[Advaita-l] Acarya Shankara is not a blind followerof theScriptures

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Wed, 2 Feb 2005, K Kathirasan NCS wrote:

> Namaste Jaldhar-ji
>
> Would you apply this rule on the Vajrasuchika Upanishad also?
>

Apart from the word upanishad in the title, it bears no relation to
genuine Shruti texts.

1. It is not connected to any Shakha.

2. It does not use Vedic language only classical sanskrit

3. It does not use Vedic meters.  The genuine upanishads are either in
   prose or predominantly use Vedic chhandas with less shlokas.  The V.U.
   is entirely in shlokas.

4. Vajra as a philosophical term is of Buddhist provennance.

5. No Vedantin or Smrtikara has ever bothered quoting from it.  Nobody
   ever bothered even refuting its claims.  (And you would think a shruti
   that purported to explain the basis of the caste system would be a big
   deal even for opponents don't you think?)

6. It does not appear on the list of 108 upanishads mentioned in the
   Muktikopanishad.  (which itself is very late)

7. If S. Radhakrishnan had not included it in his book "The Principal
   Upanishads" no one would have heard of it at all.

So no, there is no good reason to consider it as Shruti.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
It's a boy! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/nilagriva/