[Advaita-l] adhikAra - veda - vedAnta, a query

[Vinodh]

Here is a visualization of this story in the Shankaracharya movie:
https://youtu.be/mLocEECoXjI?t=4678

On Wed, Oct 13, 2021 at 3:49 PM Vinodh <vinodh.iitm at gmail.com> wrote:

> Namaskarams,
>
> Another story that strikes me in this context is one in the life
> of Shankara Bhagavadpada that lead him to compose to the Manisha Panchakam (
> https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/snsastri/Manishapanchakam.pdf).
>
> Here is a short description of the story from Wikipedia:
>
> According to the story, Adi Shankaraachaarya, was on his way to the temple
> after finishing his bath in Ganga. Suddenly he saw a chandaala (an
> outcaste) and his four dogs on the way, and told him to moved away from
> him, as per the custom in those days. The Chandala then asked him question
> in two verses which is -
>
> अन्नमायादन्नमयमथवा चैतन्यमेव चैतन्यात्
> यतिवर दूरीकर्तुं वाञ्छसि किं ब्रूहि गच्छगच्छेति
>
> To move matter from matter, or to separate Spirit from Spirit?
> O best among the twiceborn, which of these two do you wish to achieve by
> saying, “Move away, move away”?
>
> On hearing this question, Shankara replied to these questions in five
> verses and touched the feet of Chandala, as a way to show respect towards
> him.
>
> Here, we see another exception that a Jnani has made with respect to the
> commonly observed rules of the shaastras. These examples illustrate that
> there have always been, since Upanishadic times until recent times,
> exceptions to the shaastric rules made by great Jnanis and Acharyas based
> on the case at hand. However, an ajnani must be very careful in drawing any
> extrapolations from these exceptions to the rules of the shaastras. For
> ajnanis like me (who still have not let go of the identification with the
> body-mind-complex), it is important to make all effort toward following the
> shaastric injunctions rather than trying to violate them by citing
> exceptions such as these that were made my jnanis. In the Gita, Sri Krishna
> says that even if one believes oneself to be a jnani and outside any rules
> still for the sake of lokasamgraha (welfare of the society) the dharmic
> rules must be followed. In fact, Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswathi cites
> this very incident in Shankaracharya's life to convey this message in one
> of his discourses (I believe it is in Deivatthin Kural / Voice of God, Vol.
> 5).
>
> Om tat sat 🙏
>
> On Wed, Oct 13, 2021 at 8:12 AM Vinodh <vinodh.iitm at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thank you for sharing this wonderful story, Sri Subbuji.
>>
>> This reminds me of the story of the Satyakama from the 4th Adhyaaya of
>> the Chandyoga Upanishad. This is a story right from the sruti of a boy who
>> does know his lineage because of not knowing who his father is. However,
>> because of his desire for the Truth (hence the name Satyakama) is taken up
>> by an Acharya for initiation into Brahmacharya. He later on goes on to
>> become a Brahmavid (knower of Brahman).
>>
>> This scene from the 1983 Sanskrit Movie on Adi Shankaracharya on this
>> story captures this story very nicely. It starts with the boy asking his
>> mother Jabala "kim gotram nu aham asmi?" (what is my gotra?):
>> https://youtu.be/mLocEECoXjI?t=3995
>>
>> सत्यकामो ह जाबालो जबालां मातरमामन्त्रयांचक्रे ब्रह्मचर्यं भवति
>> विवत्स्यामि किंगोत्रो न्वहमस्मीति ॥ ४.४.१ ॥
>>
>> satyakāmo ha jābālo jabālāṃ mātaramāmantrayāṃcakre brahmacaryaṃ bhavati
>> vivatsyāmi kiṃgotro nvahamasmīti || 4.4.1 ||
>>
>> 1. Once Satyakāma Jābāla said to his mother Jabālā: ‘Revered mother, I
>> would like to live with a teacher as a celibate student. What is my
>> lineage?’.
>>
>> सा हैनमुवाच नाहमेतद्वेद तात यद्गोत्रस्त्वमसि बह्वहं चरन्ती परिचारिणी
>> यौवने त्वामलभे साहमेतन्न वेद यद्गोत्रस्त्वमसि जबाला तु नामाहमस्मि सत्यकामो
>> नाम त्वमसि स सत्यकाम एव जाबालो ब्रवीथा इति ॥ ४.४.२ ॥
>>
>> sā hainamuvāca nāhametadveda tāta yadgotrastvamasi bahvahaṃ carantī
>> paricāriṇī yauvane tvāmalabhe sāhametanna veda yadgotrastvamasi jabālā tu
>> nāmāhamasmi satyakāmo nāma tvamasi sa satyakāma eva jābālo bravīthā iti ||
>> 4.4.2 ||
>>
>> 2. Jabālā said to him: ‘My son, I don’t know what your lineage is. I was
>> very busy serving many people when I was young, and I had you. As this was
>> the situation, I know nothing about your lineage. My name is Jabālā, and
>> your name is Satyakāma. When asked about your lineage, say, “I am Satyakāma
>> Jābāla.”’.
>>
>> स ह हारिद्रुमतं गौतममेत्योवाच ब्रह्मचर्यं भगवति वत्स्याम्युपेयां
>> भगवन्तमिति ॥ ४.४.३ ॥
>>
>> sa ha hāridrumataṃ gautamametyovāca brahmacaryaṃ bhagavati vatsyāmyupeyāṃ
>> bhagavantamiti || 4.4.3 ||
>>
>> 3. Satyakāma went to Gautama, the son of Haridrumata, and said: ‘Revered
>> sir, I wish to live with you as a celibate. I have come, revered sir, to be
>> your disciple’.
>>
>> तं होवाच किंगोत्रो नु सोम्यासीति स होवाच नाहमेतद्वेद भो
>> यद्गोत्रोऽहमस्म्यपृच्छं मातरं सा मा प्रत्यब्रवीद्बह्वहं चरन्ती परिचरिणी
>> यौवने त्वामलभे साहमेतन्न वेद यद्गोत्रस्त्वमसि जबाला तु नामाहमस्मि सत्यकामो
>> नाम त्वमसीति सोऽहं सत्यकामो जाबालोऽस्मि भो इति ॥ ४.४.४ ॥
>>
>> taṃ hovāca kiṃgotro nu somyāsīti sa hovāca nāhametadveda bho
>> yadgotro'hamasmyapṛcchaṃ mātaraṃ sā mā pratyabravīdbahvahaṃ carantī
>> paricariṇī yauvane tvāmalabhe sāhametanna veda yadgotrastvamasi jabālā tu
>> nāmāhamasmi satyakāmo nāma tvamasīti so'haṃ satyakāmo jābālo'smi bho iti ||
>> 4.4.4 ||
>>
>> 4. Gautama asked him, ‘O Somya, what is your lineage?’ Satyakāma said:
>> ‘Sir, I do not know what my lineage is. When I asked my mother, she said to
>> me: “I was very busy serving many people when I was young, and I had you.
>> As this was the situation, I know nothing about your lineage. My name is
>> Jabālā, and your name is Satyakāma.” So, sir, I am Satyakāma Jābāla’.
>> तं होवाच नैतदब्राह्मणो विवक्तुमर्हति समिधं सोम्याहरोप त्वा नेष्ये न
>> सत्यादगा इति तमुपनीय कृशानामबलानां चतुःशता गा निराकृत्योवाचेमाः
>> सोम्यानुसंव्रजेति ता अभिप्रस्थापयन्नुवाच नासहस्रेणावर्तेयेति स ह वर्षगणं
>> प्रोवास ता यदा सहस्रं सम्पेदुः ॥ ४.४.५ ॥
>> ॥ इति चतुर्थः खण्डः ॥
>>
>> taṃ hovāca naitadabrāhmaṇo vivaktumarhati samidhaṃ somyāharopa tvā neṣye
>> na satyādagā iti tamupanīya kṛśānāmabalānāṃ catuḥśatā gā nirākṛtyovācemāḥ
>> somyānusaṃvrajeti tā abhiprasthāpayannuvāca nāsahasreṇāvarteyeti sa ha
>> varṣagaṇaṃ provāsa tā yadā sahasraṃ sampeduḥ || 4.4.5 ||
>> || iti caturthaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ||
>>
>> 5. Gautama said to him: ‘No non-brāhmin could speak like this.
>> [Therefore, you must be a brāhmin.] O Somya, go and get me some fuel [for
>> the sacrificial fire]. I will initiate you [as a brāhmin by presenting you
>> with the sacred thread], as you have not deviated from truth.’ After the
>> initiation, he selected four hundred feeble and famished cows. Addressing
>> Satyakāma, Gautama said, ‘O Somya, take these cows away [and look after
>> them].’ As. Satyakāma was taking them away, he said, ‘I will not come back
>> until there are a thousand of them.’ He lived away for many years until
>> they had become a thousand.
>>
>> The full adhyaaya can be found here:
>> https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/chandogya-upanishad-english/d/doc239070.html
>> .
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 7, 2021 at 8:16 PM V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Here is an incident recorded in the book '108 Facets of the Inimitable
>>> Guru':  p.167 -
>>>
>>>
>>> Quote:
>>> His Holiness accorded high priority to spiritual aspirants. An Italian
>>> came
>>> to
>>> Sringeri in November 1974, hoping to receive some clarifications
>>> regarding
>>> Gauḍapādācārya’s Kārikās on the Māṇḍūkya-upaniṣad. However, His
>>> Holiness was rather busy at that time with the śiṣya-svīkāra ceremony
>>> slated
>>> for 11th November. Hence, it was felt that it would be impossible for the
>>> foreign aspirant to have a private audience with His Holiness. Yet, in
>>> response to his request, He readily consented to spare time and, with Sri
>>> Subbaramaiya acting as an interpreter, answered his questions and
>>> resolved
>>> his doubts. On later being asked about this, His Holiness said, “He is
>>> sincere
>>> and has come all the way to India to learn. It is my duty to provide him
>>> clarifications and, hence, obligatory on me to spare time for him.”
>>>
>>> Unquote
>>>
>>> One can note that an Italian was accorded priority in regard to the
>>> Gaudapada Karikas which are based on the Mandukya Upanishad.
>>>
>>> regards
>>> subbu
>>>
>>> On Wed, Oct 6, 2021 at 9:31 PM Vinodh via Advaita-l <
>>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> > Thank you for the pointer, Sri Subbuji. It indeed makes sense that the
>>> > qualification for sannyaasa is vairagya. Because sannyaasa is
>>> essentially
>>> > the renunciation of all karma (nivrutti marga or renunciation of all
>>> > activities) by exiting the pravrutti marga (indulgence in activities).
>>> The
>>> > pravrutti marga and the various dharma vidhis in it are meant for the
>>> > rightful pursuit of one's desires through appropriate activities
>>> (karma)
>>> > that are suited to one's characteristics in this birth. However, after
>>> > having attained the viveka (discernment) of the permanent and the
>>> ephemeral
>>> > that all pursuits of desires are ephermeral and that the only permanent
>>> > thing is the attainment of moksha through jnana, one attains true
>>> vairagya,
>>> > which is essentially a disinterest towards pursuit of all karma,
>>> including
>>> > the dharmic ones. Then, one is ready to really renounce all actions and
>>> > become a true sannyaasi. The praisha mantra that one utters when
>>> taking up
>>> > sannyaasa is essentially nothing more than a declaration that one is no
>>> > longer a threat to any other being because even for sustaining one's
>>> body
>>> > one will only use whatever comes in one's way and not actively go in
>>> > pursuit of it; this is why a sannyaasi lives on bhiksha alone. Based on
>>> > this understanding of sannyaasa truly means, it is not hard to see
>>> that the
>>> > only qualification for sannyaasa is vairagya born out of viveka.
>>> >
>>> > Having said the above about the qualification for sannyaasa (or the
>>> > nivrutti marga), however, the qualifications for the various dharmas
>>> in the
>>> > pravrutti marga, like veda adhyaayana, etc., depend on the shaastras. A
>>> > traditional matam will never endorse a blanket deviation from the
>>> shaastras
>>> > on these matters for all. This is because these have been laid down
>>> for the
>>> > betterment of the individual and the society, by allowing them to
>>> pursue
>>> > dharma (a system of activities prescribed according to one's varna and
>>> > ashrama) through various karmaanushtanas, to attain artha (material
>>> > possessions) through these karmas, to satisfy their kamas (desires)
>>> through
>>> > these arthas, and to eventually come to a point where one sees the
>>> > ephemeral nature of satisfying these kamas and hence enter the nivrutti
>>> > marga. Any deviation, as already mentioned, may be allowed by one's
>>> Acharya
>>> > on a case-by-case basis for particular individuals, and this is purely
>>> out
>>> > of the compassion for the these individuals who are struggling to
>>> follow
>>> > their dharma given their current situation. This case-by-case advice on
>>> > matters pertaining to conduct by a learned Brahmana is also the
>>> meaning of
>>> > the Taittiriya Upanishad vakhya I had referred to earlier. However, a
>>> > blanket endorsement like anyone can do anything they want because now
>>> the
>>> > times are different is something a traditional matam will never
>>> support.
>>> > The only general advice that is consistently given by all traditional
>>> > matams is to follow the shaastras and act according to one's svadharma
>>> as
>>> > much as possible according to one's ability.
>>> >
>>> > Om tat sat 🙏
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
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>>