[Advaita-l] Nitya Karma question

[श्रीमल्ललितालालितः]

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lalitAlAlitaH <http://about.me/lalitaalaalitah/bio>*



On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 06:52, Kathirasan K <brahmasatyam at gmail.com> wrote:

> Namaste ji,
>
> Please my replies:
>
> OK.
> > So says sha~Nkara :
> > nityAnyadhigatAni karmANyupAttaduritaxayArthAni.
> > But is there any scriptural proof(from veda-s) to support this view ?
> >
>
> KK: I am sorry I don't know of any from the shruti. I don't have as much
> references from the karma kanda too.


dharmeNa pApamapanudati - is the shruti which says that one destroys pApam
by dharma.
By definition of pUrva-mImAMsA "chodanAlaxaNo.artho dharmaH". So, karma-s
prescribed by veda-s are dharma.
Now, dharma is of many types - nitya, naimittika, kAmya, prAyashchitta, etc.
Among these kAmya is done to achieve desired things and prAyashchitta to
destroy specific sins.
So, rest two, i.e. nitya and naimittika, are left and they are told by word
dharma in above shruti.
So, this shruti proves that sha~Nkara-s view has vaidika-basis.

I would be glad to know if there is
> shruti pramana to show the disagreement with Shankara's view.
>

karmaNA pitR^ilokaH - is the shruti which says that karma result in
achievement of pitR^iloka.
This is opposed to sha~Nkara's view apparently.


>  OK.
> > So, do you mean to say that even a non-saMnyAsI can leave karma-s if he
> is
> > ready to face pratyavAya ?
>

Yes.
Doing or not doing depends on us.
Scriptures just tell us that this karma generates desired result and this
one undesired. We are free to chose.

People may leave karma in these conditions :

   - If they don't accept validity of veda-s and hence doubt paraloka, etc.


   - If they accept veda-s instrument of valid knowledge but don't fear
   naraka, etc. (Actually this means that they don't accept validity of veda-s.
   One who can't bear a wound, if says that he doesn't fear naraka, it only
   means that he has doubts regarding naraka, veda--s, karma, etc.)


   - If they accept validity of veda-s and shun karma according to
   injunctions of veda-s, i.e., with formal saMnyAsa.


So, there is only one way, which is valid, for traivarNika-s to shun karma
and that is saMnyAsa.

> Is it permitted to not perform nitya-karma without leaving three Ashrama-s
> > ?
>

Not according to veda-s and shiShTa-s at least because it will cause
suffering.
Even if suffering is actually caused by performance of prohibited karma-s;
nitya, etc. karma-s are provided to us to destroy there cause. So, not using
these tools will only prove us fool.


> KK: While it is a mandate for people of the 3 varnas to perform nitya
> karma,
>

I was inquiring cause of mandate.
Anyway, I've provided something above.


> there are also others like Shudras, women and nastikas who seem to be very
> comfortable facing their pratyavaya.


Actually they have no right to perform nitya, etc. karma to avoid duHkham.
So, their non-performance is because of unavailability of vaidika-tools and
not because of stupidity. So, you can't blame them like this.
And, whatever tool is available to them, as nAma-japa, etc., if not
performed by them, then your words will fit them.
But, we are not talking of karma-s prescribed by scriptures other than
veda-s. So, it's wrong.

As long as one is a ashrami, one should
> not abandon the nitya karmas.
>

 I asked why ?
You are supporting view of sha~Nkara that non-performance doesn't harm. So,
how could you hold this ? You need to explain- is what I meant.

> On the other hand, it only urges one to do one's
> > > duties/karmas, especially for mumukshus who aren't sannyasins.
> > >
> >
> > So, non-saMnyAsi-s, who are not-mumuxu-s and are still AshramI,don't need
> > to
> > perform nitya-karma ?
> >
>
>
> KK: The keyword is 'especially'.
>

OK.
But, read my question. I was not wrong too.

Anyway, I've replied my questions myself.