[Advaita-l] The importance of Jnana.

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

In order to gain Jnana and to realise that Karma involves entanglement,and some where an effort has to be made by the Seeker and the aspirant to gain Jnana.Naturally,the guide is the shrotriyam brahmanishtam Guru,as per the Mundakopanishath slokah,
 
"Parikshyalokan karmacitan Brahmano
nirvedamayathnastyakrtah krtena!
Tadvijnartham sa Gurumevabhigacceth
Samitpanish shrotriyam Brahmanishtam!!-I.ii.12.
 
Shankara wites in his commentary that only a Brahmana can become an adhikari to the Brahmavidya.He says,:
"...Parikshya,pratykshanumanopamanagamyah sarvato yathatmainavadharya lokan samsaragatibhutan avyaktadisthavarathan vyakrthavyakrta lakshanan
bijankuravaditaretarotpattinimittan anekanarthashatasahasrasankulan kadaligarbhavadasaran mayamatricyudakagandharvanagarakarasvapnabala budbudaphenana saman pratikshanapradhvamsan prstatah krtva avidyakamadosha pravartitakarmacitan ityetath!Brahmanah Brahmanashyaiva visheshatodhikarah sarvatyagena (both vyakrta and avyakrta)Brahmavidyanam iti Brahmanagrahanam".
 
The Mundakopanishath further continues,
"Plava hyete adrdha yagnarupa
ashtadashoktamavaram yeshu karma!
etaccreyo yeabhinandanti mudha
jaramrtyum te punarevapi yanti!!-I.ii.7
 
Avidyayamantare vartamanah 
svayam dhirah panditham manyamanah!
Janganyamanah pariyanti mudhah
andhenaiva niyamana yathandhah!!--I.ii 8
 
Further,the Upanishath condemns the Karminah by the slakah:
Avidyam bahudha vartamana
vayam krtartha ityabhimanyanti balah!
yat karmino na pravedayanti ragath
tenaturah kshinalokahshcayvante!!-I.ii.9.
 
The B.G also supports this by saying,"Kshine punye martyalokam vishanti".-
 
The Upanishath further reiterates:
"Ishtapurtham manyamana varishtam
nanyachreyo vedayante pramudhah!
nakasya prste te sukrteanubhutva
imam lokam hinataram va vishanti!!--I.ii.10.
 
Tapahshraddhe ye hyupavasantyaranye 
Shantah vidhvamso Bhaikshacaryam carantah!
suryadvarena te virajah prayanti
yatramrtah sa Purusho hyavayatma!!--I.ii.11.
 
 Here,SriShankara Bhagawathpada clarifies,even Grahasthas are eligible for Jnana other than the Sanyasis.
He says clearly:
Ye punah tadviparitajnanayuktah vanaprasthah sanyasinasca tapahsraddhe hi tapah svashramavihitam karma shraddha Hiranyagarbhadivishaya vidya te tapahsraddhe upavasanti sevante aranye vartamanah santah!Shantah
uparatakaranagramah Vidhvamsah Grhasthashtha Jnanapradhana ityarthah!
Here,he means the Grhasthas as those who have the Panchagnividya which is distinct from Vanaprastha,tridandandi sanyasis.
To become eligible for the Jnanakandha one must leave the karmas.
Hence one has to obtain nirveda from the Karmas to enter into Jnanakandha.But,I see from the list,more karma is being insisted.
N.Srikanta.