[Advaita-l] Adi Sankara's comment about Prayascitta Karma and Sureshvaracharya's comment about Nitya Karma

Venkatesh Murthy vmurthy36 at gmail.com
Wed Aug 4 21:33:57 CDT 2010


In Vedanta Sutra 3 1.8 Adi Sankara says 'Nahi Prayascittadibhir
Hetubhir Vina Karmanam Ucchedaha Sambhavyate'. The translation is 'No
work in fact can be extinguished except by means of expiatory actions,
&c'.  There is a note 'Works are extinguished either by expiatory
ceremonies or by the knowledge of Brahman or by the full fruition of
their consequences.'
http://www.archive.org/stream/vedntasutrastr02bdar/vedntasutrastr02bdar_djvu.txt

What Adi Sankara is saying on Prayascitta? Prayascitta Karma can
extinguish a bad Karma. BrahmaJnana can extinguish a bad Karma or it
may get exhausted by itself when Bhokta experiences it.

A Prayascitta karma is powerful to remove bad Karma. Why do you say
Prayascitta is unnecessary? It is unnecessary for Brahma Jnani.  for
others it is very necessary.

Sureshvaracharya says Papa Hani  destroying of sins is must for citta
suddhi purification of mind. There is no Brahma Jnana without citta
suddhi. But citta suddhi depends on Papa Hani. The person's mind is
impure when he has sins.  Mind cannot be pure until sins are washed.
Nitya karma can extinguish sins.

The question rises Why Adi Sankara says Prayascitta Karma but
Sureshvaracharya says Nitya Karma ?

Request learned members to reply.

Regards

-Venkatesh



More information about the Advaita-l mailing list