[Advaita-l] Are actions essentially meaningless?

[Bhaskar YR]

Humble sAshtAnga praNAms Sri Vidya prabhuji
Hare Krishna

For the student advaitin, yes, doing prescribed action is a way to 
discipline the mind. 

>  Yes, the student of advaita, who is yet to take the sarva karma 
saNyAsa, should religiously follow the veda vihita karma to tune/prepare 
his mind for the jnAna mArga.  If he does not observe what is prescribed 
in shAstra (Ashrama vihita karma) and if he does what is prohibited in 
shAstra (pratishiddha karma) he will accrue pApa, though he is doing 
sAdhana in advaita mArga.  So, in a way, apart from sarva karma saNyAsi-s, 
veda/shAstra vihita/nishiddha karma-s need to be observed by 
brahmacharyAdi ashramites  without looking for any alternatives.

>  Now, the question is, we the office goers (modern day vaidika 
brAhmaNa-s), who most of the time, have to skip the nitya karma-s like 
(mAdhyAnhika, sAyaM) etc., & earning  money by serving as against brAhmaNa 
dharma   would accrue the sin??  Being a householder (gruhastha) we have 
to do  agnihOtrAdi karma and maintain three types of agni (gArhapatya, 
ahavaneeya, dakshiNAgni) but how many of us following these injunctions?? 
would this violation accrue any pApa??  or these skipping & resultant pApa 
 would be nullified by our excessive dose of vedAnta vichAra vinimaya 
(during office hours) & shAstra/bhAshyAdhyayana, svAdhyAya etc.  ??   Can 
we say these activities of ours would act as an alternative for the 
mandatory veda vihita karma-s??  Please clarify. 

For the realized person, it is usually only a pedagogical tool, to set an 
example for disciples in how to discipline oneself. 

>  yes, yadyadAcharati shreshTaH....lOkastadanuvartate says lord.  But an 
occasional  'slip' of these realized souls (due to avidyA lesha or 
prArabdha whatever it is) and their questionable attitude will always be a 
puzzle for the 'lOka' which consider him/her as 'shreshTa' is it not?? 

Your humble servant
Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar