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

[V Subrahmanian]

We could add this passage too to the list already provided:

अग्निहोत्रादिलक्षणं कर्म ब्रह्मचर्यादिलक्षणं च अनुग्राहकं भवति
विद्योत्पत्तये. (Taittiriya Up.Bhashya 1.11)  [for the karmas such as
Agnihotra, as also the practices of celibacy, etc., undertaken in the past
lives, become helpful to the rise of knolwedge....]

regards
subbu



On Sat, Mar 14, 2020 at 8:51 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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॥
>
> Om Tat Sat
>
>
>