[Advaita-l] Pitrupaksha questions.Posting on nitya/naimittika kharmas.

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

From: pranipata at hotmail.com
To: srikanta.narayanaswami at yahoo.com
Subject: RE: [Advaita-l] Pitrupaksha questions
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:44:25 +0530








>>What the question was is,if a seeker or an aspirant has reached the conviction that for him Karmas are of no use performing,should he continue to do the karmas.
> N.Srikanta.
> 

Hari Om! Pranaams!
But Shri Srikantaji, on nitya/naimittika-karmas, which right from day one, one is aware of, that it do not bear any specific fruit, suddenly finds out there is no use of karma henceforth? 
Vairagya, if at all arises, should be on the enjoyment of karma-phalas (iha amutra phala bhoga viraagaH) and it should dawn from right discrimination of nitya-anitya-vastu viveka (brahma satyam, tat vyatiriktam sarvam anityam iti). 
If you conclude that I do not presently perceive my ancestors, so I will not do anything for their sake, but I see my wife & children and so will so everything for their sake, is it not that brahman/Atman is anindriya-gocara whereas world is very much perceived and enjoyed, so you will never seek brahman/Atman but be worldly by your own words. 
In Shri Guru Smriti,Br. Pranipata Chaitanya
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To Sri Br.Pranipata Chaitanya,
Your posting is not very clear atleast by the choice of words.Any way I reply to the matter which it contains.
I hope you are following the discussions in the threads pertaining to the topic,"Pitru paksha questions"
Some one in the thread brought about the question of performing the performance of Nitya,naimittika karmas.The Pitrupaksha performace dwells on the naimittaka karmas.there are two aspects in the karmas,One nitya karmas and the other naimittika karmas.Nitya karmas are to be performed daily and the naimittika karmas are those which are to be performed incidentally.I hope this is clear.Sri Shankara Bhagawathpada has dealt upon this in his bhashyas.In the chapter,he takes the view of a vrttikara who follows the Jnana-karmasamuccaya most probably,Bhatrprapancha who was a Bhedha-cbhedha vadins,and takes up the question of performing nitya karmas.The BG verse in question is :
Karmaniakarma yah pasyeth akarmani karma yah!
sah buddhiman manushyeshu sa yukthah karmakrt!!
On this he denies that non-performance of karmas will not create pratyavaya.Thereby relegates the place of gauna to the karmas.
On what you have written on Vairagya,it starts from Brahma Jignasa.For Brahmajignasa,one has to have Shama damadi shatka sampath nitya-nitya vastuviveka,ihamutraphala bhogaviraga.You have reached the stage to know Brahma satyam.You will be in the ajnana that jagath is satyam.You have know knowledge about Brahma satyam.
Then what you will do?Evidently you will learn these things from a Guru who is Brahmanishtam.
The shruthi clearly says"Parrekshya lokan karmacitan --- to focus on the Brahmajnana.
If one doesnot perceive one's ancestors,he will never venture on the performance of karmas.The question is how long should one continue to perform the karmas?Should it be "Yavajjivam"as the Purvameemamsa says or is it according to what our vedanta says?That is the question.If you stick to the previous stand then you will be a Karma siddhanti.The Advaita vedanta starts from the above mundaka shruthi,that one must undestand that the karmas are limited and are fragile:'Plavahyeta adhradhah yagna rupa.....and brings to the attention of one that to deliver one from this karma whirlpool must  enter the Jnana kandha.SriShankara Bhagawathpada in his Bhashyas has again and again pointed out that the darkness created in not knowing the Brahman cannot be removed by another darkness,i.e performance of karmas.The Upanishads have also focussed on the importance of knoing Brahman.Infact,that is the purpose of discussing on the importance of Brahmajnana.This not for
 discussing the trivial issues of performance of karmas.
It is not also correct to say that Brahman/atman is anindriya gocara thereby relegating one to some atindriya prajna which can be conceived by any imagination.SriShankara Bhagawathpada clearly says that it is within the reach of all.What is requited is the Ajnana nivrtti.
Bhava Shankara deshika me Sharanam.
N.Srikanta.