarding a Sanyaasin travelling overseas, it is
> > explicitly prohibited
> > in our Dharma Shastras . It is very clearly
> > mentioned that Dharma
> > Prachaara can be done only in a place where the
> > Varnaashrama Dharmaas
> > are followed and where the black Saaranga deer
> > wanders carefreely.
>
>If even dharma prachaara can be done only where the
>"black Saaranga deer" wanders carefreely, logically it
>can be done only in forests. Then how do Grhasthas
>come to know about Dharma, as they cannot be expected
>to go into the forests at least for quite some time!
>And when they do go into the forests, I thought it is
>more for gaining jnana.
>
>Is there any injunction like this for the preaching
>Jnana kanda also?
>
>Thanks
>
>Rajesh
>

The injunction is to do Dharmaprachaar in the place where the Saaranga deer
roams freely *and* where Varnaashrama Dharma is followed. So that should
take care of grihasthas.

The following is from Manu Smriti Chapter 2:

17. That land, created by the gods, which lies between the two divine rivers
Sarasvati and Drishadvati, the (sages) call Brahmavarta.

18. The custom handed down in regular succession (since time immemorial)
among the (four chief) castes (varna) and the mixed (races) of that country,
is called the conduct of virtuous men.

19. The plain of the Kurus, the (country of the) Matsyas, Pankalas, and
Surasenakas, these (form), indeed, the country of the Brahmarshis
(Brahmanical sages, which ranks) immediately after Brahmavarta.

20. From a Brahmana, born in that country, let all men on earth learn their
several usages.

21. That (country) which (lies) between the Himavat and the Vindhya
(mountains) to the east of Prayaga and to the west of Vinasana (the place
where the river Sarasvati disappears) is called Madhyadesa (the central
region).

22. But (the tract) between those two mountains (just mentioned), which
(extends) as far as the eastern and the western oceans, the wise call
Aryavarta (the country of the Aryans).

23. That land where the black antelope naturally roams, one must know to be
fit for the performance of sacrifices; (the tract) different from that (is)
the country of the Mlekkhas (barbarians).

24. Let twice-born men seek to dwell in those (above-mentioned countries);
but a Sudra, distressed for subsistence, may reside anywhere.

However, can anyone throw some light on 2.21. It says that the land between
Himavat (Himalaya?) and Vindhyas and to the east of Prayaga (modern day
Allahabad) and to the west of Vinasana (where Sarasvati disappears).

Sarasvati, according to satellite pictures once flowed from the Himalayas,
through modern day Haryana and Rajasthan and emtied somewhere near Dvaraka,
into the Arabian Sea. How can the land be west of Dvaraka and east of modern
day Prayag exist. Or is it some other Prayaga or is the "modern day
Sarasvati" some other river ?

thanks
ashish
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