[Advaita-l] varNAsharama system at the time of shankara

[Bhaskar YR]

people generally seem to nurse a notion that the vedaadhikaaris have their
path to realization paved smooth than the shudraas and stree-s, who have to
take a circuitous path through the smruthis and puraanaas and there seems
to be less hope for them to reach the ultimate destination, until they take
many more janmaas

praNAms Smt. Latha mAtAji
Hare Krishna

I think it is otherway round...Our shAstra-s imposes more severe
injunctions (vidhi)  & prohibitions (nishEdha) to dvijA-s and their path to
the ultimate goal is more perilous when compared to non-dvija-s...A small
infringement of vEda vihita kArma-s may cause dvija-s more baNdha-s, more
saMsAra-s or more cycle of birth and deaths because vEda-s say they are in
the front line to uphold our sanAtana dharma..On the other hand, our
scriptures showing more lenience to the non-dvija-s & stree-s and give
assurance to them of ultimate realization through much easier means.  I
dont think our vEda-s insist anywhere that non-dvija and stree-s have to
have (dvija) purusha janma & sAmpradAyik vEdAdhyayana  to attain the self
realization...& Shankara would not have given the examples of dharmavyAdha
& vidhura if the realization is possible ONLY in dvija janma..

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar