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

[V Subrahmanian]

From kena pada bhAShya -
सर्वमेतद्यथोक्तं कर्म च ज्ञानं च सम्यगनुष्ठितं निष्कामस्य मुमुक्षोः
सत्त्वशुद्ध्यर्थं भवति ।...
विशुद्धसत्त्वस्य तु निष्कामस्यैव
बाह्यादनित्यात्साध्यसाधनसम्बन्धादिहकृतात्पूर्वकृताद्वा
संस्कारविशेषोद्भवाद्विरक्तस्य प्रत्यगात्मविषया जिज्ञासा प्रवर्तते ।

All karma and upasana well performed by the mumukshu who is free of
desires, will yield chittashuddhi to hi. such a one alone ...will get the
thirst for knowledge of the supreme.

On Sun, Mar 15, 2020 at 2:58 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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
>>
>>
>>