[Advaita-l] Reply to Sri Vidyamanya Tirtha's observations

[Bhaskar YR]

Dear Sri Bhaskarji,

>  praNAms Sri Chandramouli prabhuji
Hare Krishna

frstly a sadhka who has gone through the sadhana almost to completuion but
does not get jnana due to pratibandhakas he is not considered a patita. He
continues from this level in his future births and when the pratibandhaka
is overcome he automatically gets jnana. This is what is stated by Lord
Krishna in the Geetha as well as mentioned by Bhagavatpada in Sutra
Bhashya.

>  prabhuji Kindly noted I am not talking about the sAdhaka-s who could 
not get jnAna due to pratibandhaka-s and those sAdhaka-s conducive 
subsequent janma-s.  I am talking about the sAdhaka-s who were in saNyAsa 
Ashrama as saNyAsi-s in their previous janma and gruhastha-s in 
gruhasthAshrama in current janma..For this type of descending order of 
Ashrama there is no any prayaschitta !!  shankara says in 
apashUdrAdhikaraNa, vidurAdi-s have got the jnAna & become jnAni-s due to 
their previous janma saMskAra, it does not mean that these noble souls 
were invariably saNyAsi-s in their previous janma. 

As for jnana being adheena to sanyasaashrama, i really feel you are not 
serious in making such a statement. 

>  I think if any one persists that for jnAna to occur saNyAsa as an 
ashrama is must, then it is as good as saying jnAna is sanyAsa Ashrama 
adheena and there will be no chance of getting jnAna for the inhabitants 
of other three Ashrama-s!!  I dont think shankara insisted the Ashrama 
saNyAsa in this way!!

By saying only good persons can attain jnana, are we making jnana adheena 
to goodness.

>  I am not saying jnAna is adheena to only goodness.  If you see the 
prathama sUtra of vedAnta sUtra, shankara discusses the qualification that 
is required for doing brahma jignAsa.  Here I dont think shankara says 
only saNyAsi-s have the adhikAra to do brahma jignAsa and eligible to 
attain svarUpa jnAna.

Eligibility of various ashramis is extensively discussed by Bhagavatpada
under Sutra Bhashyas 3-4-17 to 3-4-20. 

>  I remembered that  we have discussed these sUtra bhAshya adhikaraNa 
also in our previous discussion.  Here shankara saying how sanyAsa as an 
order enshrined in both smruti and shruti and ofcourse here he says 
brahmanishTa pravrAjakatva can be possible to only parivrAjaka saNyAsi-s 
and this  would be difficult to achieve  for the other three Ashramites 
since they have their own respective karma-s to perform.  But, the point 
to be noted here, bhagavatpAda does not categorically deny the mOksha / 
jnAna to other three ashramites.  OTOH, just see what shankara says on 
mOkshAdhikAra / jnAnAdhikAra.  In the muNdaka shruti, he clearly says : 
jnAnamAtre yadyapi sarvAshramiNAM adhikAraH, and in geeta bhAshya : 
streeyO vyshyasthathA shUdrAstepi yAnti parAM gatiM and in sUtra bhAshya 
shankara says through sAmAnya sAdhana-s ( applicable to all 
ashrama-s/varNa-s) like japa, upavAsa, devatArAdhana etc. which is not 
against shAstra one can get vidyA. 

As also in Chandogya 2-23-1. 

>  And in this same chAndOgya shruti shankara explicitly says jnAna can 
happen even in gruhasthAshrama also and for these gruhasthA-s pArivrAjyaM 
is arthasiddhaM!! etena gruhasthasya ekatva vijnAne sati pArivrAjyaM 
arthasiddhaM.  and further, if you see elsewhere in geeta bhAshya shankara 
says pravruttena chet lOkasaMgrahArthaM nivruttena chet jeevanamAtrArthaM 
taM, jnAnAgnidagdha karmANaM. statement like this would definitely convey 
the message that jnAna is not the sole property sanyAsa ashrama.  It can 
happen to anyone, anytime irrespective of his/her social status.  And this 
is what we have seen in the cases of ramaNa maharshi, rAmakrishna 
paramahaMsa, yAgnAvalkya, janaka, nachiketa, dhruva, yamadharma, maitreyi, 
gArgi, dharma vyAdha, vidhura, saMvarta, raikva etc. Kindly refer 
bhagavatpAda bhAshya on geeta verses like yasya sarve samAraMbhAH, kAma 
saMkalpavarjitAH jnAnAgni dagdhakarmANaM tamAhuH paNditaM budhAH and the 
next verse tyaktvA karmaphalAsaMgaM, nitya truptO nirAshrayaH, 
karmaNyabhipravruttOpi, naiva kiMchit karOti saH in fourth adhyAya...IMHO, 
these verses meant to show us that there is jnAni in other Ashrama-s also 
who seem to be doing karma. 

I am not aware of earlier discussions in this forum dating several years 
back.

>  Kindly search the archieves prabhuji with appropriate search terms you 
would get the relevant thread.  Anyway, I cannot give you the relevant 
link as I dont have internet access. 


It would be a pity if you were to come to conclusions without going 
through
these extensive and engrossing bhashyas. I do urge you at least as a 
matter
of further interest to do so and then reply.

>  thanks for your suggestion prabhuji. 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar