[Advaita-l] A request for clarifications

[V Subrahmanian]

On Fri, Apr 24, 2026 at 10:20 PM santosh mahapatra via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Esteemed Members,
> Please accept my humble Pranams. For past several months I am going
> through an internal turmoil due to my inability to answer some questions
> raised by my 18 year old son regarding Adi Shankar's remarks prohibiting
> studies of Vedas and Vedanta by Women and Shudras.Can there be any
> spiritual interpretation to Adi Shankaracharya's such injunctions? I shall
> appreciate the responses from the learned members in this group. They will
> be very helpful to clarify his doubts.
>

Namaste

With regard to the eligibility to study the Veda, all the traditional
schools are in agreement. The Smritis they cite are also the same. Even
Vallabha and Nimbarka agree with the earlier Three Acharyas.  Here is a
short article in English consisting of the Bhashyas, English translation
and an image from Gautama Dharma Sutra:

https://adbhutam.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/eligibility-to-the-study
-of-the-veda.pdf


Adi Shankara never said "only a male who is a Brahmin renunciant can attain
Moksha."

*1. Brahma Sutra Bhashya 1.3.38:*

येषां पुनः पूर्वकृतसंस्कारवशाद्विदुरधर्मव्याधप्रभृतीनां ज्ञानोत्पत्तिः,
तेषां न शक्यते फलप्राप्तिः प्रतिषेद्धुम् , ज्ञानस्यैकान्तिकफलत्वात् ।
'श्रावयेच्चतुरो वर्णान्'(म॰भा॰ १२-३२७-४९) इति चेतिहासपुराणाधिगमे
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्याधिकारस्मरणात् । वेदपूर्वकस्तु नास्त्यधिकारः शूद्राणामिति
स्थितम् ॥ ३८ ॥

The meaning of this is: People like Vidura and Dharmavyadha, who are
non-Brahmins, are endowed with Knowledge (Jnana) in this birth due to the
Samskara (impressions) of spiritual practice done in their previous births
(as depicted in the Mahabharata). No one can deny that the fruit of that
Knowledge — namely Moksha — is unavailable to them. Just as Mahabharata
12.327.49 says "it must be told to all four Varnas," anyone — regardless of
gender or caste — can come to know the Supreme Truth (Paratattva) through
the Itihasas and Puranas and thereby attain liberation. This is what Adi
Shankara stated.

*2. Mandukya Karika Bhashya 4.95:*

Furthermore, in his commentary on Mandukya Karika 4.95, Adi Shankara states
that even women and anyone else who comes to know this Supreme Truth will
be the greatest Jnanis in the world:

अजे साम्ये परमार्थतत्त्वे एवमेवेति ये केचित् स्त्र्यादयोऽपि सुनिश्चिता
भविष्यन्ति चेत् , त एव हि लोके महाज्ञानाः निरतिशयतत्त्वविषयज्ञाना इत्यर्थः ।

The meaning is: If anyone — including women — becomes firmly convinced of
this birthless, equal Supreme Reality, they alone are the great Jnanis in
the world, possessed of unsurpassed knowledge of the Truth.

*Conclusion:* Therefore, in Adi Shankara's philosophy, women and people of
all Varnas have a path to attain Jnana and thereby reach liberation (Mukti).


warm regards

subbu




> Pranams,
> Santosh
>  "Ego rules the world. People are helpless victims of their egos."-- Amma
> (Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, The Hugging Saint)
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