[Advaita-l] A smart inference by Shankara

[V Subrahmanian]

In the commentary to the BGB for this verse:

वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् ।
कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ॥ २१ ॥

(He who knows that the Atman is indestructible and eternal can never be a
doer nor can cause any action.)

Shankara makes a statement:

विदुषः कर्मासम्भववचनात् यानि कर्माणि शास्त्रेण विधीयन्ते तानि अविदुषो
विहितानि इति भगवतो निश्चयोऽवगम्यते ॥

From the Lord's words that action is impossible for  the Jnani who has
realized himself as the Atman that does not have body, mind and instruments
(which alone are the factors involved in action) , it follows that the
Lord's accepted position is that action enjoined by the scripture is
directed at the ignorant one, ajnani (who identifies with the body mind
complex).

This is very significant and reminds one of the similar statement in the
Adhyasa bhashya where he says that the scripture enjoining action and
prohibition and that scripture concerning liberation - operates in the
domain of avidya:

तमेतमविद्याख्यमात्मानात्मनोरितरेतराध्यासं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वे
प्रमाणप्रमेयव्यवहारा लौकिका वैदिकाश्च प्रवृत्ताः, सर्वाणि च शास्त्राणि
विधिप्रतिषेधमोक्षपराणि ।

Om tat sat