[Advaita-l] Shankara's opinion about Sannyasa for a Kshatriya

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sun, Jun 2, 2019 at 2:53 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaste V Subramanian ji,
>
> In shloka 3.5.89, Sureshvaracharya says the following -- त्रयाणामविशेषेण
> संन्यासः श्रूयते श्रुतौ।यदोपलक्षणार्थं स्याद्ब्राह्मणग्रहणं तदा।।
> He relies perhaps on smriti text -- ब्राह्मण: क्षत्रियो वापि वैश्यो वा
> प्रव्रजेत् गृहात् -- as indicated by Shri Anandagiri.
>
> This vartika-shloka is in relation to bhashya-vakya -- तम् एतं वै आत्मानं
> स्वं तत्त्वम् , विदित्वा ज्ञात्वा — अयमहमस्मि परं ब्रह्म सदा
> सर्वसंसारविनिर्मुक्तं नित्यतृप्तमिति, ब्राह्मणाः —*ब्राह्मणानामेवाधिकारो*
>  व्युत्थाने, अतो ब्राह्मणग्रहणम् — व्युत्थाय वैपरीत्येनोत्थानं कृत्वा ;
>
> This view is in contradiction with 3.5.88 (the bhashya view as discussed
> by us). Anandagiri also states --
> भाष्य अभिप्रायम् उक्त्वा (vide 3.5.88), स्व अभिप्रायेण ब्राह्मण ग्रहणस्य
> अर्थम् आह (3.5.89).
>
> This also is reflected in 3.5.191 whereby everyone can be stated as
> Brahmana provided he has obtained that specific avastha mentioned in
> 3.5.190.
>
> Thus, it appears prima facie that Sureshvara's view is in disharmony with
> Bhashya with respect to eligibility of Kshatriya and Vaishya for sanyasa.
> Pl share your views.
>
> Sudhanshu.
>

Dear Sudhanshu ji,

Sri Appayya Dikshitar in his Siddhanta Lesha Sangraha, 3rd section, has
considered the vartika 3.5.89, etc. He has concluded that the vartika means
only 'vidvat sannyasa' and not vividhishaa and aatura. sannyasa. This
conclusion is based on the very next vartika 3.5.90:

सर्वाधिकारविच्छेदे विज्ञानं चेदुपेयते | कुतोऽधिकारनियमो व्युत्थाने क्रियते
बलात् ||

Therefore the giving up of adhikaari niyama is intended by Sureshwaracharya
for sannyasa only in the state of jivanmukti which occurs after the dawn of
brahma jnana.
Hence there is no contradiction with the bhashya at any rate.

regards
subbu


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