[Advaita-l] शास्त्रविधानस्य उत्सृजनम् (BG 17.1)

[H S Chandramouli]

Namaste Sriram Ji,
>
> Reg  << However, Shankara says :
>
> सामान्यविषयः अयं प्रश्नो न अप्रविभज्य प्रतिवचनं अर्हति इति  >>,
>
> Yes. This is in response to the question by Arjuna
>
> << ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य
> यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः ।
> तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण
> सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः ॥  >>   17-1.
>
> <<  ye shAstravidhimutsRRijya
>
> yajante shraddhayAnvitAH |
>
> teShAM niShThA tu kA kRRiShNa
>
> sattvamAho rajastamaH || >>   17-1
>
> Bhashya cited by you as above clearly mentions that the question is of a
> very general nature and cannot be answered without subdivision. The
> response of Sri Krishna as expounded in Ch 17 in its entirety is to
> subdivide this subset of human beings, namely those who are not guided in
> their acts by Shruti, but their acts are not out of just their own sweet
> will and pleasure either, but guided by the acts of elders, into three
> categories. This subset is made clear in the bhashya itself
>
> << ये केचित् अविशेषिताः शास्त्रविधिं शास्त्रविधानं
> श्रुतिस्मृतिशास्त्रचोदनाम् उत्सृज्य परित्यज्य यजन्ते देवादीन् पूजयन्ति
> श्रद्धया अन्विताः श्रद्धया आस्तिक्यबुद्ध्या अन्विताः संयुक्ताः सन्तः —
> श्रुतिलक्षणं स्मृतिलक्षणं वा कञ्चित् शास्त्रविधिम् अपश्यन्तः
> वृद्धव्यवहारदर्शनादेव श्रद्दधानतया ये देवादीन् पूजयन्ति, ते इह ‘ये
> शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः’ इत्येवं गृह्यन्ते । >>
>
> << ye kechit avisheShitAH shAstravidhiM shAstravidhAnaM
> shrutismRRitishAstrachodanAm utsRRijya parityajya yajante devAdIn pUjayanti
> shraddhayA anvitAH shraddhayA AstikyabuddhyA anvitAH saMyuktAH santaH —
> shrutilakShaNaM smRRitilakShaNaM vA ka~nchit shAstravidhim apashyantaH
> vRRiddhavyavahAradarshanAdeva shraddadhAnatayA ye devAdIn pUjayanti, te iha
> ‘ye shAstravidhimutsRRijya yajante shraddhayAnvitAH’ ityevaM gRRihyante |
> >>.
>
> Reg  << So, for the shloka:
>
> ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य यजन्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः।
> तेषां निष्ठा तु का कृष्ण सत्त्वमाहो रजस्तमः।।17.1।।
>
> ye shAstravidhimutsRRijya yajante shraddhayA.anvitAH|
>
> teShAM niShThA tu kA kRRiShNa sattvamAho rajastamaH||17.1||
>
> can we conclude the answer to be:
>
> विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्।
> श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञं तामसं परिचक्षते।।17.13।।
>
> vidhihInamasRRiShTAnnaM mantrahInamadakShiNam|
>
> shraddhAvirahitaM yaj~naM tAmasaM parichakShate||17.13|| >>.
>
> Clearly no. The answer for 17-1 in a nutshell is 17-2
>
> << त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा
> देहिनां सा स्वभावजा ।
> सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव
> तामसी चेति तां शृणु ॥ >>  17-2
>
> <<  trividhA bhavati shraddhA
>
> dehinAM sA svabhAvajA |
>
> sAttvikI rAjasI chaiva
>
> tAmasI cheti tAM shRRiNu || >>  17-2
>
> As an answer to the question by Arjuna, three categories are identified by
> Sri Krishna as above in 17-2, and  briefly elaborated in 17-4. The three
> are sAtvik,rAjasik and tAmasik.
>
> Sri Krishna mentions that the three categories of persons are to be
> identified by their acts. He proceeds to cover various acts in the
> succeeding verses. The verse 17-3 cited by you concerns one type of act
> namely yagna performed by  one of these three categories, namely tAmasik.
> The word  श्रद्धाविरहितं (shraddhAvirahitaM) therein is to be understood
> as * casual/disinterested * (अश्रध्धा/ ashradhdhA  is the explanatory
> word in kannada used by Sri SSS).
>
> Reg  << I was discussing this also with one scholar and he said that the
> 1st shloka which is posed as question should be disassociated with this
> chapter and should be observed independently >>,
>
> Such a view  is not supported  in the discourses of Swami Shankarananda or
> of Sri SSS. I do not see any valid reason for the same either.
> Regards
>
>
>