[Advaita-l] Jnani should give up karma why? from Shankara-bhashya

[Krishna Kashyap]

I am studying Kena Upanishad. at the end of 4th khanda, there is a
discussion about why Jnani should give up karma. the vedadhyayana and other
karmas are unnecessary for moksha. This kind of discussion occurs in all of
Prasthana scriptures commented by Shankaracharya.

If you see kena upanishad bhashya, invariably there will be a reference to
bramhasutra bhashya or some brihadaranyaka or chandogya sentence. Has
anyone done a document that indicates the root of all such arguments and
why Shankaracharya is denying jnana-karma samucchaya or anga-angi bhava
between jnana and karma?. Even in Isavasya, the same concept comes up.
However, in every Upanishad or gita bhashya, there are a lot of references
that go back to either Brahma sutra bhashya or some brihadaranyaka or other
Upanishad bhashya.

Obviously, if anyone quotes for example kena upanishad bhashya line to
justify isavasya line, and vice-versa, that becomes a game or cyclic
dependency issue.

Has someone studied this issue and come up with a concept as to why
Shankaracharya is against karma being an anga for jnana?

I know we can study any particular upanishad bhashya of Shankaracharya and
go on a linear line by line understanding. However, he often emphatically
suggests how can you mix light and darkness? tejas timira iva? and all such
powerful statements to prove this point. However, where is the root of such
arguments? This is an academic study I am thinking about where the entire
concept of why karma cannot be an anga for jnana. If so why karmas are
prescribed and to whom? how does one transcend from being a karma-doer to a
karma-ignorer?

I am particularly looking for the concept behind it.
I have come across things like seeing a serpent in a dream you cannot take
a stick and chase it away. You have to get out of the dream state and then
know there is no serpent to start with and you don't need a stick or
action. so here the idea is ajnana is the reason for action. if one has
atmaikya jnana no karma is possible. the problem is in the phase of
sadhana, where does one give up and when should a person never give up.

All these are stray concepts. I want the definitive concept and upanishad
reference proof which is the origin behind why the shastras keep on
insisting and prescribing so many karmas to people and at the same time a
jnani should stay away from karmas.

I know that if one knows that there is one entity atman, which is nitya,
shuddha, buddha, mukta, nishkriya, shanta and so on, in addition to knowing
that there is nothing else other than that atman, Obviously karma becomes
superfluous and a jnani cannot do karma, since he is not an agent nor does
he need something to achieve to start with. Where exactly is this concept
first referenced in shankara bhashya so that we can avoid looking at so
many upanishads and jump right to the origin of that argument within
shankara bhashya.

I prefer only shankara bhashya and not the later authors of advaita. Not
that I don't respect them. However, I want to avoid post-Shankara-advaita
branches and deal with the words of Shankaracharya only for now.

sorry for the repetitive thoughts. I had to point out my question clearly
and I have repeated some thoughts.

*Best Regards,*

*Krishna Kashyap*