FreeIndia.Org FreeIndia.Org FreeIndia.Org FreeIndia.Org
Home Book Talk Recommendations Bibliography Astrology HinduShops Gifts to India
Books By Subjects
Introduction And References
Temples And Legends of India
Hindu Scriptures
Stories
History
Social And Contemporary Issue
Dharma And Philosophy
Art
Worship
Philosophy And Commentaries
Hindutva
Organizations
Featured Book Authors
David Frawley
Dr. A. V. Srinivasan
Raja Gopala Chari
Dr. Krishna Bhatta
Advertisements
Chintan
Dr. David Frawley
Prof. Lata Jagtiani
Dr. Krishna Bhatta
Su.Sh Aditi Banerjee
Sh. Santhana Gopal
Dr. A.V. Srinivasan
Dr. Satish Modh
Dr. Raja Roy
Dr. Nachiketa Tiwari
Sh. Ed. Vishwanathan
Prof. Subhash Kak
Prof. Romesh Diwan
Dr. N. S. Rajaram
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe
Sh. Sudhir Birodkar
Sh. Devant Maharaj
Bookstore
Today's Best Selling Hindu Books from Amazon.com
Best Selling Yoga Books
Books about Gurus
Jain Books
Sikh Books
Eastern Religions Best Sellers
Books in the News
Special Sections
Biographies
Temples And Legends of India
Culture Course
Advertisements
HinduNet Signature Merchandise
35. The System Of The Lord Must Be Disregarded...




Page: 1/2


Hindu Books > Hindu Scriptures > The Vedanta - Sutras > Adhyaya II > Pada II > 35. The System Of The Lord Must Be Disregarded...

Page1

35. (The system) of the Lord (must be disregarded), on account of inappropriateness.

So far it has been shown that the doctrines of Kapila, Kanada, Sugata, and the Arhat must be disregarded by men desirous of final beatitude; for those doctrines are all alike untenable and foreign to the Veda. The Sutras now declare that, for the same reasons, the doctrine of Pasupati also has to be disregarded. The adherents of this view belong to four different classes--Kapalas, Kalamukhas, Pasupatas, and Saivas. All of them hold fanciful theories of Reality which are in conflict with the Veda, and invent various means for attaining happiness in this life and the next. They maintain the general material cause and the operative cause to be distinct, and the latter cause to be constituted by Pasupati. They further hold the wearing of the six so-called 'mudra' badges and the like to be means to accomplish the highest end of man.

Thus the Kapalas say, 'He who knows the true nature of the six mudras, who understands the highest mudra, meditating on himself as in the position called bhagasana, reaches Nirvana. The necklace, the golden ornament, the earring, the head-jewel, ashes, and the sacred thread are called the six mudras. He whose body is marked with these is not born here again.'--Similarly the Kalamukhas teach that the means for obtaining all desired results in this world as well as the next are constituted by certain practices--such as using a skull as a drinking vessel, smearing oneself with the ashes of a dead body, eating the flesh of such a body, carrying a heavy stick, setting up a liquor-jar and using it as a platform for making offerings to the gods, and the like. 'A bracelet made of Rudraksha-seeds on the arm, matted hair on the head, a skull, smearing oneself with ashes, &c.'--all this is well known from the sacred writings of the Saivas. They also hold that by some special ceremonial performance men of different castes may become Brahmanas and reach the highest asrama: 'by merely entering on the initiatory ceremony (diksha) a man becomes a Brahmana at once; by undertaking the kapala rite a man becomes at once an ascetic.'

With regard to these views the Sutra says 'of pati, on account of inappropriateness.' A 'not' has here to be supplied from Sutra 32. The system of Pasupati has to be disregarded because it is inappropriate, i.e. because the different views and practices referred to are opposed to one another and in conflict with the Veda.




Next Page (2/2) Next Page


35. The System Of The Lord Must Be Disregarded...
Page1
Page2
Advertisement


This site is part of Dharma Universe LLC websites.
Copyrighted 2009-2014, Dharma Universe.