[Advaita-l] Pitrupaksha questions

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

Body
Sri Srikanta,
 
All I can say is that I am amazed at the copious expanse of words that have poured forth
from your keyboard on this topic. The content of your was to be expected, but the quantity
shows the passion you have invested in it. All in vain, is it not?
 
> "Pitha rakshathi kaumare,bhartha rakshati yauvane
> rakshanti sthavire putrah,na stree svatantra marhathi!!"

This is Manu's verse about the absence of freedom (svAtantryam) for women (strI) in the
course of life. A woman was supposed to be protected by father, then by husband and then
by sons. In today's context, with the recognition of woman's rights as being independent of
the men in her life, this is indeed getting obsolete.
 
In any case, how does that fit in with pitR kArya and its observance? 
 
 
> What happened to that dic of the doctrine of Hindu Dharma.Why,our people are going wayward?
>Is it not true that all the ills our country is undergoing,because of blindly following these rituals
>which have now become obsolete.What relief it would have been for our families if we had heeded
>SriShankaraBhagawathpada's advice,if we follow only the Jnanakandha.
 
Shows how well you understand either rituals in general or Hindu dharma in particular or
Sankara Bhagavatpada's teaching of the jnAna kANDa! All I can say is, read the verse "vedo 
nityam adhIyatAM tad uditam karma svanushThIyatAm ..."

>The mimamsakas have always been like that.They fattened themselves over others
> by harassing the hapless Grahasthas.If you start taling about Srishankara over the karmas,they are
>dumb!These mimamsakas are parasites,and those who follow them are gullible people,as the
>Mundakopanishath sruthi says,'andenaniyamana yathandhah'.
> N.Srikanta.

The parasites are those armchair jnAnI-s who disparage karmA out of context and think they
understand Sankara well. They are the most gullible, who think they have understood it all.
The second chapter of kenopanishat comes to mind!
 
Regards,
Vidyasankar

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SriVijayshankar,
Lt all started with some one mentioning the Manusmrthi.Manu emphatically mentions,"Na stri svatantryamarhati"rather than it is being lost over the course of time.Sri.Shankara didnot say you have to stop performing only "Karmas"as you are saying He said Karmas cannot  give you Jnana.Darkness will not remove darkness.The Upanishad(Isha)also says,
"andham tamah pravishanti ye sambhutim upasate!
tatho bhuyaiva te tamo asmbhutyam ratah"
The verse you are quoting focusses on the karmas,which is the view of the meemamsakas,who are karmis.
What you are saying is not Jnanapara.If one wants to remain in darkness they only say that.What do  they think/They are "sarvajnas"?There are no armchair jnanis I am talking.This is the way this "meemamsaka'mata have grown over the years.It is 'Shraddha-jadhya"for them.They cannot give them up,nor do they accept they are futile,but quote endlessly from scriptures.You just say one quotation where SriShankara says that they must be performed.Even when he says,some people want entertainment in the performance of them.I am curious to know the chapter of kenopanishath you have mentioned.
I would like to say that in harping again and again that karmas are to be performed,this list is relegating SriShankara Bhagawathpada as to be insignificant.No wonder many durmatas have developed after his time!
We can see clearly that there are no takers for Jnana.Only commercial activities are flourishing in the name of Dharma.
N.Srikanta.