[Advaita-l] Shankaracharya on the non-triviality of the entire Vedic corpus

[V Subrahmanian]

Shankaracharya on the non-triviality of the entire Vedic corpus

It is well known that non-Advaitins have a charge on Shankara that he gave
undue importance to the Vedanta, Upanishads and trivialized the karma part
or veda purva bhaaga. However one who is familiar with the Bhashya and
other literature of Shankara would easily conclude that such a charge is
born of lack of a proper study and correct understanding of the Bhashyas.
Here are some passages from Shankara that give us a glimpse of the heart of
Shankara on this matter:

न हि वेदवाक्यानां कस्यचिदर्थवत्त्वम् कस्यचिदनर्थवत्त्वमिति युक्तं
प्रतिपत्तुम् , प्रमाणत्वाविशेषात् ।  Brahmasutra Bhashyam 3.2.15

[It is not reasonable to think that some of the Vedic passages are
meaningful and some are not. This is because all vedic passages are equally
authoritative.]

He has said this in the context of discussing the true nature of Brahman:
whether it is without form or with form and the vedic passages that teach
both.

Ishavasyopanishad Bhashyam: introduction to mantra 9:

न हि शास्त्रविहितं किञ्चिदकर्तव्यतामियात् ।   [Nothing that the scripture
enjoins is unworthy of adherence.]

वेदानुवचनेन ब्राह्मणा विविदिषन्ति यज्ञेन दानेन तपसा अनाशकेन
[bRRihadAraNyaka upaniShad (4.4.22) says: 'tametam vedAnuvachanena
brAhmaNA vividiShanti, yajnena dAnena tapasA anAshakena'

The brAhmaNa-s seek to know Brahman through the study of the veda-s,
sacrifices, charity and austerity consisting in a dispassionate
enjoyment of
sense-objects.] Shankara concludes the discussion on this passage
thus: एवं कर्मकाण्डेन अस्य एकवाक्यतावगतिः [In this manner, that is,
the relevance of the Veda PUrva-prescribed nitya karma that are meant
for acquiring chitta shuddhi,
the Moksha-teaching Jnana KANda becomes aligned as one 'complete shAstra'.]

तस्मात् न ब्रह्मैकत्वं ज्ञापयिष्यन्तो वेदान्ता विधिशास्त्रस्य बाधकाः ।
न च विधिशास्त्रम् एतावता निर्विषयं स्यात् । नापि उक्तकारकादिभेदं
विधिशास्त्रम् उपनिषदां ब्रह्मैकत्वं प्रति प्रामाण्यं निवर्तयति ।
स्वविषयशूराणि हि प्रमाणानि, श्रोत्रादिवत् ॥ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
bhashya 2.1.20

Shankara says: The Vedanta-s, Upanishads, that teach the sole Oneness
that is Brahman, do not contradict the veda purva bhaga that deals
with

injunctions. Nor by this much the veda purva becomes void (of
substance). Nor again does the veda purva that has bheda, difference
(of doer, doing,

etc.), dislodge the authority of the Upanishads in the matter of the
non-dual Brahman. And here Shankara makes a phenomenal statement:
pramanas,

means of knowledge, are authorities in their own fields, like the
sense organs such as the ear (which has its own field of sound and not
any other).    field)

At the beginning of the Bh.Gita Bhashya, Shankara says: द्विविधो हि
वेदोक्तो धर्मः, प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो निवृत्तिलक्षणश्च, जगतः स्थितिकारणम् ।
प्राणिनां

साक्षादभ्युदयनिःश्रेयसहेतुर्यः स धर्मो
ब्राह्मणाद्यैर्वर्णिभिराश्रमिभिश्च श्रेयोर्थिभिः अनुष्ठीयमानो ...

The Vedic Dharma is two-fold: pravritti and nivritti, both of which
form the basis for the sustenance of the

world. This Dharma is directly conducive to the attainment of worldly
well-being and ultimate liberation.

Thus, for Shankara, the Veda pUrva bhAga is an indispensable element
in the attaining of the goal of the Upanishads.  It is a
saadhya-saadhana

sambandha between the purva and uttara kaanda-s. The Veda, in its
entirety, is the means for attainment of the Parama Purushartha. In a

nutshell, Shankara's message about the Veda is: one cannot afford to
ignore, neglect or belittle any part of the Veda, whether it is about
injunction,

arthavada or instruction about Brahman Atman.

Link to Shankaracharya's 'Saadhana Panchakam that starts with the exhortation:

http://vedantadc.org/sadhana-panchakam-of-sri-shankaracharya
वेदो नित्यमधीयतां तदुदितं कर्म स्वनुष्ठीयतां
  तेनेशस्य विधीयतामपचितिः काम्ये मतिस्त्यज्यताम्‌।
पापौघः परिधूयतां भवसुखे दोषोऽनुसन्धीयतां
  आत्मेच्छा व्यवसीयतां निजगृहात्तूर्णं विनिर्गम्यताम्‌॥१॥

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