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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
Coupled with the Non-Dualistic
philosphy there is another proposition of the Samkara doctrine
relating to the mode of life, that, although it is necessary to
perform the Actions pertaining to the state of a householder in
order to acquire the capacity of realising the identity of the
Brahman and the Atman by the purification of the mind, yet it
will be impossible to obtain Release unless one discontinues
those actions later on and ultimately gives them up and takes
up samnyasa (asceticism); because, in as much as Action (karma)
and Knowledge (jnana) are mutually antogonistic like light
and darkness, the knowledge of the Brahman does not become
perfect unless a man has entirely conquered all root tendencies
(vasana) and given up all Actions. This second proposition is
known as the Path of Renunciation ( nivrtti-marga ), or because
in this path one ultimately gives up all Actions and remains
rsteeped in Knowledge or Realisation it- is also called " sai'unyasa-ni&tha" (the Path of Renunciation) or "jrlana-nidha'
( the Path of Realisation ).
It is stated in the SarhkarabMsy:
on the Upanisads and on the Brahmasutras that not only th
Non-Dualistic philosophy hut also the Path of Rtnunciatioi
that is to say, both the aspects of the cult of Samkara hav
been preached in those books ; and in the Bhasya on the Glta, .
definite conclusion has been drawn that the teaching of th
Bhagavadgita is the same[1] ; and as authority for that. 1
has quoted such sentences from the Git a a,s " jPanatjiah san
karmuni Ihisma-sut kurute " i. e., " all Action {karma) is redue
to ashes in the fire of jnana "[2] and "sarm hirnuikML
Partita jiiaiie jxjrisantapyaie " i.e., " all Actions culminate i
Realisation (jiianaj " [3] In short, the Siir±arabhL=y
has been written in order to show that the teaching of the GM
is consistent with that particular Yedie path which — aftt
proving it to he the most excellent one — was recommended "nj
Sarhkaraearya, after he had refuted the Buddhistic .doctrines :
and further, to show that the Glta is net in favour of the
combination of Knowledge with Action, which was prescribed
by the previous commentators: and to show that the Blesssd
Lord has in the Glta preached to Arjuna the dc-etrine of the
Samkara cult, that Action is only a means of aocjalring
Knowledge and is inferior and that Release is ultimately
obtained only by Knowledge combined with Renunciation of
Action. If there had been any commentary on the Gita before the
date of Samkaracarya, interpreting it as favouring Asceticism,
such a commentary is not now available.
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