[Advaita-l] A request for clarifications

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sat, Apr 25, 2026 at 11:11 AM Sangeerth P <psangeerthgenius at gmail.com>
wrote:

> @V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com> sir
>

Thanks for your response and the questions you raised. Please see my
replies in-between.

>
> The link you previously shared does not seem to be opening on my end.
> Could you kindly check and resend it?
>

This is the link for the article:
https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/eligibility-to-the-study-of-the-veda.pdf

I think there was an error when copying and posting the link earlier. This
link must work.

> I also had a question regarding the Mahabharata śloka you cited. I am
> finding it difficult to fully understand the complete meaning and context
> (saṅgati) of the verse. It would be very helpful if you could explain it in
> detail.
>
> In particular, the phrase *“श्रावयेच्चतुरो वर्णान्”* seems to indicate
> that while Itihāsa and Purāṇa may be accessible to all four varṇas, the
> text explicitly mentions only *śravaṇa-mātra adhikāra* (the right to
> listen), and not the right to read or recite.(
> https://sanskritsahitya.org/mahabharatam/12.314.45)
>

Shankara's purpose in citing that verse within the context of the Brahma
Sutra is to convey that all varnas have the right to acquire the
*mukti-giving vidya*, and that not everyone can attain it through the
Veda.'

> Additionally, in the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma Śaṅkara Bhāṣya, while commenting on *“Ya
> idam śṛṇuyān nityam”* and the *phalaśruti* verses (
> https://archive.org/details/Wxxw_shri-vishnu-sahasranam-with-shankaracharya-bhashya-gita-press-gorakhpur/page/n277/mode/2up),
> Śaṅkarācārya appears to distinguish phala between śravaṇa and kīrtana. He
> notes that for a fourth varṇa individual, the adhikāra is limited to
> listening, not for practices like japa yajña and thats why we have separate
> phala shruti mentioned for shravana, keertana and 4 varnas. Based on this,
> it seems that even nāma-japa of the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma may not be permitted,
> which can be somewhat controversial to state openly.
>

It's true. Strictly speaking, a Madhwa pontiff some years back called upon
people to chant VSN, Gayatri, etc. and the women to chant 'Lakshmi
Shobhane'—a Kannada stotra by Vadiraja Tirtha—for loka kalyana during a
world-wide calamity.  Even uttering Om is prohibited for some.

> Further, in the Gītā Bhāṣya (2.69), the line:
> “विदुषः त्यक्तैषणस्य स्थितप्रज्ञस्य यतेरेव मोक्षप्राप्तिः न तु असंन्यासिनः”
> suggests that mokṣa is attainable only by a *yati*. Traditionally, the
> term *yati* is understood to refer to a renunciate, often interpreted as
> a Brahmin in the fourth āśrama (sannyāsa). If mokṣa is indeed open to all,
> I wonder why the Bhāṣyakāra specifically chose the term *yati*, instead
> of a more inclusive or unambiguous expression.(
> https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/srimad?scsh=1&setgb=1&&language=dv&field_chapter_value=2&field_nsutra_value=69
> )
>

That's the reason why the Gita Bhashya, or any other text, is to be read in
toto.  In the GB itself in 4.20 Shankara says  विदुषा क्रियमाणं कर्म
परमार्थतोऽकर्मैव, तस्य निष्क्रियात्मदर्शनसम्पन्नत्वात् ।    तेन एवंभूतेन
स्वप्रयोजनाभावात् ससाधनं कर्म परित्यक्तव्यमेव इति प्राप्ते, ततः
निर्गमासम्भवात् लोकसङ्ग्रहचिकीर्षया शिष्टविगर्हणापरिजिहीर्षया वा पूर्ववत्
कर्मणि अभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि निष्क्रियात्मदर्शनसम्पन्नत्वात् नैव किञ्चित् करोति सः ॥
२० ॥

Translation:  //Work done by the knower is, in reality, non-work, because
they have already achieved the realization of the Self that acts not. *What
ought to follow is that such a sage, having no private ends to serve,
should give up all work and its auxiliaries. But due to the desire to
promote world's welfare, he finds no way out of activity. Or, may be, he
wants to avoid the censure of righteous folk. So he may continue to work as
was his wont before Self-realization. *Still, he works not; for he knows
his identity with the work-free Self.//

Here, Shankara presents the case of a Jnani who is not a sannyasin.  This
Jnani, does not renounce all actions but remains in his āśrama (householder
or other) and continues performing actions.

Shankara specifies that in most places the requirement of sannyasa rests on
the Vedic injunction.‘न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन त्यागेनैके अमृतत्वमानशुः’
(कैवल्य २) इति च कैवल्यश्रुतिः । ‘ज्ञात्वा नैष्कर्म्यमाचरेत्’ इति च
स्मृतेः । which he has cited  more than once.

Warm regards
subbu

I would be grateful if you could kindly clarify these points.
>
> Regards
> Sangeerth P
> 8608658009
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 24, 2026 at 11:21 PM V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> 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
>>
>> <https://adbhutam.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/eligibility-to-the-study-of-the-veda.pdf>
>
> -of-the-veda.pdf
>> <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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