[Advaita-l] Sri SSS on shAstra prAmANya

[bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com]

praNAms
Hare Krishna

The following are the excerpts from the book * Salient Features of Shankara
Vedanta* written by Sri SSS.  The purpose behind typing the excerpt of this
book is just to  convey the mesg. that "PLEASE DONOT GET INFLUENCED BY SOME
SELECTIVE QUOTES FROM SSS BOOKS" in some of the mails  which are
undoubtedly biased &  have the sole purpose of belittling the image of this
great sage.    Those who are really interested to know the *approach* of
Sri SSS towards shankara siddhAnta,  have to directly read the works
written by him in Kannada, English & Sanskrit & arrive to their own
conclusions...In short, kindly dont try to understand Sri SSS view points
in the mails meant for belittling his contribution to the vEdAntic society.

The following are the view points expressed by Sri SSS with regard to
*shAstra pramANa* (scriptural authority)  in the above mentioned book :

At page No. 12

// quote //

21.  It might be objected that if all distinction of means of knowledge and
its object be unreal, we shall have no means by which to know the self, and
since the existence of a thing has to be ascertained by some means of
knowledge, it follows that we cannot be assured even of the existence of
our own self.  Nihilism would thus be triumphant without any opposition.
This objection is not valid because the vEda is the exclusive means of
knowing the Atman.  As the brAhmaNa passage declares "No one who has not
understood the Veda can know that great one" (TaitirIya brahmaNa 3-12-2-7).
And we have already adduced the test " it is about that Purusha of the
upanishads, that I ask thee" (Br. 3-9-26) to show that Atman is revealed in
the upanishad alone.

// unquote //

Sri SSS at the very beginning of the Chapter -3 cites his stand with regard
to shAstra pramANa.  And further at Page 15 he writes  :

// quote //

23.  Perception and other means of knowledge are self-valid.  No one would
think of proving the validity of perception by a course of reasoning.
Perception and other pramANa-s are deemed valid for the very reason that
they yield us certain and unfalsified knowledge in their respective
spheres.  Similarly the vEdAntic text supplies us with perfectly certain
knowledge of Atman never to be sublated subsequently.  Hence the shAstra is
to be considered a valid means of knowledge just because it is efficient to
give us the realization of Atman.  Its validity requires no support from
reason.  "Since the knowledge of Atman produces its own fruit
instantaneously, its validity can never be impugned; nor is the validity of
the shAstra dependent upon inference (Sutra bhAshya 1-1-4).

// unquote //

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar