[Advaita-l] Advaita Jnanavs Bhakthi

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Sat, Aug 6, 2011 at 6:17 AM, Ramanan Subramanian <ramanan82 at gmail.com>wrote:

>
>
> The above is incorrect. Shankara does assert that it is only by Ishvara
> prasAda, jnAna leading to Moksha is possible.  Shankaracharya asserts it
> very clearly in Gia 2.39:
> कर्मबन्धः तं प्रहास्यसि ईश्वरप्रसादनिमित्तज्ञानप्राप्त्यैव इत्यभिप्रायः
>
> and in BSB 2.3.41....
>
> "But from the highest (Lord there result sa*m*sâra and moksha), because
> scripture teaches that."
>
> RV: Yes. Isvaranugraha is absolutely required.

>
> "Why so?--'Because scripture teaches that.' For although the soul has its
> own imperfections, such as passion and so on, for motives, and is furnished
> with the whole apparatus of action, and although ordinary experience does
> not show that the Lord is a cause in occupations such as ploughing and the
> like, yet we ascertain from scripture that the Lord is a causal agent in
> all
> activity. For scripture says, 'He makes him whom he wishes to lead up from
> these worlds do a good deed; and the same makes him whom he wishes to lead
> down from these worlds, do a bad deed' (Kau. Up. III, 8); and again, 'He
> who
> dwelling within the Self pulls the Self within' (*S*at. Br. XIV, 6, 7,
> 30)."
>
>
> The objection that it implies partiality on the part of the Lord is
> answered
> by Shankara in the commentary to the next sutra.


RV: Yes.