[Advaita-l] ’atiraatram' - a Vedic ritual coming up in Kerala

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste Subbuji,
 
Here is what the sastra says when one encounters
the self-contradictory statements:
 
Shruti smritI ubhEnEtrE purANaM hridayaM smritaM
etat trayOkta eva syAddharmO nAnyatra kutrachit
 
virOdhO  yatra tu bhavet trayANAM tu parasparaM
shruti statra pramANasyAt dvayOrdvaidhEsmritirparA
 
shrutirvaidhaM bhavEdyatra dharma vubhau smritau
smritrdvaidhaMtu yatrasyAt viShayaH kalpyatAM prithak
 
The above sAstra vAkya implies that if shruti & smriti are the two eyes
of Dharma then purANa is the hridaya of it.  Sadhaka should take the
sAstra pramANAs from shruti / smriti / purANAs only. 
 
Now, if one finds contradictory statements in shruti, smriti & puranas,
then first preference should be given to shruti and shruti vAkya 
should be taken as pramANa. 
 
If the statements in smriti & purana are found to be contradictory,
then the smriti should be taken as the pramANa.  
 
If the statements in shruti are found to be contradictory, 
Then those contradictory statements should be taken as
sAstra pramANa and either of the statement should be
taken depending upon the adhikAra-bhEda.  That is what
the above vAkya should be understood (viShayaH kalpyatAM prithak)
 
For instance the self-contradictory statements are:
 
uditE juhOti; anuditE juhOti 
 
atirAtrE shOdasi saMghriNAti; nAtirAtrE shOdasi saMghriNAti //
 
The vidhi & nishedhAs are depending upon the adhikAri bhEdAs.
 
Regs,
Sriram