[Advaita-l] Women and Paramahamsa sannyasa

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste Subbuji,
 
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That Shankara is quoting from the Mahabharatha, a smRti,  is evident from
this episode found in the shAntiparvan (MokShadharma) therein:

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The exact quote from Mahabharata is here:
 
bhikSukItyanEna strINAMapi prAgvivAhadvA vaidhavyAdUrdhwaM 
sanyAsE(a)adhikArOstIti darshitaM / tEna bhikSAcharyaM mOkSashAstra
shravaNaM EkAntE AtmadhyAnaM cha tAbhirapi kartavyaM
*tridaNDAdikaM* cha dhAryaM
 
Which implies sanyasa was given to women who used to have tridaNDa etc.
However, the adhikAra is before marriage or after attaining widowhood.
 
regs,
sriram