[Advaita-l] Discussion on the role of yoga in vedanta

[srikanta at nie.ac.in]

with reference to the above topic of discussion, Sri vidyasankara
sundareshan replies to my Email in the Adwaita list:
"i have posted a series of Adwaita vedanta and its relationship to
yoga,the whole topic of sruti-anusara-ananusara acceptance/rejection"....

I have gone through almost all of the Shankara bhashyas on
Brahmasutras,Upanishad bhashyas,and the bhashya on Bhagawadgita,no where
he has stated that other darshanas are indispensive for
Brahmajnana.Infact,he emphasizes again and again,that avidya nasha by
right perception alone is enough for samyagjnana,that is the hallmark of
Shankara vedanta.

"Shankara fully takes into account the contribution that yoga and other
darshanas make towards qualifying us for that jnana"

Shankara only says in BSB that what is said by other darshanas like
Sankhya or Yoga is acceptable in so far as it is not violating the
Vedas.No where he has said Yoga must be practiced or dhyana must be
practiced for obtaining samyag jnana.Otherwise if by other darshanas like
Yoga and sankhya Brahmajnana could be obtained where is the necessity for
Vedanta,and the detail exposition by stating the Purvapaksha,Siddhanta
and refutation of these darshanas by Shankara.?

'After all,if the immediate perception for jnana of Brahman is easy to
attain,we would all be sadyomuktas right now living out perfect exemplary
lives'
Yes,Shankara says that it is hard to attain,but empahsizes that it is
within every body's reach.the avidya or the ajnana cannot be removed by
any amount of yoga practice or by lifelong dhyanas or mantras,it can be
removed only by right perception obtained from vedanta vijnana,hearing,the
purport of the Mahavakyas from the Guru.
We are already free but we donot realise this due to our ignorance that we
are in bondage,if our mind is cluttered up with this preoccupation and
indulgence in the Yoga practices or dhyana practices that some people hold
in contrast to shankara says,the sadyomukti(which is not different from
the perfect exemplary life),will continue to be elusive.

"Na nirodhaha na ca utpattih na baddhaha na ca sadhakaha
na mumukshurnavai muktah ityesha Paramarthatha"
                            Acharya Gaudapada.