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

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 5:46 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Hari Om V Subramanian ji
>
> In your view, what exactly is the meaning of word sattva-shuddhi occurring
> in Gita Bhashya 5.12 and at many other places which is precursor of
> jnAna-prApti.
>
> Is it same as sattva-samshuddhi of Gita 16.1?
>

Dear Sudhanshu ji,  I don't see a difference between the two.  The other
terms used are chitta-shuddhi, chitta nairmalyam, sometimes buddhi-shuddhi,
antahkaraNa-shuddhi, manah-shuddhi, etc.

warm regards
subbu

>
> Regards
> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
>
> On Mon 16 Mar, 2020, 01:11 V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l, <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > 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
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> > http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
> >
> > To unsubscribe or change your options:
> > https://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
> >
> > For assistance, contact:
> > listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> https://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>