[Advaita-l] Acharya Shankara advises

[sreenivasa murthy]

Dear friends,Sri Shankara says :Quote:
Sri Shankara writes in his commentary to the mantra 6-1-3 ofChandogya Upanishad thus :

 

sarvAnapi vEdAnadhItya  sarvaM  cAnyad vEdyamadhigamyApyakRutArtha Eva  Bavati  yAvadAtmatattvaM  na   jAnItIttyAKyAyikAtO   avagamyatE ||

[sarvAnapi vEdAnadhItya sarvaM caanyad vEdyam adhigamyA  api akrutArtha Eva Bavati yAvd AtmatattvaM najAnAtI iti AKyAyikAt avagamyatE ||]

 

Even afterstudying all the Vedas, and even after knowing all other things that are to beknown, a man indeed remains unfulfilled ( akRutArtha ||) of hispurpose till he does not know the reality of the Self 

( AtmatattvaM||). This is understood by the story.

           [Chandogya ; 6-1-3 ; Translator: Swami Gambhirananda].
 Unquote.
What is the lesson we haveto learn from the above teaching of Sri Shankara? Sri Shankara advises us tobecome KNOWERS OF THE SELF ( Atmavit ) and not KNOWERS OF THESHASTRA ( mantravit).


Why not we heed to the advice of Sri Shankaraand devote one's time and energy for acquiringAtmaikatvavidyavidya?
With respectful namaskars,Sreenivasa Murthy