[Advaita-l] Pitrupaksha questions

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

On Fri, 30 Sep 2011, Srikanta Narayanaswami wrote:

> When you yourself is not performing why doyou bother about whether they are performing or not.

I assume "you" in what you wrote refers to the GYAni not me personally. For the record, I try and perform all nitya and naimittika karmas diligently but I have no adhikAra yet for most pitR^ikArya as my father is still alive.

Anyway, why does a GYAni bother if other people are performing or not? Because he is not a heartless, selfish monster that's why.  If a Vedantin stood idly by as a little girl crossed the road and didn't warn her she was about to be hit by an oncoming bus we would not think very highly of him would we?  Well one who does not perform their ordained duty is about to be hit by the bus of paapa.  As swAmi abhinavavidyatIrtha said, only those with purity of mind attain GYAna.  One who is pure of mind and free from personal desires wants only the welfare of all living things.  He may not go around haranguing people to do their duty but if he is in a position to give advice he will tell them that it is in their best interests to do so.

> If any swamiji says that karmas must be performed,he is no longer a sanyasi.

Next time you are in Shringeri, tell svAmi bhAratItIrtha that you think his guruji was not a sannyAsi and let us know what kind of reception you get.

> Because the B.G verse says: such a one will not ask others to perform karmas'Navadvarepure dehi naiva kurvan nakarayan"Such a one who has completeunderstanding will not perform karmas and nor will he make it perform by others,for he will be called a "Mithyachari".

Well well, so it seems it is not only Shri~Ngeri Jagadguru but KR^iShNa bhagavAn himself who doesn't understand vedAnta at your august level.  For performing karma is exactly what he told Arjuna to do as has already been pointed out.

-- Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
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To Jaldhar vyas
 I hope you are following the BG verse.5.13: 
"Sarva karmani manasa sanyayas the sukham vashi!
navadvare pure dehi naiva kurvan na karayan!!
 
"By sanyasa with the mind controlling all karmas,the embodied(dehi) without doing(the karmas) and not making others to do(karma)is happy(sukhi) in this body which has Nine gates(nava dvara)"
Here sriShankara comments:
Kim vishesanena?Sarvo hi dehi sanyasi asanyasi va dehe eva sasthe.Tatra anarthakam visheshanam iti.ucyate.Yastu ajnah dehi dehendriya sanghatamatratma dashi sa sarvo"gehe bhumau asane va ase"itimanyate.na hi dehamatratratma darshinah gehe iva ase iti pratyayah sambhavyati.dehadisanghata vyatiriktatma darsshinasti "dehe ase"iti pratyayah upapadyate.parakarmanam ca parasmin atmaniavidyaya adhyaropitam vidyaya vivekajnanena manasa sanyasa upapadyate.Utpanna viveka vijnayasya sarvakarma sanyainopi gehe iva dehe eva navadvare pure asanam prarabdhaphala karma samskara seshanuvrtya.dehe eva nishsehavijnanotpatteh dehe eva aste iti asteyeva visheshana phalam.Vidva da vidvat bheddapekshatvat!!
 
Yadyapi karyakaranakarmani avidyaya atmani adhyaropitani sanyasya aste ityuktam tathapi atmasamavayi tu kartrtvam karayitrtvam ca casyat ityashanka aha---naiva kurvan svayam na ca karyakaranani karayan kriyasu pravartayam.kim yat tat kartrtvam karayitrtvam ca dehinah svatmasavavayi sat sanyasat na sambhavati yatha gaccato gatih gamana vyaparaparityaye na syat tadvat,kim va svata eva atmano nasti iti?atrocyate.Nasti atmanah svatah kartrtvam karayitrtvam  ca uktam hi "Avikaryoayamucyate"(2.25)."Shareerastospi Kaunteya na karoti na lipyate(Br.4.3.7)iti ca shruteh!!
Since the actions(karmas)of the dehendriya is by nescience the Jnani would have after sanyasa(making sanyasa)and not making the dehendriyas,and not performing the actions(is the meaning).
Question:The kartrtva and karayitva is not on the Atmans by itself."This self is without change"(avikaryo ayamucyate)(2.25)."Oh.Kaunteya,being in the sharira (this Atman)is not the doer,nor he is tainted(13.31)'Sharirasthopi Kaunteya na karoti na lipyate"(13.31)-iti."dhyayayativa lelayativa"(Br.4.3.7)iti ca shruteh.This shruthi is the evidence(pramana).
The above commentary by SriShankara Bhagawathpada proves that a Sanyasi(Swamiji)cannot ask others to perform karmas as he doesnot perform them himself nor can he entreat others to perform them."
 
The above commentary of SriShankara Bhagawath pada very clearly states and clarifies,one need not perform the karmas endlessly.Note the important point of "Kim visheshanena?Sarvo hi dehi sanyasi asanyasi va dehe eva sasthe"Not only SriAbhinava Vidyatheertha but a swamiji who has understood the B.G verse above very well understands that this verse is not karma-para,it is only Jnnana-para.Nor does the vedas ask the seeker to perform karmas endlessly(yavajjivam).
The example you give of not warning a school girl when she crosses the road is impertinent and trivial.The Vedas do ask an aspirant to perform karmas at the beginning,but a strong point of withdrawing from performing the karmas is being advocated by shruthis in the Jnana kandha which also belong to the vedas.If you follow only 
the start,but do not know how to end it do you become a knowledgeable person?
This shows that you have not even understood B.G itself from the beginning,but also have stopped some where in the middle without knowing how to proceed further.
It is not only performing karmas which he entreated Arjuna,but also said,"Sarva dharman parityajya mamekam
sharanam vraja,Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo mokshayishyami ma shucah". Do you have the audacity to ignore Bhagavan's advice and assurance itself,and also the upadesha of Gurunam Guruh,Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawathpada?
N.Srikanta.