[Advaita-l] Knowledge, renunciation and varNASrama rules

[Varadaraja Sharma]

Radhe Krishna


Shriman Vidyasankar, Radhe Krishna

The mail I sent was truncated.  I am resending it.  I do not know how or why it happens so.

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"this saMnyAsin was born a SUdra, that one is a woman," etc. is merely being a fool and exhibiting his ignorance of the true tradition of saMnyAsa. The most orthodox SankarAcArya institutions in India have historically recognized those who are born non-dvija males, but are eligible for saMnyAsa.They have also endorsed the taking up of saMnyAsa by such people.
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Leave alone sthri shudradi vyaktis.  A good lot of people are of the opinion that sanyasa ashrama is not even meant for kshathriyas and vaishyas.  That being so, I hope the list of fools should be quite huge.

>From the beginning of the sentence, I deduce that even a woman can become a sanyasin. But when I come to the second sentence which deals about recognition, perhaps there is exclusion of female.

Anyhow, I remember an interview Jagadguru Shrimad Bharati Tirtha MahaswaminaH gave to an Englishman. This issue is touched upon at the end of the interview although inconclusive. I have given below the URL :

http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j16/difference.asp?page=1

Acharyal  does not explicitly agree or deny sanyasa for woman.  But indicates that after the death of husband, a woman can renounce in that interview.

Initiation to sanyasa ashrama, involves rituals.  I could not comprehend as to, for sthri shudradi unadhikaris, who do not perform any karma, what  sort of rituals might have been prescribed for initiation to sanyasa ashrama.

But therefrom arise another question. the importance of sanyasa ashrama. pardon me. I read that Adya Acharyal has clearly said that sanyasa Ashrama is central to brahmagnyana. But, I do not understand the importance and purport behind this. As to why Brahmagnyana is Ashramadheena?

If I am correct, the brahmagnyanis are some times also referred as "ativarnashrami" - i.e beyond the boundaries of varna and ashrama. Then why Brahmagnyana is Ashramadheena?

Radhe Krishna